New blow for P&O passengers as sailing from Hobart to Port Arthur cancelled due to bad weather

Passengers aboard the doomed P&O cruise forced to divert to Hobart from New Zealand have received more bad news – they are now unable to dock in Port Arthur due to bad weather.

November 29, 5.30pm: Passengers aboard the doomed P&O cruise forced to divert to Hobart from New Zealand have received more bad news – they are now unable to dock in Port Arthur on Thursday due to bad weather.

The Pacific Adventure ship was originally re-routed to travel Tasmania after biosecurity rules prevented the boat from docking in New Zealand.

Unhappy passengers were given the offer of a 50 per cent refund and a new route taking in Tasmania’s Hobart and Port Arthur before travelling to Eden in New South Wales, or alternatively to disembark at Hobart and fly back to Sydney at P&O’s cost.

Passengers out on the decks as the ship arrives into Hobart. P&O Cruises ship Pacific Adventure docks in Hobart after being denied access to dock in New Zealand. Picture: Nikki Davis-Jones

Disgruntled cruisers who stayed behind shared their anger in a Facebook group at Port Arthur now also being shaved from the itinerary, one person joking their trip “just keeps getting better”.

P&O has arranged complimentary shuttles to Port Arthur on Thursday so that passengers may still see the historic landmark.

‘Won’t go cruising again’: Passengers unleash fury after NZ dirty hull blow

November 28, 4.30pm: Angry cruise passengers aboard a ship diverted from New Zealand to Hobart have lashed P&O saying the company has been rude and vague about sudden changes to the itinerary.

Thousands of passengers aboard Pacific Adventure docked in Hobart on Tuesday morning after the ship was turned away from New Zealand waters on Saturday, because Kiwi authorities said a dirty hull posed a biosecurity risk.

The Pacific Adventure departed its home port of Sydney on November 20 as part of a 13-night “Kiwi Adventure” cruise, but had only arrived in the Bay of Plenty southeast of Auckland when the itinerary was changed.

The cruise was due to take in the Bay of Islands, Auckland, Tauranga, Napier, Wellington, Christchurch, Dunedin and Fiordland National Park before arriving back in Sydney.

As they stepped off the ship in Hobart, some passengers expressed disappointment in the changes to their itinerary where the ship was diverted 2500km to visit Hobart, Port Arthur and Eden in NSW.

Passengers out on the decks as the ship arrives into Hobart. P & O Cruises ship Pacific Adventure docks in Hobart after being denied access to dock in New Zealand. Picture: Nikki Davis-Jones

Burnie couple Kellie and Greg Bryan said their first “big trip” on a cruise had been ruined by the missed stop.

“We definitely won’t go cruising again and if we have to, it won’t be with P&O,” Ms Bryan said.

“We are in no way mad at the service staff, they have done a terrific job given the circumstances, but P&O didn’t do the right thing by its passengers. They didn’t keep us updated with information and then we got a PA announcement saying it’s all off, they weren’t even particularly conciliatory about it.”

Greg and Kellie Bryan from Burnie who have ended up back in their home state after the unexpected arrival in Hobart. P&O Cruises ship Pacific Adventure docks in Hobart after being denied access to dock in New Zealand. Picture: Nikki Davis-Jones

After forking out $7000 for their trip, taking long-service leave and booking flights and accommodation for stops on the cruise, Mr and Mrs Bryan are not satisfied with the compensation offered.

“Some people have got drinks packages, some have internet packages, others got nothing – it was just really rude how it was done,” Mrs Bryan said.

“No one wanted to go to Tassie to port and we all thought it would be better to go back to Sydney to dock and be refunded.”

The 50 per cent refund may have sweetened the deal for some passengers, with Julie and John Rowe from Western Australia making the most of the changed itinerary.

Julie Rowe from Western Australia who was one of the first off the ship and was celebrating her 45th wedding anniversary on the cruise with husband John. Picture: Nikki Davis-Jones

“We are disappointed we couldn’t get to New Zealand – it’s our 45th anniversary and we were hoping to meet friends over there, but worse things happen in the world,” Ms Rowe said.

“The crew are wonderful, but P&O could have done it a lot better.”

P&O Cruises Australia has confirmed the ‘dirty hull’ involved three juvenile mussels and a single lace coral that couldn’t be removed due to poor weather conditions in New Zealand waters.

“As a result, the ship could not meet the very strict New Zealand entry requirements,” a spokeswoman said.

Due to feedback from guests that “not all of them wish to cruise with us again”, P&O also confirmed that the 50 per cent Future Cruise Credit first given to guests would be converted to a refund in conjunction with a $300 per person on board credit.

Originally published as New blow for P&O passengers as sailing from Hobart to Port Arthur cancelled due to bad weather