Ovation of the Seas cruise ship sails on following White Island eruption

Two days after the volcanic eruption at White Island, cruise ship Ovation of the Seas has left the port of Tauranga and set sail back to Sydney.

Two days after the volcanic eruption at White Island, which left six people dead and eight still missing, the Ovation of the Seas cruise ship has left the Port of Tauranga in New Zealand.

Setting sail at 7am local time on Wednesday, passengers stood on the deck and waved to a small crowd that had gathered at the port to see the ship off.

RELATED: Death toll from White Island volcano rises

Locals gather to wave off the Ovation of the Seas cruise ship, which carried passengers who travelled to White Island when it erupted. Picture: John Boren/Getty Images.

It was a ‘sombre’ and ‘very emotional’ scene as the ship left. Picture: John Boren/Getty Images.

Thirty-eight passengers from Ovation of the Seas visited the island. Picture: John Boren/Getty Images

RELATED: Cruise passengers claim they weren’t advised of any warnings

Floral tributes covered a security fence on the Whakatane Wharf, near where the ship was docked. As New Zealand officials get ready to search for bodies today, the volcano can still be seen smoking from a distance as the ship set sail.

There were 47 people on the island in total, including 38 from Ovation of the Seas.

According to The Age, Stuff.co.nz journalist Dominico Zapata said people were crying and waving as the ship passed by. He described it as a “sombre” and “very emotional” scene.

As the ship cruised north towards Picton, a local barge blasted its horn three times, with the cruise ship responding with three blasts.

The ship will make a stop in Picton, the northern tip of the South Island, before moving on to Wellington. The Ovations of the Seas’ final stop will be in Sydney at around 6.30am on Monday.

The ship is set to arrive back in Sydney on Monday morning. Picture: John Boren/Getty Images.

Locals brought down signs to the port to send off the cruise ship. Picture: John Boren/Getty Images.

Tributes on a fence near the water in Whakatane, New Zealand. Picture: AAP Image/Ben McKay.

Following the eruption, the ship stayed in Tauranga to allow Royal Caribbean personnel to assist local authorities and support those affected by the natural disaster.

A spokesperson told news.com.au that a team would remain on-site in Tauranga and at all hospital locations to ensure those affected by Monday’s incident were taken care of in terms of medical help, counselling, accommodations, and transport.

“Our priority continues to be to ensure that all guests and crew impacted are well taken care of and we assist the local authorities in any way we can,” the statement read.

“We thank our guests on-board for their patience and understanding during this tragic situation.

“Our thoughts and prayers remain with those impacted.”

Passengers on-board Ovation of the Seas waved to locals from their balcony as they set sail to Picton. Picture: John Boren/Getty Images.

A small group of locals waved the ship off from the Port of Tauranga. Picture: John Boren/Getty Images.

RELATED: Tour guide Parul Kingi praised for role in rescue effort

New Zealand is facing a grim day as the country wakes to the news there is no sign of life on White Island following the volcanic eruption.

At least six people have now died in the wake of the Monday tragedy,

with the sixth person succumbing to their injuries at a hospital on Tuesday, according to the New Zealand Police. Their nationalities and identities have not yet been released.

Police Deputy Commissioner John Tims said police were trying to return bodies to grieving families but identification was a complex process.

“The nature of the injuries that people have suffered is severe and means identifying them is a complex matter,” he said.

An image posted to Instagram showing the helicopter that was destroyed during the White Island volcanic eruption.

Questions are being asked about why tourists could access the island. Picture: Michael Schade via AP

“We are working through the process to identify them as quickly as possible, to return those who have died to their loved ones.

“We understand people’s desire to recover their loved ones, and we are working around the clock to get on to the island so we can recover them as soon as possible.

“Based on the effects of the eruption on the bodies, this recovery will need to be handled with expert skill and care.”

RELATED: Newlywed leaves chilling voicemail from White Island during eruption

In the aftermath of the deadly eruption on New Zealand’s White Island, questions are being raised about why tourists were allowed on an active volcano in the first place.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said on Tuesday “there will be questions that are being asked, that will need to be answered … by the appropriate authorities”.

“It’s an unpredictable live volcano,” Ms Ardern said.

While the island is monitored by Geonet, which tracks the volcano’s activity, the island is privately owned, and it is up to tour operators to decide when to visit. Geonet had put the volcano on level two, indicating minor volcanic unrest. It was on level one before its previous eruption in 2016.

One expert said the eruption was a disaster waiting to happen. Picture: Michael Schade via AP.

Tourists are only allowed to land on White Island as part of a tour group and are provided with hard hats and gas masks to protect against the sulphurous steam. Around 10,000 tourists annually visit White Island.

Ray Cas, emeritus professor at the School of Earth, Atmosphere and Environment at Monash University, told the Science Media Centre that the eruption was a disaster waiting to happen.

“Having visited it twice, I have always felt that it was too dangerous to allow the daily tour groups that visit the uninhabited island volcano by boat and helicopter,” he added.

Passengers on-board the Royal Caribbean cruise ship, however, claim they were not warned of the increased danger on White Island.

Some tourists say they were not warned of the dangers on White Island. Picture: Allessandro Kauffmann.

Venessa Lugo, 24, from Newcastle, told the Herald Sun the ship provided information about the island on paper printouts and online, but no warnings were mentioned.

“In those sheets we weren’t advised of any warnings of anything going off,” she said.

“It did ask about pre-existing medical conditions, and it was classified as strenuous activity because you would be in a gas mask, but it definitely didn’t specify the possibility of (the volcano) going off.”

Meanwhile, the mother of American tourist Lauren Urey, who was badly burned in the explosion with her husband Matthew, says she’s “livid” they weren’t warned of the dangers.

“There’s been warnings about it … my son-in-law never would have booked the excursion if he knew there was any chance of them being injured,” Barbara Barham said.