A gorgeous Marlborough day greeted passengers on the Pacific Sun at 8.30am, as the ship cruised into Picton harbour laden with Lions supporters.

The 223m ship docked with 677 crew and 671 passengers.

By 9.15 hundreds of passengers were disembarking, bringing a sea of blue and red to Waitohi wharf, thanks to the many dressed in official colours.

They were greeting by the Queen Charlotte Lions ladies, who handed out artificial flowers after cold weather made the real thing too difficult to obtain.

As well as flowers, Karen McWha handed out 850 black and red shirted bears, each cut out and painted so that Lions supporters could pin them on for the day.

Some of the Brits were particularly pleased to be welcomed by the Lions ladies.

One passenger, Dom Robinson from London, wearing a blue and gold silk suit, was liberally handing out hugs to the welcoming committee.

Meanwhile, the red wave was broken up by the lime green jackets of security.

Fleet security officer David Dyer said a strong security team was on the boat to make sure there was no trouble.

Beyond the cruise ship activity, the ferry Aratere was filling up with campervans, as others Lions supporters set off north to Wellington.

And beyond the two big boats, a fleet of buses milled around to take the cruise ship passengers through to the Gullivers Wine Marlborough Festival, where 2000 supporters were to savour savvy with 35 Marlborough wineries at Cloudy Bay winery.