More than 2000 passengers disembarked from the 77,000 tonne ship, with retailers reporting a bumper day.
Customers had been sitting in front of the Lemon Room basking in the sunshine more than hour before the restaurant opened at noon, duty manager Alisha Paterson said.
"We have been really busy.
Everyone seems to be ordering beers and soup."
The Scottish Shop owner Erin Hogan said it had been an average "cruise ship day", with a large number of people purchasing smaller items.
"If the season was to carry on like this, we would be very happy," she said.
Interest was high in All Blacks gear, particularly T-shirts, Champions of the World shop assistant Emma Walters said.
"It has been a busy day."
Bill (65) and Mary (60) Langdoc, of Texas, planned to buy All Blacks gear for their son with the last of their New Zealand money.
The retired couple boarded Dawn Princess in San Francisco last month, and only caught up with the latest news on the economy and the election race on Monday.
"We are a bit poorer now than when we left, but we will still enjoy our cruise," Mr Langdoc said.
Fellow passengers Joe (79) and Lois (76) Baker, of Arkansas, said they had lost a "pile" on the stockmarket, but the news from home would not spoil their 60th wedding anniversary.
"We love it here. We always wanted to visit Australia and New Zealand," Mr Baker said.
Cruise NZ chairman Craig Harris said passengers and crew would have spent more than $500,000, or about $300 a passenger, during Dawn Princess' first voyage to Port Chalmers.
"Dunedin is proving to be a popular destination.
It gets a high rating from passengers and has a diverse range of attractions."
Sixty-five cruise ship visits are expected in Dunedin this season, and are expected to inject $19 million into the local economy.
Dawn Princess sailed for Fiordland last night.
The ship is closely linked with the television series The Love Boat, which was filmed aboard Princess Cruises ships from 1977-86.
