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The tallest ship ever to visit Sydney gave bridge walkers a fright this morning, passing under the city landmark with barely two metres to spare, as the Sun Princess made its first visit downunder.
At 49.4 metres high the cruiseliner weighs 77,500 tons, is nearly three football fields in length and arrived in Sydney after a whistlestop tour including stops in Seattle, Cook Islands and Dunedin.
A spokesman revealed the tide had been the most significant factor in allowing the ship to safely pass under the bridge and dock in port.
"They keep a close eye on the tidal charts, there's a clearance for the bridge at the lowest tide," the spokesperson said.
"The clearance will change all the time depending on the tide.
"The weight of the ship is not a factor, the weight is pretty constant."
The superliner, complete with a grand four-storey atrium, eight restaurants and cafes, four pools and five spas, made dock just before 9am (NZT).
The vessel, which can house 1950 passengers, will now be based permanently in Australia and is due out of port early tomorrow afternoon enroute to Brisbane.
