Skipper Dean Barker said the reaction from fans was "mind blowing".
Hundreds of fans camped out at Auckland Airport from before 5.30am to catch the team coming off their plane from San Francisco.
Loud cheers erupted as the Kiwi team walked through the arrival gates to be met by family after almost five months away from home.
Emirates Team New Zealand skipper Dean Barker had been spotted checking in at the business-class counter at San Francisco Airport yesterday afternoon with wife Mandy, their children and a woman believed to be their nanny.
A woman who saw them at the airport said Barker still looked like he was carrying the burden of the loss.
"He looked like he was sad and I felt sorry for him.
"He and Mandy looked wrecked and he looked sad. The nanny was taking care of the kids but when a Kiwi guy came up to them they put smiles on and were pleasant.
"There haven't yet been any official plans for celebrations for the team, despite calls for an event to be held.
At the Auckland on Water Boat Show yesterday, there was support for a parade.
Stephen Western, from Russell, said Barker and the team could not have done anything more.
"It was a huge effort and we're very proud of them," he said.
His son, Ben, who works at Cookson Boats and helped to build Team NZ's AC72 Aotearoa, said the crew did outstanding work with integrity and a great attitude and that deserved to be recognised.
Prime Minister John Key has said the $36 million put into this year's regatta wasn't wasted.
Economic Development Minister Steven Joyce said: "They need a bit of space to think about what's next ... if they did want to consider another challenge and wanted to talk to us about the Government supporting it alongside others, then we'd treat that seriously."
- Amelia Wade
