Three cruise liners will be berthing at the three major venues for the 2011 Rugby World Cup. They will host a total capacity of 5500fans .
All three ships will be in Auckland during the semi-finals and finals of the tournament.
Two will earlier be based in Wellington and one in Christchurch when those cities host the quarter-final stages.
The cruise ships will also visit Picton, Napier, Tauranga and the Bay of Islands.
The official commercial ticketing company for the event, Rugby Travel and Hospitality, says the ships are vital in providing additional accommodation.
Passengers will be people with official ticket packages to the games.
Ticketing for the cup reaches a new stage on Tuesday when the public is able to apply for specific venue and pool tickets.
