new zealand cruise ship ban update

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Five cruise ships denied entry to New Zealand due to biosecurity laws

Oceania Regatta is the fifth cruise ship to cancel port calls in New Zealand due to biosecurity laws. So far the strict biofouling laws in New Zealand have forced, Queen Elizabeth, Regent Seven Seas Explorer, Viking Orion, and Coral Princess, to cancel ports.

“Due to local regulations for entering New Zealand's navigable waters, the Regatta is required to complete the necessary biofouling remediation, which has resulted in the cancellation of two ports on the Regatta's current voyage. The vessel is currently en route to Phillip Island (Cows), her next scheduled port call, and is scheduled to arrive on 10 January 2023,” said Oceania's spokesperson.

The Cruise Association of New Zealand has held talks with Biosecurity New Zealand to try to find a solution.

NZCA chief executive Kevin O'Sullivan told Radio New Zealand: "Nothing much has changed, with the exception that there have probably been more inspections this season because of the gap since the boats were last here," he said. "At the end of the day, cruise lines are losing revenue, incurring the wrath of unhappy passengers...it's certainly far from an ideal situation."

Marine growth can become stuck to the ship's hull and therefore New Zealand is particularly strict about ensuring ships clear them before entering its waters. But this round of ship stops surprised many. The laws were changed some six years ago, but long layoffs during Covid may have left some in line to catch up with work, and a lack of skilled labor is slowing the process.

The Coral Princess had to have her hull cleaned just before Christmas and the Viking Orion, which was in the middle of a New Zealand cruise when it diverted from Wellington on Boxing Day for a hull cleaning in Australia.

Queen Elizabeth has had to cancel visits to New Zealand's Fiordland departing from Sydney's overseas terminal today.

Viking issued a statement saying: “Viking Orion arrived in Melbourne, Australia on January 2 (local time) and was received in port. The ship is now back on its scheduled itinerary and is currently sailing towards Sydney, where it is expected to arrive on January 4th (local time). 

Regent Seven Seas also issued a statement: Seven Seas Explorer is currently sailing on a 14-night cruise with guests departing on December 29, 2022 and scheduled to disembark in Auckland, New Zealand on January 12, 2023. Due to local regulations for entering navigational waters of New Zealand, the Seven Seas Explorer's hull cleaning operation is required. The cleaning must be carried out by a company recognized by the New Zealand Ministry of Primary Industries, none of which were available at ports the ship has recently visited or will visit prior to its planned entry into New Zealand waters.

The statement said Regent Seven Seas Cruises' technical teams arranged for the clean-up operation to be carried out off the coast of Adelaide, and the ship sailed to South Australia.

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Ships & ports.

New Zealand on Monday, June 23, extended the ban on cruise ships arriving in the country.

It also tightened measures for tourists to exit quarantine, after reporting more COVID cases linked to overseas travel.

New Zealand, which has recorded 22 deaths from Coronavirus, was among the first countries in the world to end restrictions after declaring it had no active cases but has seen a number of new cases in recent days.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said in a news conference they were extending the current cruise ship ban which was due to expire on June 30.

Cargo ships will still be allowed to load/unload, fishing vessels to unload/resupply, and ships can come to New Zealand to undertake refitting and repairs, Ardern said, though some quarantine rules will be tightened.

New Zealand reported 2 new COVID-19 cases on Monday, both in managed isolation facilities, taking the total number of active Coronavirus cases to 9.

Silversea cruise ships heading back to New Zealand as decision on Covid maritime ban looms

Silversea says demand for its cruises around the world is high. Photo / Grant Bradley

Luxury cruise company Silversea has revealed plans to boost its presence in New Zealand this summer as signs grow the ban on cruise ships will soon be lifted.

Silversea offers an around-the-clock butler service on its fleet and says demand for New Zealand cruises and from Kiwis wanting to sail is high.

About 40 per cent of passengers on its Australia and New Zealand voyages are from this region. The rest are affluent, big-spending travellers from other parts of the world, particularly the United States.

This country has banned cruise ships since the pandemic started more than two years ago but last month Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said work was under way to review the maritime border settings and allow the vessels back as restrictions on those arriving by air are relaxed.

Within the cruise industry, there is growing hope an announcement is imminent on allowing a restart of the industry, which contributed more than $550 million a year to the economy before the pandemic.

The return of cruise ships will help revitalise places like Auckland's hard-hit downtown and boost regional economies, which benefit from visits from smaller ships such as the ones Silversea operates.

A spokeswoman for Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins yesterday said work on allowing a return of cruise ships was continuing.

Silversea says its Silver Muse is scheduled to arrive in Auckland on January 4 for the start of the cruise season in this region, followed by the Silver Whisper, which will arrive from French Polynesia on January 8 for two months of cruising in this region.

A third ship, the Silver Shadow, will arrive in Auckland on January 25 as part of a sold-out world cruise and will tour New Zealand waters.

Silversea, part of the Royal Caribbean group, is selling its 2024 cruise lasting 132 days where all-inclusive prices range from US$66,000 ($96,000) to US$276,000.

The company's chief executive Roberto Marintoli told the Business Herald that New Zealand was an important market for Silversea and, with Australia, was highly desired by its wealthy clients. Pre-pandemic there was just one ship, the Silver Muse, based in Australasia.

"We are really looking forward to continuing our commitment to this market and we're very happy to continue to increase our presence with our ships as we are demonstrating this year."

An announcement soon on lifting restrictions — as has happened in the other markets it operates — was critical.

"It's absolutely crucial for us. People love cruising here and we want to make sure that we satisfy them. We've been keeping away for the past two years but now it's time for us to come back."

Australia will lift its ban on cruise ships over Easter.

Silversea has seven ships back in operation and three will be back into operation within the next three months. It also has its next generation of more environmentally friendly vessels under construction in Germany.

Marintoli said with the exception of a charter operation for domestic cruises in Saudi Arabia, Silversea had anchored ships from early in 2020 to around the middle of last year when it launched two new ships and was now back operating all around the world.

"The only area where we have not been very lucky has been this part of the world ... "

He said the restart in other places had been "incredibly successful" although it has recently had to drop ports in Russia and the Black Sea because of the invasion of Ukraine.

Like others in the travel industry, such as airlines selling more premium seats to leisure travellers and luxury resorts, Silversea was benefiting from pent-up demand from people willing to pay more for experiences they value.

"I will say one of the things as being a positive out of these two years is the fact that people have understood the importance of travel," Marintoli said. "It's refreshing to see the pent-up demand [and] people tend to go for a longer vacation."

Adam Radwanski, Silversea's managing director for Asia-Pacific, is confident demand from and for New Zealand will only increase.

Kiwis were booking on Silversea cruises elsewhere in the world now border restrictions here have eased but he said regional cruising would be even better for the economy.

"When Australia opened up a month ago, next day there was a surge in bookings for the domestic products."

Big-spending passengers from other countries used airlines and hotels in New Zealand before and after their cruise too.

He said New Zealand's return to cruise itineraries was a "game-changer for the industry because of the country's scenic beauty. The smaller numbers of passengers - fewer than 600 - compared to mass-market ships fitted well with the push to reduce the impact of visitors and the threat of over-tourism.

It was not only excursion providers, but suppliers of local goods such as food and wine that benefited.

Silversea's chief commercial officer Barbara Muckermann told the Business Herald the company's philosophy was aimed at allowing ''guests to travel deeper into the world - in luxury. "One big insight by looking at our changing demographic was really to understand that food is the strongest expression of any culture. I would say particularly for New Zealand and Australia because it's a national obsession - which is a good thing."

The company had introduced a new food programme emphasising local foods and flavours.

"The new generation of consumers are not associating luxury with three-star Michelin restaurants anymore because these are mostly available in most large cities around the world. But for them authentic luxury when travelling is really experiencing those unique food - local flavours which you cannot have anywhere else."

The company is about to start cruises with the newest vessel, the Silver Dawn, which features a Roman-style spa, drawing on Silversea's Italian roots.

Muckermann said the Otivm Spa was indulgent. ''We decided to stop pretending you're ever going to lose weight on a cruise ship.''

The holistic experience is focused on pleasure.

"But the important thing to understand is that encouraging indulgence is not an ode to being unhealthy, it's about balance."

The cruise industry, like other parts of the travel sector, is under increased scrutiny for the environmental damage it can cause.

Marintoli said the Silver Nova under construction in Germany would use LNG as well as its main fuel and it would charge up batteries to operate the ship in port.

At 54,000 tonnes and with 720 passengers it is bigger than its predecessors but per guest emissions would be down about 40 per cent.

Another cruise line, NCL, is steaming back to New Zealand with a new range of sailings in this region. The 75,000-tonne Norwegian Spirit, which has just undergone a $150 million refit, is returning to Australian and New Zealand waters over summer.

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Passengers stuck on cruise 'to nowhere' after ship was denied entry to New Zealand

Passengers on an Australian cruise ship have been at sea for a week after a dirty hull prevented the boat from docking in New Zealand – with some experiencing long bouts of seasickness.

The 13-day-long P&O Pacific Adventure cruise departed from Sydney on Nov. 20 and was intended to take passengers around New Zealand, including stops at Wellington and Fiordland National Park, and return to Sydney on Sunday. 

The cruise has scrapped the New Zealand leg of the cruise and is slated to arrive in Hobart, a city in Tasmania, Australia, on Tuesday, a spokesperson for Carnival Australia, which owns P&O Cruises Australia, told USA TODAY. 

“P&O Cruises Australia can advise a change to the compensation for guests on board Pacific Adventure, after the ship was unable to visit New Zealand,” the cruise line said in a statement.

Upon arrival at the Bay of Islands on Nov. 23, the ship was not allowed to dock. 

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New Zealand has strict biosecurity laws that require a ship to be cleaned in order to reduce the risk of invasive species entering the country’s environment, Mike Inglis, Biosecurity New Zealand’s northern regional commissioner, told USA TODAY in an email. 

“We know that almost 90% of the exotic marine species already in New Zealand likely arrived here as marine growth on the submerged surfaces of international vessels,” Inglis said.

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A photo sent from the ship to Biosecurity New Zealand showed “high-risk organisms including mussel and oyster growth and could pose a risk to New Zealand if the ship cruised in our waters,” he said. 

Bad diving conditions prevented the cruise staff from finishing the cleaning of the hull.

As the ship revised its itinerary, the 2,781 passengers had to stay onboard “on this crummy cruise to nowhere,” one passenger wrote on a Facebook page for the cruise.

Guests have been reportedly feeling seasick because of the extended time out at sea and choppy waters. A passenger told The Guardian that sick bags are “quickly disappearing” from around the ship. 

On Facebook, multiple guests wrote they were going to abort the rest of the cruise and fly home after the board docks in Hobart. 

At first, the cruise line offered a 50% future cruise credit, but that was changed to a full refund and a $300 per person on board credit. 

“We have listened to the feedback from our guests and understand not all of them wish to cruise with us again,” the cruise line said in a statement. “Again, we apologise for the change in itinerary, and thank our guests for their patience and understanding.”

Kathleen Wong is a travel reporter for USA TODAY based in Hawaii. You can reach her at [email protected] .

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Parched cruise industry eager for any signs of ban lift.

The cruise industry looks set to remain beached for another season, even as the rest of the world starts sailing again.

Australia's federal government has backed the resumption of cruise ships. (File image) Photo: 123RF

A meeting between the industry and the minister of tourism due last month, which may have kickstarted the $690 million industry, was cancelled at the last minute and has been rescheduled for the end of this month.

Cruise Association chief executive Kevin O'Sullivan said that would be too late to get the industry ready for the upcoming season, which normally starts in October.

"It's been bad for the entire international tourism industry from New Zealand, but it's particularly in our case of course because cruise ships are prohibited from coming into New Zealand waters, so until that changes, we can't even begin to plan for return of a cruise industry."

Cruise ships have been banned from New Zealand waters since the pandemic began last year, with similar restrictions in Australia.

Australia's federal government has backed the resumption of cruise ships and a decision to allow foreign-flagged ships back is expected in the next few weeks.

O'Sullivan said that would pressure New Zealand to act, but there had been no official indication of support for the return of the industry.

"We are hopeful of course, that when cruising returns to Australia, that will mean that we might be a little bit further down the track towards seeing that happen in New Zealand as well."

He said the industry was ready to respond if the government allowed the ships to return, however, supporting industries, such as onshore transport and tourism operators would need time to get up and running.

"It's not a case of just turning on a light switch, because many of the industries, many of the organisations, many of the companies that would have supported cruises, have moved on to work and in other areas as well too. And it's not so easy to come back again."

The United States authorities have eased restrictions to allow cruise ships to begin operating this month, providing passengers and crew can prove they have been vaccinated against Covid-19, along with other measures to minimise the spread of the virus.

O'Sullivan said about 400,000 people had been sailing in Europe over the past few months.

"So it does appear to us that the rest of the world is coming back, and New Zealand and Australia are still not even cautiously optimistic about a return of cruise."

Copyright © 2021 , Radio New Zealand

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Seven lines hit by New Zealand’s bio-blockade as passengers fume

From carnival to viking, almost every cruise line has fallen foul of new zealand’s tough biosecurity regulations about hull cleaning. it’s meant disaster for many passengers who have travelled around the world for a once-in-a-lifetime experience..

At least seven ships have changed their itineraries – and earned the ire of passengers for late calls that have left some bucket list trips in ruins.

The biggest complaint: the rules have been in existence since 2018, so why weren’t we prepared?

Celebrity Eclipse, Oceania Regatta, Queen Elizabeth ,  Regent Seven Seas Explorer, Viking Orion, Azamara Quest  and  Coral Princess have made itinerary changes – some have had to carry out expensive hull cleaning, thanks to the laws in New Zealand waters designed to protect the coastline.

Some lines have moved quickly to compensate passengers affected by changes that meant their favourite ports were out of bounds. Others, thanks to the late call, have not moved quite so swiftly.

One angry UK passenger told Cruise Passenger : “We were informed of itinerary curtailment just 8 hours before we were due to fly out of UK: 23.59 on Wednesday, Jan 4th. No real apology. Lots of very angry passengers who booked to see New Zealand did not spend time 12 nautical miles off the coast. They have known about these biofouling rules since 2018!”

Stan Hoey told us: “The Hotel and Retail Manager was sympathetic and stressed that they’d done all they could to avoid the itinerary change, which I don’t accept. He gave me a letter with details of who I should contact back in the UK, and recorded our discussion in their internal system.

“He also implied in a follow-up call that there will be an announcement on the ship over next few days although he said he didn’t know what it would say.

The New Zealand Cruise Association’s CEO Kevin O’Sullivan has held tasks with Government officials to try and get a solution that works for both parties.

He told Cruise Passenger : We met with the Ministry for Primary Industries – Biosecurity NZ on Monday and they released the following statement that day:

‘ Biosecurity New Zealand has had a very constructive meeting today with the New Zealand Cruise Association, where New Zealand’s strict biofouling requirements were at the forefront of discussions.

‘We know that the Association and vessel operators understand the importance of New Zealand’s strict biosecurity protocols to protect the country’s special marine environments, the aquaculture industry, and economy and we appreciate that the Association reinforced that view.

‘Biosecurity New Zealand undertakes significant stakeholder engagement to help vessel operators comply with biofouling requirements to ensure biofouling on hulls does not bring unwanted organisms into our waters – and we will continue with that education and engagement.

‘During the meeting, it was also reiterated by Biosecurity New Zealand and acknowledged that:

• The current biofouling regulations and protocols (Craft Risk Management Standard) came into force in 2018 – and have not changed.
• All commercial vessels are subject to the regulations, not just cruise ships.
• Cruise lines were advised of the regulations by port agents, well in advance, and again more recently.
• Biosecurity NZ remains fully committed to balancing the need for cruise visitors to be in New Zealand, with protecting our special marine environment and economy. To this end, Biosecurity New Zealand will continue to work very closely and actively with vessel operators.’”

Mr O’Sullivan said: “It is possible, but unlikely, that we may see more incidents this season – the fouling discovered by MPI during inspections is minor, but the requirements for cruise ships are very strict.

“Ships are not denied entry to all ports but may visit places such as the Bay of Islands only after any fouling identified by MPI has been removed.”

Some lines have moved quickly to compensate passengers.

Regent Seven Seas also issued a statement:  “Seven Seas Explorer  is currently sailing a 14-night cruise which guests embarked on December 29, 2022, and are scheduled to disembark in Auckland, New Zealand on January 12, 2023. Due to local regulations to enter New Zealand navigational waters, a cleaning operation of Seven Seas Explorer’s hull is required. The cleaning must be carried out by a company recognised by New Zealand’s Ministry for Primary Industries, none of which have been available at ports the ship has recently visited or will visit before its scheduled entry to New Zealand waters.”

The statement said Regent Seven Seas Cruises’ technical teams arranged for the cleaning operation to be carried out off the coast of Adelaide, and the ship sailed to South Australia.

“All guests on board have been offered compensation, and a number of guests chose to disembark in Adelaide to make their onward travels. We understand and apologise for the inconvenience, frustration, and disappointment this disruption has caused to our valued guests, and we appreciate their continued understanding.

An Oceania spokesperson told Cruise Passenger: “Due to local regulations to enter New Zealand’s navigational waters,  Regatta  is required to complete necessary biofouling remediation, resulting in two port stops being cancelled on Regatta’s current voyage.

The   Coral Princess   had to clean its hull just before Christmas, and  Viking Orion , which was in the middle of a cruise in New Zealand when it diverted from Wellington on Boxing Day for hull cleaning in Australia.

Queen Elizabeth has had to cancel visits to New Zealand’s Fiordland departing today from Sydney’s Overseas Passenger Terminal.

Associate Professor Sophie Leterme told AAP that organic build-up on ship hulls including bacteria, plankton, sea grasses, mussels and barnacles can enable “stowaway” species to reach Australia.

“If they make it to our reefs, they might decimate the environment and cause some serious issues,” she said.

Cruise Passengers are still in the dark and concerned about their journeys.

Kelland Hutchence asked: “We are due to leave Melbourne on the QE2 on 14 Feb, heading for New Zealand.  So far we have had no communication from Cunard. I would very much like to know if there will be a change of itinerary as we have to return to France by air from Auckland.  Can anyone tell me has the sip has been cleaned yet?”

just been told mu QE criuse in 12 days to NZ not visiting the two best places am cancelling for full refund

Last summer 2022 Eclipse was cruising Vancouver to Alaska. They had drag problems with their speed and had to bypass a couple of ports..Theyh did their due diligence and took the Eclipse out of commission -yes cancelled a week of cruises and the ship was taken to Oregon where it was put into drydock and had the hull cleaned of the barnacles that were causing the drag in speed. The ship then returned to Vancouver and had a wonderful 2022 Vancouver-Alaska season. Celebrity did the right thing..it cost money and time and a lot of disappointed travelers but they nipped the problem in the bud. We were on her July 31 and had a great cruise..a normal speed, no missed ports and no more hickups..I was surprised to see the Eclipse on this list as they had debarnacled and painted the ship and I didn’t realize this problem would reappear so soon.. We have done many cruises, but back in 2012 we cruised Australia Gold coast on Solstice, that was our 1st Celebrity cruise, and have never looked back..# 13 coming up later this year…

The answer to Melissa’s question would depend on how fouled the hull is….

Cunard/Carnival was hoping to achieve a clean of the Queen Elizabeth on Saturday 14th January taking 24 hours. It hasn’t been able to complete the clean during that unscheduled day at sea and will now miss Bay of Islands on voyage Q303 as well as (earlier) missing Dunedin and Fiordland and rescheduling Wellington. No refunds, only refunds of execursion payments n USD (without allowance for currency exchannge costs), 100 USD cruise credit per passenger, and now a future cruise credit which will not be used by many passengers.

It’s frustrating that seven ships (and the Queen Elizabeth on its Boxing Day voyage around New Zealand as well as (twice) on its current (January) voyage out of Sydney around New Zealand) should have been caught up in this industry-scale faiklre. It’s even more frustrating that Cunard hasknown of a Biosecurity problem and not advised passengers of its failure to fix the problem until the last moment. None of this augurs well for the future of an industry which carries other environmental, economic and social baggage

We were passengers on board the ill fated Viking ORION ship, leaving Auckland 23rd December 2022 – 5th January 2023 for 14 days cruise to NZ and Tasmania and Melbourne. Unfortunately because of Viking’s neglect in having the ships hull cleaned before we boarded in Auckland, we were denied visiting scheduled stops at the South Island of NZ, Tasmania and Melbourne, instead spend 8 full days at sea with NO stops off the ship until we sailed straight for Adelaide whereby we anchored 14 km out of Australian waters to have the hull clean. 2 days and a night we were stranded whilst the hull was cleaned by divers, and whilst we all were on board, engine stopped. Many passengers were sea sick at this stage. We were then told we could not got off the ship at Adelaide, only to be told we had to make our way to Melbourne for supplies.. We then were again told we could not get off at Melbourne. Now 9 days at sea without getting off the ship. We then went on to Sydney docking on the 5th Jan 2023. Absolute disastrous cruise. Viking has now refused a full financial refund of money paid, only offering a voucher for future cruise. Of course this is not acceptable by a number of passengers whom we have been corresponding with in NZ, USA and Australis, where I live.

From what I understand is they have had the cleaning done in Bali. Many of these cruise ships did a repositioning cruise that went to Bali. Lots of cruisers on sail boats use Bali to get their hulls cleaned also. Well in 2022 New Zealand started enforcing the strict laws they passed in 2018. Most of these cruise ships that got caught had already had one cruise in from Australia to New Zealand before they were told their hulls weren’t good enough. This was all over Christmas and New Years and it was hard to find divers at that time to clean the hulls. Bali didn’t do a good enough job. Most of these ships moved with a cruise from Bali to Sydney in late November.

Will New Zealand also ban creatures such as whales that carry barnacles and other forms of life from continent to continent and islands etc. They could also potentially spread marine creatures that New Zealand may not want lol

I can’t believe all these ships suddenly got contaminated so why is NZ suddenly being so feral five years after the rules were brought in?

I travelled on coral and it was not clean on board let alone underneath

I would love to know the cost of having the haul cleaned and how long it takes to complete. This is just another thing that the cruise lines are saving money on and just disappointing customers!

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COVID-19: New Zealand cruise industry urges Government to 'stop mucking around' on maritime border re-opening

• William Hewett

Watch: NZ Cruise Association chief executive Kevin O’Sullivan urges Government to Government to make an announcement on maritime border re-opening. Credits: Video - AM; Images - AM

New Zealand's cruise ship industry is desperate to get back to business after two years of being at a standstill but there is frustration no clear timeline has been given to open up our maritime borders. 

Overseas cruise ships are still banned from entering the country with New Zealand's maritime borders closed but work is being done by the Ministry of Health and Maritime NZ on a re-opening date.

The cruise ship industry is back up and running around the world with more than 80 countries open to cruise ships.  

Australia welcomed its first cruise ship back since the beginning of the COVID pandemic on Monday a day after a ban on the ships was lifted.

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New Zealand Cruise Association chief executive Kevin O’Sullivan told AM on Tuesday they have heard "very little" from the Government about when the re-opening date might be.

"I understand a decision has been made by Government ministers but we need an announcement and we need it really, really soon," he told AM. 

"Without that formal announcement from the Government we are finding cruise ships are unable to confirm and we are already losing more than 180 port bookings because of a lack of clarity."

Deputy Prime Minister Grant Robertson told AM he disagreed with O'Sullivan saying a decision has not been made by the Government about when the maritime borders will re-open.

He said the reason the Government has not made a decision yet is not that Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern is overseas but because they're awaiting final advice from health officials. 

O’Sullivan is attending an international cruise conference in Miami next week about the industry and he will be "standing up with a great deal of embarrassment and saying we are not open yet and we don't know when". 

He is urging the Government to stop "messing around" and make a formal and public decision on when the maritime borders will re-open. 

"The close-off date is around four months out but cruise lines have already cancelled, we've already lost cancellations during our winter cruise season and we have lost some of the port bookings in the summer season because of that lack of clarity," O'Sullivan told AM.

Robertson said they hope to make an announcement in the next couple of weeks. 

"We are very well aware, particularly for New Zealand the cruise season is the summer season and we do want to give people plenty of notice and we expect to be able to say something in the next couple of weeks," he told AM.  

"We've tried to work very hard on behalf of New Zealand businesses, workers and households to make sure we do the right thing from a health and economic perspective and we are not far away from making that decision."

Robertson said that they are being careful with the decision as COVID spread quickly through cruise ships at the beginning of the pandemic.

"Different types of tourism have different impacts and we are all aware of the impacts those cruise ships had in the early stage of the pandemic, they were places where COVID-19 spread quickly even at the beginning," he told AM.

Robertson said when a decision is made people might be required to complete a negative COVID test before they step off their cruise ship and onto New Zealand soil.  

Watch the full interview with Kevin O’Sullivan above. 

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Covid-19: Cruise ships to dock in New Zealand despite cruise ban

New Zealand has permitted a luxury cruise ship to dock in Auckland after cruise ships were banned from entry to New Zealand until 30 June.

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Ports of auckland ltd.

After 20 June, the decision will be reviewed.

The cruise ship returned early from a two-week trip to Auckland from Sydney. It previously called at Melbourne, Burnie, Hobart, Dunedin’s Port Chalmers, Lyttelton and Picton.

Ports of Auckland (PoAL) said that as the cruise ship was in New Zealand waters when the announcement was made, it would not be affected.

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PoAL spokesperson Matthew Ball said that Silver Muse and four other ships that were in the country’s waters will be permitted to dock.

The passengers disembarking from Silver Muse will undergo the Customs and Ministry for Primary Industries processing and will not need to self-isolate.

The other ships that will dock at the port will be Hapag Lloyd’s MS Bremen on 17 March evening and Azamara Club Cruises’ Azamara Journey cruise ship on 18 March.

Crew and passengers from the cruise ships will disembark.

On 19 March, Holland America Line’s MS Noordam, which is currently empty and stationed in Tauranga, will dock in Auckland.

Another cruise ship, Ponant’s Le Lapérouse has also docked at Wellington where passengers disembarked.

Yesterday, several cruise lines announced the suspension of its cruise line operations to reduce the spread of Covid-19 on their ships.

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New Zealand extends cruise ship ban, tightens rules to contain virus at border

WELLINGTON (Reuters) - New Zealand on Monday extended a ban on cruise ships arriving in the country and tightened measures for visitors to exit quarantine, after reporting more coronavirus cases linked to overseas travel.

The country, which has recorded just 22 deaths from COVID-19, was among the first in the world to end all restrictions after declaring it had no active cases, but has seen a small number of new cases in recent days.

"We are extending the current cruise ship ban which was due to expire on the 30th of June," Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said in a news conference.

Cargo vessels will still be allowed to load and unload, fishing vessels to unload and resupply, and vessels can come to New Zealand to undertake repairs and refitting, Ardern said, although some quarantine rules would be tightened.

New Zealand reported two new cases of COVID-19 on Monday, both in managed isolation facilities, taking the total number of active cases to nine.

All active cases are people staying in quarantine facilities after entering the country, and there has so far been no evidence of community transmission.

The government has come under pressure after a slip-up allowed two women with coronavirus to move around the country, and Ardern last week called in the military to oversee quarantine facilities.

Ardern further tightened border measures on Monday, saying people in quarantine may need to do multiple virus tests, and they must test negative for coronavirus before leaving the facilities.

"For a person to meet the low-risk indicator by day 14 to leave isolation or quarantine, they are expressly required to submit to a test and that test must be negative," Ardern said at the news conference.

New Zealand has recorded 1,163 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in total.

(Reporting by Praveen Menon and Renju Jose; Editing by Richard Pullin)

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