A NEW cruise ship paid a brief visit to Dorset at the weekend.

Royal Caribbean’s Odyssey of the Seas was spotted off Bournemouth on Saturday.

It is currently on its way to Gibraltar after setting off from Bremerhaven on Germany’s North Sea coast.

The ship boasts a surf simulator, an observation capsule giving 360-degree panoramic views and ‘Sea Plex’ which is the largest indoor space at sea offering a full-size basketball court.

It also has 15 restaurants and nine bars and lounges.

It is the 25th ship in Royal Caribbean's fleet and weighs 169,000 gross tons and measures 1,138 feet long.

There are currently two ships anchored off Bournemouth.

Royal Caribbean’s Jewell of the Seas and Anthem of the Seas have been in situ for several months.

Speaking in January, a spokesperson for Royal Caribbean said: "All of our ships are currently where they need to be for relevant supplies and resources. We are working on our return to operations and a safe return to sail, however it’s too early at present to confirm details and timings.

"We are very much looking forward to welcoming guests back onboard our ships and once cruising resumes, our ships will move to their designated homeports and recommence their itineraries."

A number of cruise ships have been seen off Dorset over the last year as the pandemic as halted travel.

They include P&O’s Aurora and Arcadia liners as well as Cunard’s Queen Victoria.

The ships have been dubbed ‘ghost ships’ and have become something of an attraction over the past year with ferry company Mudeford Ferries running boat trips so people are able to get a better view of the vessels.

As reported recently, Mudeford Ferries restarted the service on April 1.