Diamond Princess, in port on Waitangi Day, along with Asuka II and Amadea, both due this week, have something in common.
These renamed cruise ships are all products of the Nagasaki yard of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd.
Last week's visitor was the first cruise ship to be delivered from these builders, more than a decade after this week's visitors entered service.
While Diamond Princess was the second of a pair laid down for P and O's Princess Cruises fleet, it was first to enter service.
The ship was intended to be named Sapphire Princess, but the name was swapped when the first ship, launched as Diamond Princess, was severely damaged by fire a few months before it was due for completion.
About 70% of it had to be rebuilt and the ship was not delivered until May 2004, renamed Sapphire Princess.
Its sister ship had already been in service for three months as Diamond Princess.
Built for Japan's NYK group, Asuka II and Amadea were handed over by Mitsubishi in June 1990 and October 1991, respectively.
Both previously called here under their original names.
The 50,142gt, 690-berth-Asuka II made five visits from November 15, 1998, to March 18, 2004, as Crystal Harmony.
It was then registered at Nassau in the Bahamas, and owned by NYK's Crystal Cruises Inc.
In November 2005, Crystal Harmony made its last cruise under that name, to the Mexican Riviera.
The ship then proceeded to the Victoria Shipyards in British Columbia for refurbishment.
On completion of this work, it crossed the Pacific before a round-the-world cruise from Japan in 2006.
By then, the ship had received its present name and been transferred to NYK Cruises Inc and the Japanese flag.
It had also replaced and taken the name of the smaller 28,856gt, 604-berth Asuka, which operated under the Japanese flag for the same company.
Following a 33-day round voyage from Yokohama to Southeast Asian ports, this ship was sold in February 2006, to the Amadea Shipping Company Ltd.
Transferred to Nassau registry and renamed Amadea, the vessel is now managed by V Ships Leisure SAM, of Monte Carlo (Monaco), and operated by Bonn-based Phoenix Seeereisen Cruise Line.
Asuka, the first NYK cruise ship to call here, made five visits between February 5, 1995, and February 2, 2005.
Of NYK's other cruise ships, the 51,044gt Crystal Symphony has only been seen here once, in February 1998.
The 2003-built 68,870gt Crystal Serenity makes its second visit later this month.
The 27,795gt, 46,724dwt, coastal tanker Kakariki, entered its 11th year of service last month.
Built at Szczecin, Poland, Kakariki made its first appearance here on July 14, 1999.
Last week, the tanker made its 100th visit to Dunedin.
To date, the only other New Zealand-flag tankers to have made more visits were Taiko, 140 from October 28, 1984, to March 23, 2007, and Kuaka, 107 between March 14, 1976, and January 27, 1996.
