Silver Shadow and Diamond Princess arrived at Port Chalmers within an hour of each other yesterday morning.
Silver Shadow had the more dramatic voyage, after an ill passenger had to be winched aboard a rescue helicopter in the Tasman Sea, 125 nautical miles (232km) west of Milford Sound, on Wednesday night and flown to Dunedin Hospital.
More than 4000 passengers and crew from the two ships took the opportunity to hunt for bargains and to experience some of Dunedin's attractions.
Boyd Middlebrook, of Iowa, was on his first trip out of the United States, aboard Diamond Princess.
''I've always wanted to come to New Zealand. It's really rough country here. t's a lot different to back home. The people are very friendly here and it's a very beautiful country,'' he said.
Fellow Diamond Princess passenger Boris Gelmin, of Melbourne, was visiting Dunedin for the first time.
''We did some shopping and went to the botanical gardens. The flowers there are very nice. Dunedin's not that different to Melbourne, really. It's just a bit greener ... and cooler.''
Other tourists spent the day visiting local attractions.
''We went on the [Taieri Gorge] train trip and it was fantastic,'' said Elizabeth Dau, of Maryborough, Australia.
''The people on the train were amazing. They really looked after us.''
Peggy Angus, of the Midlands, in England, was visiting New Zealand for the first time on Silver Shadow for her husband's birthday present.
''It's beautiful scenery here. We went on the train trip and it was lovely. This trip has been a bit of a holiday for my husband's 60th and it's been well worth it.''
A Cruise New Zealand study released this month estimated Dunedin's growing cruise-ship industry would create up to 200 additional jobs by next season in the retail, tourism and transport sectors.
More than 175,000 cruise-ship passengers and crew movements were recorded at Port Chalmers in 2009-10. It is expected to increase to 306,000 next season.
The value-added effect of the cruise industry for the region is predicted to grow from $16.5 million in 2009-10 to $28 million in 2011-12.
During December, Dunedin has been visited by the Diamond Princess (2600 passengers and 1200 crew), Rhapsody of the Seas (2400 passengers and 750 crew), Pacific Jewel (2000 passengers and 600 crew), Dawn Princess (1950 passengers and 830 crew), Pacific Dawn (1900 passengers and 900 crew), Sun Princess (1900 passengers and 900 crew) and Silver Shadow (382 passengers and 295 crew).
Both Silver Shadow and Diamond Princess left Port Chalmers last night.
