images of the Ovation of the Seas from video posted to Royal Caribbean International media center

(BIVN) – The Royal Caribbean’s Ovation of the Seas, and its 4,000 passengers onboard, will anchor in Kailua Bay this weekend.

It will be the largest cruise ship to ever make a port call to Kailua-Kona, state officials say.

Ovation of the Seas will be anchored from 7:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Sunday, September 29th.

From the Hawaiʻi Department of Land and Natural Resources:

Once the passengers arrive at the pier, they will board buses/vans, small passenger vessels, or set off on their own to explore shops, restaurants and other popular island destinations. “The average cruise ship that calls on Kona typically has 2,500 passengers or less, so we have had to make some adjustments to accommodate the increased flow of traffic on the pier. Increased security and a second secure area will be temporarily set up at the end of the pier to allow for additional tender boats to access the pier increasing the flow of passengers between our facility and the cruise ship,” said Stephen Schmelz, DLNR’s Division of Boating and Ocean Recreation Hawai’i Island District Manager.

images of the Ovation of the Seas from video posted to Royal Caribbean International media center

Anyone participating in ocean activities is reminded that federal law requires a security zone 100 yards in all directions from each large passenger vessel (LPV) in Kailua-Kona, Hawai’i, whenever the LPV is within three nautical miles of Kukailimoku Point. The 100-yard security zone around each LPV is activated and enforced whether the LPV is underway, moored, position-keeping, or anchored and will continue in effect until the LPV departs Kailua-Kona and the 3-mile enforcement area.