Returning to the lower harbour are familiar and some not so well known cruise ships.
The others on the list are; Amsterdam, Crystal Serenity, Dawn Princess, Deutschland, Diamond Princess, Pacific Dawn, Pacific Jewel, Pacific Venus, Rhapsody of the Seas, Saga Ruby, Seven Seas Navigator, Seven Seas Voyager, Silver Shadow, Sun Princess and Volendam.
Appearing here for the first time are P&O's 76,152gt, 2290-berth Aurora, built 10 years ago, Fred Olsen's older 43,537gt, 1988-built Balmoral, which has 1400 berths, and the 63,524gt, 1856-berth Pacific Pearl, dating from 1989 and operated by P&O Australia.
Two other newcomers are more modern vessels.
Silversea Cruises's 36,009gt Silver Spirit entered service last year and caters for 540 passengers.
Younger still is Seabourn Cruises's 32,346gt, 450-berth Seabourn Sojourn, delivered earlier this year.
On eight occasions facilities in the lower harbour will be fully taxed with two cruise ships in port on the same day.
Of interest too is that we will have a cruise ship, Dawn Princess, in port on Christmas Day, the first time this has happened and on a day when everything is shut down.
Sister ship Sun Princess will follow on Boxing Day.
Making return visits to Dunedin are Oceanic Discoverer, Orion and Spirit of Enderby.
Newcomer Spirit of Oceanus, operated by Cruise West, carries 114 passengers and is a 4200gt vessel built in 1991.
In what was something of a fiasco, Tenor was handed over to the new owners last Monday.
One expected to see the bulk carrier depart with its new name and port of registry, Majuro, plus a change of funnel markings.
Former identification on the hull had been painted out but weather conditions prevented the job being completed.
So it was quite unusual to see an outward bound vessel showing no name and or port of registry on the hull.
However the name boards on the superstructure did display the new name Genco Langquedoc.
Foreign-owned ships changing names and owners does not happen here very often.
One I recall was the bulk carrier Sealnes which berthed at Dunedin on October 30, 1989, to discharge newsprint then sailed three days later as Wani Hunter.
But a number of New Zealand register vessels from the fishing industry, coastal and overseas services have changed hands in this harbour during the past 45 years.
