Thousands of passengers aboard a P&O cruise have had their travel plans changed after their vessel was denied entry to New Zealand due to biosecurity issues.
P&O Cruises Australia confirmed to 1News that guests on the 13-day “Kiwi Adventure” voyage will now be directed to Tasmania instead.
“The ship left Sydney on Monday for hull cleaning off the Bay of Plenty, however the weather didn’t allow this to happen the itinerary has changed,” a spokesperson said.
The cruise operator apologised for the amendment, suggesting New Zealand’s “strict biosecurity requirements” were the reason behind the change.
“A change in the forecast conditions made it too dangerous for divers, and therefore we are unable to gain clearance to enter New Zealand.”
In a statement, Biosecurity New Zealand’s northern regional commissioner Mike Inglis said they had been speaking with the cruise ship operator Carnival over the past few weeks about “concerning levels of biofouling” on the Pacific Adventure vessel.
“Our biosecurity rules are in place to protect us against pests such as exotic caulpera, which can impact New Zealand’s environment, unique marine ecosystems, aquaculture industry, and economy,”…
