Weather conditions last week forced the cancellation of the last cruise ship visit for the season, that of Sapphire Princess.
As a result, the season, which commenced last September, ended when the same vessel berthed on April 6, on its 22nd visit and eighth call this year.
For the record, ten ships made 36 calls at Port Chalmers and two smaller ships three visits to Dunedin.
But a record cruise ship period from October to April, 2009 already has the Port Otago schedule listing 65 visits. And this could likely increase with further additions.
Port Chalmers is currently down for 53 calls by 15 ships. On five occasions resources will be fully taxed with two large ships in port together.
Three smaller vessels are to make 12 visits to Dunedin. One of these, down for four calls, is the newcomer Orion.
And while Oceanic Discoverer will make two visits, it is welcome back to Clipper Odyssey with six calls.
The programme starts on October 22 with the arrival, for the first time, of Dawn Princess, sister ship to Sun Princess, which will also be returning.
Pacific Sun, based in Australia, is another newcomer.
Diamond Princess is taking over from sister ship Sapphire Princess and the 60,906-gt Volendam replaces Holland-America's very popular 55,451-gt Statendam, a regular visitor since December, 2005.
These five vessels, all part of the Carnival group that operates the largest number of cruise ships in the world, will make a total of 26 visits.
The Royal Caribbean group, next in line after Carnival in fleet strength, will have its Rhapsody of the Seas back for five calls and Millennium, from its affiliated Celebrity Cruise Line fleet, making 12 visits.
Built eight years ago, the ship will be the port's fourth-largest visitor at 90,288gt.
With an overall length of 294m, the ship will snatch the longest vessel record, held here by the celebrated 293.53m-long Queen Elizabeth 2 since February 4, 1992.
Vessels returning are Bremen, Nautica, Seven Seas Mariner, Silver Whisper and Crystal Serenity on its second visit.
Strong winds resulted in Crystal Serenity's visit last February being cancelled.
Operated by NYK's Crystal Cruise Line, the 68,870-gt vessel was completed at St Nazaire, France, in June, 2003.
The ship's visit next year on February 22 closely follows calls by other cruise liners having NYK and local links, Asuka II on February 11, and Amadea two days later.
Now serving under the Japanese flag for NYK Cruises, the 48,621-gt Asuka II was operated until two years ago as Crystal Cruise's Nassau-registered Crystal Harmony.
About the same time, the 28,856-gt Japanese-registered Asuka was sold , renamed and registered at Nassau as Amadea.
Both ships each made five local visits earlier in their careers. They were both built at Mitsubishi's Nagasaki shipyard.
