Having just completed a cruise around New Zealand, I can confirm that Tauranga is a favourite port of call with many cruise ship passengers.

The Bay of Plenty has a lot to offer and receives favourable comments from those visiting our shores. Most of the passengers on board were from Australia, with a surprising number of first-time cruisers.

The assistant cruise director said Tauranga was his favourite New Zealand port of call.

Why do people love Tauranga? Some reasons include impressive entrance into Port, friendly people, being handy to beaches and shopping, and a gateway to Rotorua.

Is information on board accurate? Unfortunately, not all destination material is accurate.

The tours manager said he thinks a Scandanavian company does the stateroom television destination material. He did take note of the errors and said he would notify the head office in America.

Cruising has become more affordable during the last 10 years, with the number of cruise ships sailing down under increasing.

The majority of Australians are not big spenders and one lady told me she refused to pay $5 to enter The Elms while a car display was in progress.

She was allowed to view the grounds at no cost, but the comment reflects the fact that a large percentage of tourists do not spend much money while in port.

However, many visitors I spoke to intend to return to New Zealand for a more in-depth land-based tour.

One thing is for certain, there will be more cruise ships visiting our shores during the next few years.