Viking-Orion

Viking Cruises will compensate the passengers of the 'Viking Ori­on' who missed multiple stops because officials blocked port access due to ma­rine growth on the ship’s hull. The ship docked in Sydney on Jan 4, the final stop on what is normally a 15-day, 9-stop cruise of New Zea­land and Australia. New Zealand officials had asked the ship to leave the country’s waters part way through its cruise after finding small amounts of biofoul. The ship heaed directly to the southern Austra­lian port of Adelaide and bypass­ed planned stops in Tasmania and New Zealand’s south island. It stopped approxi­ately 12 nautical miles out to sea while divers cleared the hull. The vessel finished its journey as planned with stops in Melbourne and Sydney. All guests will receive a voucher equal to what they had already paid for use on any future voyages. Tickets for a 15-day Auckland to Sydney cruise departing Jan 10 range from A$8,995 ($6,066.23) to A$29,995 ($20,341).

The 'Viking Orion' has not been allowed to dock since Christmas and arrived in the port of Melbourne only on Jan 2. The reason was a fungal infestation at the hull of the ship, causing ports to refuse entry. 800 guests were stuck on the open sea for seven days. The ship had sailed from Wellington on Dec 26 and set course for the city of Christchurch. During the first sea leg, the Australian National Maritime Coordination Center found a small amount of so-called biofouls at the ship's hull. The ship was prohibited from entering Australian waters. The agency feared that harmful marine organisms could be introduced into Australian waters. The ship was refused to dock in Christchurch, Dunedin, Hobart and Adelaide to get the ship cleaned. Divers cleaned the hull on Jan 1, while the ship was outside Australian territorial waters and should then dock in Melbourne.

Viking Cruises dominated the 11th annual Cruise Critic Editors' Picks Awards for the second year in a row with five wins in 2018. Cruise Critic's editors pick winners in three categories: ocean cruises, luxury cruises (all on ocean ships) and river cruises. Viking won three luxury awards (best new luxury ship for the Viking Orion, best spa, best value for money) and two river cruise awards (best for first timers and best itineraries).