Thirty-eight of the 47 people on Whakaari / White Island when it erupted came from the Ovation of the Seas cruise ship, and most of them were Australian.
The ship remained in Tauranga overnight, and as holidaying passengers spilled off the ship, they were met with a wall of flowers building at the Port of Tauranga entrance.
Bouquets were placed there by locals as a sign of the tragedy that struck.
Tauranga local Jill Martin said it's a "terrible" situation, but felt like she should show a small gesture for what happened.
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced on Tuesday that 24 Australians aged 17 to 72 from the cruise had visited Whakaari / White Island the day it erupted.
"Thirteen of those Australians are hospitalised across multiple hospitals in New Zealand. There are 11 Australians that are still unaccounted for. We fear of the five deceased persons that three are Australians," he said.
Among the Australian cruise passengers were four members of the Langford family. The parents and two teenagers who are still unaccounted for are presumed dead.
Col Beaman, an Australian holidaymaker on the 12-night cruise, said the mood onboard is now sombre.
"You can sense that the atmosphere has obviously changed."
In a statement, owner of Ovation of the Seas ship Royal Caribbean said it is offering help to its guests.
"We are communicating with our guests and their families. We're making sure they are taken care of in terms of medical help, counselling, accommodation, and transport."
But for 38 passengers and their families, no amount of help can fix what happened on White Island yesterday.
Family members concerned about the status of relatives travelling aboard Ovation of the Seas may inquire by calling the following numbers:
Australia 1-300-026-240
New Zealand 0800-002141
USA 800 829 4050
Germany 0800-180-0885
UK 0-800-014-8339
Mexico 01-800-681-5336
China 400-120-3534
Japan 0800-170-6282
Singapore 65-31582855
