The 800 passengers of the “Viking Orion” may have imagined their journey at the turn of the year differently. Landings in New Zealand and Australia were canceled due to microorganisms on the ship’s hull, which first needed to be removed.
New Year’s Eve with fireworks, like here in Melbourne, Australia, went up in smoke for 800 of the ship’s passengers – they were not allowed to leave a cruise ship due to microorganisms on the hull.
(dpa) Actually they wanted to celebrate New Year’s Eve with a cruise from New Zealand to Australia, but then the dream trip turned into a nightmare: due to an infestation of microorganisms on the hull of their ship, the approximately 800 passengers of the “Viking Orion” were not allowed to go ashore for a week. “Maritime growth”, so-called “biofouling”, has formed on the outer wall of the luxury liner, Australian news agency AAP reported. Such colonization of organisms can lead to the introduction and spread of non-native species. Australia has very strict rules on biosecurity risks, among other things, to protect its unique flora and fauna.
