Largest cruise ship to dock at Napier tomorrow

The largest cruise ship to visit New Zealand, the Ovation of the Seas, will arrive in Napier tomorrow. PHOTO/FILE.

A "momentous occasion" will be marked tomorrow when the largest cruise ship to sail Australasian waters arrives in Napier.

After visiting the ports of Auckland, Tauranga, and Dunedin, the Royal Caribbean's Ovation of the Seas will make its first and only stop in Napier this season.

Eighteen decks high, weighing in at 168,666 tonnes, with capacity for 6500 guests and crew, the ship is the fourth largest cruise ship in the world - at 348m long it is said to be longer than Auckland's Sky Tower is tall.

With its immense size, Royal Caribbean Australia and New Zealand managing director Adam Armstrong said the ship came with an "unprecedented variety" of activities for passengers.

This included more space for relaxation, 18 different dining options, and more of the "unique amenities that Royal Caribbean is famous for" - including an onboard surfing simulator, and rock climbing wall.

Other activities offered on the liner are firsts, such as the North star - a capsule 90m above sea level offering 360 degree views - the iFly sky diving experience, and Bionic Bar - a bar served by two robotic bartenders.

With 2090 staterooms, the liner has nearly 20 times more rooms than the Scenic Hotel Te Pania on Marine Parade.

As well as offering guests a plethora of activities on board, the ship is said to deliver significant economic benefits at each of her ports of call.

Her visit to Napier was expected to inject more than half a million dollars in passenger spend alone, while her maiden New Zealand season was expected to inject more than $9.5 million into the national economy.

Mr Armstrong said the ship was an "absolute game changer for cruising Downunder".

The newest, largest and most technologically advanced cruise ship to be based in Australasia ushers in a new era of holidays for Kiwis - known as SuperCruising.

"SuperCruising on Ovation of the Seas marks the dawn of a bold new era of cruising Downunder - and we're so proud to share this momentous occasion with the people of New Zealand," Armstrong concluded.