Cruising on the slow boats to nowhere

David and Rosemary Saunders are among hundreds of cruise ship passengers stuck in Auckland for days. Photo / Kenny Rodger

It's the season not only for cruise ships, but for cruise ships with mechanical problems.

P&O's liner Aurora has been forced to stay an extra four days in Auckland after crossing the Tasman on only one engine.

A bearing on a propeller shaft failed soon after the ship left Sydney and the port engine had to be shut down.

And the Millennium, a cruise liner operated by Celebrity Cruises, will disembark its passengers in Auckland and go to Sydney for repairs to its propulsion system.

Doug Colaco of Iss-McKay Ltd, the local shipping agent, says although the problem is not dangerous, it is urgent, so the ship will leave New Zealand without any holidaymakers.

The Millennium has been in Dunedin, and will stick to its programme of stops at Lyttelton, Wellington and Tauranga before berthing in Auckland on Sunday, at the end of its cruise.

Brian Woodhouse of Cruise Holidays, the wholesaler for Celebrity Cruises in New Zealand, says all the passengers scheduled to join the Millennium in Auckland on Sunday had been told of the problem.

They have all been offered a refund and the opportunity to book another cruise, as well as help with the cost of rebooking flights to New Zealand.

The Millennium will go into dry dock in Australia, and return to Auckland to pick up its passengers for the next 14-day cruise, scheduled to leave on March 29.

The Aurora had been due to leave Auckland on Saturday, but the 1700 passengers have been advised the ship will leave tonight.

Visits to the Bay of Islands, Wellington, Napier, Moorea and Papeete have had to be dropped.

MAROONED IN AUCKLAND

Passengers from stranded cruise ship Aurora were running out of patience and ideas yesterday, having exhausted Auckland's tourism options.

David and Rosemary Saunders, from Perth, said they had become frustrated by the four-day delay, and were itching to leave.

"We have walked everywhere - Mt Victoria, Queen St, Devonport. We are going to Takapuna and Orewa tomorrow. But we've missed three stops and we're ready to go.

"We look out our window and all we see is a rusty old shed. Hopefully, we'll look out tomorrow and see the ocean."

But some travellers were making the most of the postponed departure and were lapping up Auckland's sightseeing spots and shopping centres.

Patrick Watson, from London, on his second visit to New Zealand, said he was seeing more of the city than would be possible on a whistlestop cruise.

"For the first time I've seen a bit of the country and got around a bit.

"Some people are a little frustrated, but that's life. Worse things happen at sea."

Tony Carnell, from Sheffield, England, said tours organised by the cruise ship and the wide range of sightseeing options in Auckland lessened the frustration of the delay.

"We've been all around the city and we've been lucky to get stuck while the Auckland Festival is on."