Wind keeps last cruiser out

It was cool and blustery on Mauao yesterday. Photo / George Novak

The last cruise ship of the Bay of Plenty season had to be turned away from the Port of Tauranga yesterday due to high winds.

The strong, gusty winds battered Tauranga throughout the day, hitting 41km/h at their peak mid-morning and staying in the 30s for most of the day.

The Insignia was to have been the last of 84 cruise ships to visit Tauranga in the 2014/15 season.

The Oceania Cruises vessel can carry up to 684 passengers and 400 staff.

Metservice has issued a severe weather watch for Tauranga today.

It is warning of the possibility of southwest gales throughout the day.

Wind gusts around 50km/h were predicted for the afternoon.

Of all the scheduled cruise ship visits to Tauranga this season, five - including the Insignia - were turned away due to weather conditions.

The 79 ships that did arrive in port brought 144,721 passengers and a further 61,862 crew.

That compared with 147,139 passengers and 64,214 crew the year before, a 1.6 per cent decrease due to the vagaries of weather.

At this stage 80 cruise ships were tentatively scheduled for 2015/16, beginning with the Diamond Princess on October 7.