VIKING passengers are set to be compensated after its Viking Orion was denied entry into ports in Australia and New Zealand due to a “marine growth” on her hull. Orion arrived at the Port of Melbourne yesterday evening, having not docked since casting off from Wellington on Boxing Day. The...
VIKING passengers are set to be compensated after its Viking Orion was denied entry into ports in Australia and New Zealand due to a “marine growth” on her hull.
Orion arrived at the Port of Melbourne yesterday evening, having not docked since casting off from Wellington on Boxing Day.
The ship was reportedly denied permission to dock in Christchurch, Dunedin, and Hobart, before setting course for South Australia, where the National Maritime Coordination Centre established Orion had small amounts of “biofoul” (marine microorganisms, plants, algae, or small animals) on her hull.
Orion was anchored off the coast of Victor Harbour for the cleaning, and before arriving in Melbourne, from where she will continue her cruise as scheduled.
It is the second such cruise biofoul occurrence this past month (CW 23 Dec).
