Passengers frustrated after ship turned away from NZ
Passengers aboard a cruise ship have expressed their frustration after docking in Hobart today, a destination very different from the one they were expecting.
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00:00 I'm here on Hobart's waterfront where passengers behind me are disembarking the Pacific Adventure
00:07 cruise ship.
00:08 Now it was actually never intended to be in Hobart in the first place.
00:11 This all began last week when the cruise ship set sail from Sydney and intended to go on
00:16 a 13-night Kiwi adventure around New Zealand.
00:20 It was supposed to visit places like Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch.
00:25 However, before the cruise ship actually reached New Zealand, authorities denied it access
00:31 from entering New Zealand waters under the country's biohazard rules.
00:36 They said that because the hull hadn't been properly cleaned, it posed a biohazard risk
00:41 because of high-risk organisms which could have been inside the hull.
00:45 Now they're referring to mussels and oysters, which are actually quite common here in Australia
00:49 and in Australian waters.
00:51 The original itinerary has been completely scrapped now and the ship is now set to visit
00:56 Hobart, Port Arthur and Eden on New South Wales' south coast instead.
01:00 P&O Cruises Australia said guests were notified before embarking on their voyage that there
01:04 could be significant changes to the itinerary.
01:07 But I don't think guests expected a total change like this one.
01:10 Here's what they had to say.
01:11 I'm so angry about it.
01:13 I just don't even know where to begin.
01:14 Disappointed we couldn't get to New Zealand.
01:16 It's our 45th wedding anniversary and we were hoping to meet people over there but
01:20 worst things happen in the world.
01:21 It's not what I paid for.
01:22 I'm a casual worker.
01:23 I feel like they're just taking all my money so I just wanted to go home.
01:27 The only disappointment I've had is not going into New Zealand but otherwise the staff and
01:33 the food and the entertainment's been excellent.
01:36 Guests have been offered a 50% refund on their ticket as compensation.
01:40 [BLANK_AUDIO]