ANOTHER ship has now moored off the coast of Bournemouth beach to the surprise of residents.

The Empress of the Seas, the oldest vessel in the Royal Caribbean fleet and the sole ship in her class, has dropped anchor in Poole Bay after a three-day voyage from Southampton.

The 210-metre-long passenger ship now joins the Aurora and the Arcadia in Bournemouth waters.

The Aurora, which arrived in Bournemouth on Wednesday June 10, has now been moored up for a month, whilst the Arcadia joined its fellow P&O cruise ships a few days later.

MV Ventura, part of the P&O Cruises fleet, and Cunard's Queen Victoria, which were also moored off the Bournemouth coast, have since left.

The Empress of the Seas was built in 1990 and is sailing under the flag of Bahamas.

Transferred to Spanish cruise line Pullmantur Cruises in March 2008, The Empress returned to the Royal Caribbean in spring 2016, following an extensive $50-million renovation.

As the smallest and oldest ship in its fleet, the Empress does not house Royal Caribbean's innovative amenities, including skydiving simulators, ziplines and ice-skating rinks.