The cruise industry's largest ships are returning to Australasia for the 2018/19 summer cruise season with Royal Caribbean's three megaliners.

Ovation of the Seas, Radiance of the Seas and Explorer of the Seas scheduled to make Tauranga port calls.

Australasia's newest, largest and most modern cruise ship, Ovation of the Seas, will return for her third and longest season yet based down under.

Culinary favourite, Radiance of the Seas, will offer Royal Caribbean's very first departure from Melbourne, as well as three cruises departing from Auckland.

Meanwhile, Explorer of the Seas – the South Pacific family favourite – returns down under for her fourth season.

Sister ship Voyager of the Seas will not return to Australasia for the 2018/19 summer cruise season, instead remaining in Singapore and China for a year-round season.

'Melbourne as a new turnaround-port for Radiance of the Seas was an easy choice for us to make. Victorians are known the world over for their love of great food so our culinary ship is the perfect fit. And in Auckland, our style of cruising is continuously growing in popularity so we're thrilled to offer cruises from our Kiwi neighbours' doorstep,” says managing director, Royal Caribbean Australia & New Zealand, Adam Armstrong.

"After six seasons pioneering BIG ship cruising in Australasia and carrying more than 300,000 guests, we will say farewell to our beloved Voyager of the Seas for the 2018/19 cruise season, as she will instead sail from Singapore and Asia year-round.

'This deployment change makes possible the early return of Ovation of the Seas to her summer home in Sydney, where she will operate her longest ever Australasian season. Our most popular local cruise ship, Ovation of the Seas is the flagship for modern Australian and New Zealand cruising, delivering a whole new way to holiday, known as SuperCruising.”

The 2018/19 season will kick off with the arrival of Radiance of the Seas to Sydney on October 6 2018. Explorer of the Seas will return down under on October 27 2018, and Ovation of the Seas on November 2 2018. Together, the three ships will offer 61 sailings, ranging from three to 23-nights, sailing to nine different countries including Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, French Polynesia, Malaysia, New Caledonia, Singapore, the USA and Vanuatu.

Bookings for the 2018/19 summer season open May 16, 2017.