Info about New Zealand biofouling issues

[Little Monty]

FYI below.

 

I'm not sure where to post this to get the best line-of-sight, so I thought I should post in separate thread.

 

Obviously it's not Viking specific, but very relevant to upcoming cruises in the region. 

 

The cruise industry in NZ might not survive if these rejections continue.

 

https://www.traveller.com.au/cruisers-angry-as-fourth-luxury-ship-deemed-too-dirty-for-new-zealands-waters-h2912j

 

Cheers, LM

 

 

[Serendiptydesign]

A good article we have recently left the Viking Orion and have also been effected by this issue. We feel as though the cruise ships need to improve their responses and support there guests who have booked. We are very unlikely to ever cruise again and certainly not with Viking and have left the ship very disappointed. We are New Zealanders and fully approve our governments actions. These cruise ships owners are fully prepared to sacrifice the world environment for their own greed. We left an on board credit unspent and asked if it could be donated to a charity and they were unable to help us so more money back into the coffers of Viking.

[Jim Avery]

As a long time cruiser I am stuck in the middle on this issue. There is a world wide movement gathering steam to ban/restrict cruise ships.  From Venice to Bar Harbor, Key west to NZ and so on.  Why is this happening?  Just like any other problem developing on the planet there are just too many people invading once quiet, pristine places.  When a huge modern ship can have 10,000 persons onboard counting passengers and crew and when several large ships land their loads in a day it is a great creation of pollution of all sorts.  This spills over to the smaller ships as it is being perceived as all cruise passengers are the same.  If this trend keeps up cruising will be regulated to mega ships doing only cruises to nowhere or to their private Island.  I know this sounds extreme but it is happening.  Just as Serendipitydesign said he loves cruising but fully supports the NZ government in these restrictions.  I don't blame him/her as NZ is a beautiful place.  I shouldn't like thousands of cruise passengers invading my town either.  We were recently in San Juan Puerto Rico for Viking's Christmas Cruise and were overwhelmed with people.  Nice calm Old San Juan was wall to wall with people from 5 big ships.  Street vendors adding to the clutter and competing street musicians all playing at once.  A madhouse with very elevated prices for lodging, food, and drink.  I hate seeing the overloading of all the nice places.   Just too many people.

[Twitchly]

Not a biofouling issue, but it seems like it would make sense for smaller towns to ban larger ships, and for them to keep the number of daily visits down even for smaller ones. If you’re sailing on a massive cruise ship, you should expect to only visit areas that can accommodate massive ships without losing their character and wrecking the quality of life for their inhabitants. 
 

I guess cruising is just getting a little too popular for its own good.

[Squawkman]

5 hours ago, Serendiptydesign said:

A good article we have recently left the Viking Orion and have also been effected by this issue. We feel as though the cruise ships need to improve their responses and support there guests who have booked. We are very unlikely to ever cruise again and certainly not with Viking and have left the ship very disappointed. We are New Zealanders and fully approve our governments actions. These cruise ships owners are fully prepared to sacrifice the world environment for their own greed. We left an on board credit unspent and asked if it could be donated to a charity and they were unable to help us so more money back into the coffers of Viking.

While on board you could dedicate any unspent OBC to gratuities.

[OnTheJourney]

3 hours ago, Twitchly said:

it would make sense for smaller towns to ban larger ships,

The recent Bar Harbor decision is applicable. 

[OnTheJourney]

4 hours ago, Jim Avery said:

There is a world wide movement gathering steam to ban/restrict cruise ships

Jim... a most interesting and well thought-out post. Some of your thoughts could easily dovetail into a larger scale discussion on many different environmental / global concerns and how they are impacted by politically-driven motivations. 

[Jim Avery]

1 hour ago, OnTheJourney said:

Jim... a most interesting and well thought-out post. Some of your thoughts could easily dovetail into a larger scale discussion on many different environmental / global concerns and how they are impacted by politically-driven motivations. 

I think we could have a very interesting several hours at the Viking Bar.  🍸

[OnTheJourney]

7 minutes ago, Jim Avery said:

I think we could have a very interesting several hours at the Viking Bar.

I suspect you're right. I don't think our cruise schedules have ever aligned however to meet up. What I would enjoy is seeing you and Andy have a lively conversation at the bar. All that 'ship talk' could be very educational, along with undoubtedly humorous anecdotal mariner tales  😁  Speaking of which, not sure how much you're into commercial fishing, but I picked up and read several of Linda Greenlaw's books - she was the captain of the 100-ft. sword boat "Hannah Boden" that figured prominently in the book (and movie) "The Perfect Storm" (of Halloween '91. Good writer. Everything you probably never needed to know about both sword and lobster fishing. Interesting - for a first read anyway, not interested in a re-read of any of them. 

Edited January 6, 2023 by OnTheJourney

[Jim Avery]

2 minutes ago, OnTheJourney said:

I suspect you're right. I don't think our cruise schedules have ever aligned however to meet up. What I would enjoy is seeing you and Andy have a lively conversation at the bar  😉  

Haha, Andy and I have swapped a few Sea Stories over some pints.  Barely scratched the surface.  Just curious, do you know the difference between a Sea Story and a fairy tale?

Fairy tales begin: "Once upon a time".   Sea Stories begin:  "This aint no s**t, I promise". 😳🍺

[OnTheJourney]

7 minutes ago, Jim Avery said:

Sea Stories begin:  "This aint no s**t, I promise". 😳🍺

LOL!!  You gotta pick up and read Greenlaw's "Tales from the Dry Dock Bar". Check it out. You'd enjoy.  The real name is: "All Fishermen are liars: True Tales from the Dry Dock Bar". Sort of conveniently (though not deliberately mentioned on the sly....honest...) I'm selling that one and two others as a trilogy of Greenlaw books on my ebay site 🤔)  Like I said, I just don't plan to re-read. Book shelves are too overcrowded so some things have to go. Since I recently listed them (with not a single view thus far...so they might wind up going to our church flea market in summer) is what brought it to mind, along with your mentioning sea tales. I'd LOVE to hear some of that stuff between you and Andy. 

Edited January 6, 2023 by OnTheJourney

[BluebonnetTexan]

The visitor limits being imposed in the various cruise ports is also not unlike the controls now in place at many US National Parks. 

[chengkp75]

8 hours ago, Jim Avery said:

As a long time cruiser I am stuck in the middle on this issue.

But, as a mariner as well as a cruiser, I see this as just another regulation that the cruise lines will need to adjust to.  As I said in another thread, this is just like the Ballast Water Management Convention.  Cruise ships used to keep ballast water in their few ballast tanks (mostly anti-roll tanks) on a near permanent basis, but since this was originally sea water, it had the potential for continued marine growth while in the tank, and therefore the potential for discharge of invasive species if the tanks need to be emptied.  Now, they mostly use treated effluent from the waste water system as ballast.  You evolve, and adapt.  The cruise lines will just have to adapt into more regular underwater inspections and cleanings, to make this a less intrusive procedure.  Adapt and overcome.

 

Here in Maine, we have a very strict policy regarding recreational boats bringing in Milfoil from out of state.  This can choke off the oxygen levels in the lakes and lead to algae blooms.  We also have a ban on out of state firewood, as this can bring a destructive beetle into the state.

 

Having worked my entire career in an increasingly regulated industry, I support the steps taken to protect the environment, no matter how much of a pain in the butt it made my every working day.

[Jim Avery]

We have similar policies in Arizona.  Boats have to be professionally cleaned before launching in the AZ lakes.  Fresh water  but things grow there too.  As you know an outdrive housing is a great place for marine growths to hide.

[KBs mum]

When 'fungus' was reported are there species that survive in saltwater, or was it a mistranslation of algae/seaweed if not the snails initially reported? 

[Heidi13]

59 minutes ago, KBs mum said:

When 'fungus' was reported are there species that survive in saltwater, or was it a mistranslation of algae/seaweed if not the snails initially reported? 

 

I'll suggest the report of "Fungus" was the usual lack of fact checking by the media.

[Serendiptydesign]

4 hours ago, Heidi13 said:

 

I'll suggest the report of "Fungus" was the usual lack of fact checking by the media.

Agreed about the fact checking by media or lack off.  I am currently researching and applying to get more information of what exactly was found on the Viking Orion and the date found. Once I have this information I will share it.

[CurlerRob]

The problems appear to be continuing - the Oceania board has reports of the Regatta undergoing cleaning and missing ports as of today. By my count that makes 4 ships very recently - belonging to Viking, Princess, Regent and Oceania.

 

I would assume that the inspection level by NZ has been significantly increased to detect multiple ships so recently. Perfectly appropriate by the authorities - as @chengkp75 said earlier, just one more thing for the lines to adapt to.

 

Terribly unfortunate for the pax unlucky enough to have been caught up in this. 🍺🥌

[Serendiptydesign]

1 hour ago, CurlerRob said:

The problems appear to be continuing - the Oceania board has reports of the Regatta undergoing cleaning and missing ports as of today. By my count that makes 4 ships very recently - belonging to Viking, Princess, Regent and Oceania.

 

I would assume that the inspection level by NZ has been significantly increased to detect multiple ships so recently. Perfectly appropriate by the authorities - as @chengkp75 said earlier, just one more thing for the lines to adapt to.

 

Terribly unfortunate for the pax unlucky enough to have been caught up in this. 🍺🥌

Plus Cunard Queen Elizabeth 

[deec]

How are they checking the ships' hulls before allowing them into ports?  when a pilot shows up are they also sending dive teams or can they use cameras? 

[chengkp75]

7 minutes ago, deec said:

How are they checking the ships' hulls before allowing them into ports?  when a pilot shows up are they also sending dive teams or can they use cameras? 

Most likely they are doing a diver survey at a port prior to entering NZ waters.

[Heidi13]

When checking which berth Neptune was using at WCC in San Pedro, I noted a dive boat and tug in attendance, so they must be checking her hull.

[Pushka]

There's a picture of Neptune on the WC on a FB page where it looks like dive activity happening during port/tender after they left Florida last week. 

Edited January 8, 2023 by Pushka

[Heidi13]

9 minutes ago, Pushka said:

There's a picture of Neptune on the WC on a FB page where it looks like dive activity happening during port/tender after they left Florida last week. 

 

When I checked Marine Traffic earlier this morning to see which berth she was using at WCC San Pedro, I noted a dive boat and tug standing by her. So very likely having the hull inspected and/or cleaned.

[Serendiptydesign]

Please keep an eye on the news report out of New Zealand further information regarding the VIKING ORION 12-22-2022 is likely to be released within days.