A cruise ship docked in Tauranga yesterday is currently in Auckland being disinfected after passengers became sick with norovirus.

When the Diamond Princess reached Tauranga yesterday, about five people remained affected with the stomach bug out of a total on-board population of more than 4000 passengers and crew.

Diamond Princess docked in Tauranga.

The ship was docked in Tauranga for the day before it departed to its next Auckland port at 7pm on Wednesday.

Today cleaners are working to clear the virus responsible for making about 50 passengers onboard the cruise from Australia ill.

The ship begins a new cruise today and is expected to return to Tauranga tomorrow.

Bay of Plenty Medical officer of Health Dr Phil Shoemack says health authorities were notified of the Diamond Princess's norovirus outbreak when it first entered New Zealand waters.

'One benefit of cruise ships is they have their own health staff on board,” says Phil.

Norovirus can cause vomiting, diarrhoea and stomach cramps.

Detections of the virus on cruise ships are reported to the US-based Centre for Disease Control when more than three per cent of an on-board population is infected. In 2013, nine norovirus outbreaks on cruise ships were reported.

The Diamond Princess is scheduled to dock in Tauranga at 4.30am on Friday before sailing on to Lyttelton at 5pm.