Luxurious cruise ship The World, dubbed a floating apartment block, will dock at the coastal town tomorrow morning after visiting Eden today.

The ship boasts 165 privately owned apartments and homes with fully equipped kitchens, verandas and spa tubs.

Each residence costs up to $US7.7million ($A8.7million).

There is also a spa, a deli, four restaurants and several bars.

The 12-deck ship is expected to anchor at the mouth of the bay, and passengers to be ferried into the town on smaller craft.

About 300 passengers will get a royal welcome from tourism operators, residents and curious onlookers. Excursions and tours await them.

Each passenger is expected to spend up to $500 on shore.

The World's officers and residence owners collectively determine the ship's yearly itinerary, based on the best sea routes and the residents' personal interests.

This voyage started on December 4 in Cairns and will finish on February 3 off Broome.

Eurobodalla tourism manager John Pugsley said Batemans Bay was an alternative stop on the cruise liner tour of Australia, particularly as ships headed south to Tasmania.

He said Canberra would also benefit from the visits.

''Of our cruise ships, the bigger ones, which are coming in March, will be doing day trips into Canberra as well. So it's not just a coastal effect.''

For more, pick up a copy of today's Canberra Times