Port of Tauranga will host the giant cruise ship Ovation of the Seas on its maiden voyage to New Zealand during the summer of 2016/2017.

The Royal Caribbean vessel is 348 metres long, more than 50 metres high and can host nearly 5,000 passengers and 1500 crew.

Voyager of the Seas is the biggest cruise ship to dock at Port of Tauranga so far. Take a look inside the cruise ship here. Photo: File.

With a price tag of USD$1 billion, it boasts on-board entertainment such as a skydiving simulator, an aerial observatory and a bar staffed by robots.

Port of Tauranga Chief Executive Mark Cairns says the cruise ship visit will be made possible by the dredging project about to commence in Tauranga Harbour.

The work, for which tenders close in June, will be completed by August next year, in plenty of time for the arrival of the Ovation of the Seas.

'We're delighted to be able to accommodate larger ships such as the Ovation of the Seas,” says Mark.

'The introduction of bigger vessels shows the confidence that cruise companies have in New Zealand as a destination.

'The cruise industry brings a lot of economic benefit to the wider Bay of Plenty economy.”

Royal Caribbean Cruises Vice President Asia Pacific, Gavin Smith, says Ovation of the Seas will change the face of the cruising industry in New Zealand.

'Confirming Tauranga as a port of call for the region's very first new-build cruise ship demonstrates our commitment to, and belief in the New Zealand cruising market,” explains Gavin.

'Each time the ship calls in Tauranga, she will deliver an injection of around NZD$780,000 into the local economy.

'Tauranga rates time and time again as one of our most popular New Zealand destinations. We look forward to sharing this beautiful destination with our guests from around the world.”

The ship will be the third in the ground-breaking Quantum Class and the fifth in the Royal Caribbean Australasian fleet for summer 2016/17, joining four other superliners –Voyager of the Seas, Explorer of the Seas, Radiance of the Seas and Legend of the Seas.

Voyager of the Seas is the largest ship to currently frequent these waters, at 317 metres long. It has regularly visited the Port of Tauranga over the past few seasons.