Passengers on an Australian cruise ship have been at sea for a week, with some experiencing prolonged seasickness after being unable to enter New Zealand due to the ship’s dirty hull.
The 13-day P&O Pacific Adventure Cruise departed from Sydney on November 20 and was intended to take passengers around New Zealand, including stops in Wellington and Fiordland National Park, before returning to Sydney on Sunday. .
A spokesperson for Carnival Australia, which owns P&O Cruises Australia, told USA TODAY that the cruise has canceled its New Zealand leg and is scheduled to arrive in the Australian city of Hobart in Tasmania on Tuesday.
“P&O Cruises Australia is able to advise changes to compensation for Pacific Adventure passengers following the ship’s inability to call in New Zealand,” the cruise line said in a statement.
Upon arriving in the Bay of Islands on 23 November, the ship was not allowed to berth.
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New Zealand has strict biosecurity laws that require ships to be cleaned to reduce the risk of invasive species entering the domestic environment, Mike Inglis, Biosecurity New Zealand Northern Regional Commissioner, said in an email. told USA TODAY.
“We know that almost 90 per cent of the alien marine species already present in New Zealand likely arrived here as marine growth on the submerged surfaces of international vessels,” Mr Inglis said.
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Photos sent from the ship to Biosecurity New Zealand said: “There are high-risk organisms such as mussels and oysters inhabiting our waters, which could pose a danger to New Zealand if the ship were to sail in our waters.” he said.
Due to poor diving conditions, cruise staff were unable to complete the hull cleaning.
As the ship revised its itinerary, 2,781 passengers had to remain on board “during this boring cruise to nowhere,” one passenger said. I wrote on my Facebook page For the cruise.
Guests reportedly became seasick after spending so much time at sea and in the choppy waters.the passenger said guardian Bags of disease are “quickly disappearing” from around the ship.
Several guests wrote on Facebook that they planned to cancel the remainder of their cruise and fly home once they arrived in Hobart.
Initially, the cruise line was offering 50% of future cruise credits, but this was changed to a full refund and $300 in onboard credits per person.
“We have listened to the feedback from our guests and understand that not everyone will want to cruise again,” the cruise line said in a statement. “We once again apologize for the change in itinerary. We appreciate your understanding and cooperation.”
Kathleen Wong is a travel reporter for USA TODAY based in Hawaii. Please contact kwong@usatoday.com..
