Voyager - this lady of the Seas will stick out in the Harbour crowd

THIS $500 million cruise ship is set to dock at Sydney's Circular Quay - but it's 11m too long for the berth, and can't fit under the bridge.

Voyager of The Seas

TALK about a Big Bertha - this massive $500 million cruise ship is set to dock at Circular Quay despite being 11m too long for the berth.

The 311m Voyager of the Seas will be the biggest cruise ship to call Sydney Harbour home when it docks at the Overseas Passenger Terminal in November next year.

Sydney Ports is now working with the megaliner's owner Royal Caribbean on its arrival, with a spokesman admitting it will have to overhang either Campbells Cove or the Commissioners Steps.

The Voyager of the Seas, which is too tall to fit under the Harbour Bridge and so be able to dock at the domestic cruise passenger terminal at Barangaroo, can sleep 3840 guests and has an ice rink, rock-climbing wall, nine hole mini-golf course and an inline skating track.

Its main restaurant covers three storeys and can seat almost 2000 people, making it the biggest in Australia on land or at sea.

The centrepiece is a four-storey arcade of shops, bars and restaurants the length of an AFL field.

Royal Carribbean commercial manager Adam Armstrong said the only factor limiting bigger ships calling Sydney home was the lack of infrastructure.

"It's about the maximum we could bring," he said.

"We're working with Sydney Ports to make sure we have all the systems and processes in place to make sure we are able to get the passengers on and off as well as the luggage."

The only bigger cruise ship to enter the Heads is the 345m Queen Mary 2, which docks at Garden Island under a special deal with the Royal Australian Navy.

Mr Armstrong said the decision to bring the Voyager of the Seas to Sydney reflected the maturing domestic cruise industry, with about 75 per cent of passengers expected to be Australian.

"The bigger the ship, the more amenities we can offer on board and the more variety of cruises we can offer," he said.

The ship is set to be a regular feature in the Harbour, spending five months sailing out of Sydney each year. It will also spend our winter in Asia.

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