A local school that was the lucky recipient of a second hand piano from a cruise ship gave a thank you concert aboard the vessel last night.
Mount Maunganui Intermediate music students performed aboard the Sun Princess cruise ship last night as a thank you for the piano the ship donated to the school last year.
School music teacher Christine Pearce said the piano had been delivered to the school on Christmas Eve last year, a "nice Christmas present".
The cruise ship had wanted to get rid of the piano so had sent an email around Tauranga schools, retirement homes and community organisations to see who wanted its old piano, and Mrs Pearce jumped at the chance.
"Since then we've been able to use it for things such as performances at our art auction, the singing teacher plays it for the singing students and it gives something for the beginner keyboard students to aspire to play.
"They now have a decent, quality instrument to play."
It was an exciting moment from Claudia Murray Cors, 12, who had never been on a cruise ship before.
"I've seen lots of movies with cruise ships and they looked really cool.
"It's going to be fun to say I've been on one to perform."
Claudia is one of the school's piano students who have made use of the new baby grand piano.
She has been playing for four years and said the new piano was "quite interesting" to play.
"It's different from the one we have at home but it's quite nice. It's not like you're playing keys, it's more like you're playing music so it's quite cool."
Principal Lisa Morresey said the instrument was well used in class as well as at school assemblies and performances.