The world’s latest and, claimed to be, most innovative cruise ship has arrived in Southampton today.

Ovation of the Seas is the latest cruise vessel to be launched by Royal Caribbean Lines.

Built in Germany for the Chinese and Far East market, she has made her debut before the world’s press and the travel industry after arriving this afternoon.

Ovation of the Seas is the third in the company’s Quantum-class ships and will be packed with the latest innovations including robot bar tenders, the RipCord by iFly skydiving simulator, bumper cars and a host of hi-tech developments.

SeaPlex is the largest indoor sports and entertainment complex at sea with attractions ranging from roller skating and video gaming to a circus school complete with flying trapeze classes.

The class’s signature Northern Star – a jewel-shaped glass capsule that rises 300 feet above sea level, providing 360-degree views from high above the ship, will also feature.

Ovation arrived at Berth 101 in the Western Docks this afternoon and will be in port for a few days before sailing for the Mediterranean and then the Far East and Australia. She is commanded by Captain Henrick Loy.

She is the last of Royal Caribbean’s three 167,800-ton, 4,180-passenger Royal Caribbean cruise ships, will launch April 2016 in China.

Constructed at Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg, Germany, Ovation of the Seas would be specially built with the Chinese cruise market in mind and will spend most of its time in China, with a short season sailing from Australia.

Royal Caribbean have confirmed that Ovation will return Down Under for a second season in summer 2017/18 due to, “the extraordinary demand from Australians.”

“The level of interest for Ovation of the Seas has exceeded our expectations; we’re currently over 90 per cent sold for next summer’s sailings,” said Adam Armstrong, managing director, Royal Caribbean Australasia.

“She’s a true game-changer and such was the high demand that we’ve been able to secure four extra cruises from Sydney, which will extend the season into late February 2017.

Ovation of the Seas’s sister ship, Anthem of the Seas, was originally based in Southampton but this season will be replaced by Independence of the Seas returning to the Hampshire Port. Royal Caribbean’s Navigator of the Seas will also be based in Southampton for the spring and summer of this year.