One of the largest passenger ships, the Ovation of the Seas, is scheduled to arrive in Tauranga next week for the first time this season.
The ship has capacity for 6000 guests and crew and was expected to dock at the Port of Tauranga on December 22.
The Ovation of the Seas features an iFly skydiving wind tunnel and North Star observation capsule, rock climbing walls, trapeze circus school, dodgem cars, FlowRider surf simulator and a restaurant by Jamie Oliver.
The megaship was set to make 29 port visits in New Zealand, up from last season's 16.
Dunedin will benefit the most from the extended second season with seven visits, while Tauranga will enjoy three visits from the US$1 billion ship.