Meet the Kiwi raising pulses on board the world's newest and biggest cruise ship, Symphony of the Seas

The world's biggest cruise ship set sail on its inaugural voyage on April 7 and there's a Kiwi working on board.

Symphony of the Seas has capacity for a record-breaking 6680 passengers and, out of the 2200 crew tending to their every need, there is one lone Kiwi.

Byron Blane is from Tokomaru Bay, on the East Coast about an hour from Gisborne. But he's currently a long way from home - on the other side of the world in fact - sailing the Mediterranean coast from Barcelona on Royal Caribbean's new mega-ship.

Blane is part of the Sports Crew, who look after Symphony's epic adrenalin-inducing attractions - the zipline suspended above the 15th deck; Flowrider, a simulated surf and body boarding wave pool; and the Ultimate Abyss, the highest slide at sea. Prior to this, he was the iFly instructor on board Ovation of the Seas, the largest cruise ship to ever visit New Zealand waters.

He says Symphony's sports offerings are one of the best parts of this new ship and thinks Kiwis will love experiencing them.

"You get a lot of people who are nervous, especially for the zipline, a lot of nervous faces," he says. "But most people end up going through with it.... and thoroughly enjoy it."

Symphony of the Seas by the Numbers:

• 228,081 gross tonnes
• 215.5 feet wide
• 1188 feet long
• 6,680 guests (total)
• 2200 international crew
• 18 total decks
• 16 guest decks
• 2759 staterooms
• Ultimate Abyss - a 10-storey slide, the highest on any cruise ship