The Crystal Symphony made an unscheduled overnight stop in Tauranga, arriving early Sunday morning.

A cyclone warning for Fiji resulted in the decision to leave Nuku'alofa and spend two days in the Port of Tauranga.

Jon and Gloria Thurston, cruise ship passengers from Niagara-on-the-Lake in Canada, loved their first day here.

"We are thrilled! It's been a fabulous time,” says Gloria.

'The people are so friendly and so amazing. The staff at the Mount Brewery company are just adorable. We wanted to pack them up and take them home with us. Because the stopover was a surprise it has turned out better than expected.”

'We were here fifteen years ago,” says Jon.

'So, we didn't go to Rotorua or Hobbiton today, just enjoyed walking around the Mount and our day here.”

Jon and Gloria Thurston, from Niagara-on-the-Lake, Canada.

Mount resident John Minton went down to see the cruise ship in the evening.

He has sailed on eight cruise ships, with his favourite trip being up to Tahiti.

'I first started coming to New Zealand in 1953, from the Gold Coast,” says John.

'I helped build the Kawerau Paper Mill. Then I lived here in the 70's and moved back here from Australia 12 years ago.”

The Crystal Symphony is due to leave for Auckland at 6.15pm this evening.

John Minton.