A 9-month renovation worth $12.5 million dollars done at Shed 10, a building which dates back to 1910, has transformed the place to a new cruise ship terminal at Auckland's Queens Wharf in the morning of July 31, 2013.

Shed 10 is a heritage building used to host the 2011 Rugby World Cup. It also used to be cargo storage for export and import goods.

During the day, the refurbished Shed 10 will serve as terminal for international cruise ships. Sea Princess will be the very first ship to dock in the renovated cruise ship on October 11, 2013.

Come night time, the place will be open as venue for large events gathering. The place has the capacity to accommodate 3,000 people.

The Auckland City Council said that the new cruise ship terminal was renovated as answer to the influx of cruise passengers making trips to New Zealand. There was about 250 per cent increase of cruise passengers in New Zealand in recent years.

Tourism NZ, too, had recognised that the cruise industry market is booming and that New Zealand likes to take advantage of the expanding market as it develops in the days to come. In fact, according to Tourism NZ, New Zealand surpasses China in terms of inbound tourists.

Auckland Mayor Len Brown expressed his delights about Auckland's new cruise ship.

"The refurbishment preserves a key part of the city's working waterfront heritage and in the process allows it to maximise the economic benefits that will come from the rapidly increasing number of cruise ships visiting New Zealand," Mr Brown said.

According to a New Zealand Herald report, people will be allowed entry to the new terminal on Sept 28 and 29, 2013, as part of the heritage Week 2013 celebrations. And on Oct 11, 2013, the first cruise ship passengers will be welcomed. Passengers of Sea Princess will be the very first passengers to be accommodated in the new terminal. They will be the very first tourists to be disembarked into the upper level renovated with olden matai floorings.

The highlight of the new cruise ship terminal is the 4.7m by 4.7m bay window adorned by a suspended 3m Waka carved from Puriri. The southern part of the building was refurbished with a contemporary designed foyer build with a staircase and lift to take people to the upper floor.