The largest passenger ship ever to visit Auckland, Royal Caribbean’s Ovation of the Seas, will arrive in the Waitematā Harbour on Tuesday 27 December.
The luxury megaship is 1141 feet (347m) long, weighs 168,660 tonnes and carries 6400 passengers and crew. Its facilities include a surf simulator, basketball court, bumper cars and a roller-skating rink.
Auckland retailers are expecting the ship to bring an economic boost during a usually quiet period. Cruise tourism is expected to contribute more than $230 million to Auckland’s economy this season.
The Ovation will arrive in New Zealand waters from Southeast Asia, and will visit ports including Wellington, Picton, Tauranga, Auckland, and the Bay of Islands.
Selfie competition – ‘Me, You, and Ovation of the Seas’
For those down on the waterfront on December 27th, be sure to snap a selfie with the Ovation of the Seas in the background. Upload it to Facebook and tag the @RCLOvation to go in the draw to win a cruise on board next season.
Official hashtags are #SuperCruisingNZ and #OvationoftheSeas.
