The Voyager of the Seas made quite an entrance yesterday. Photo/Duncan Brown
The Voyager of the Seas made quite an entrance yesterday. Photo/Duncan Brown
The largest cruise ship to call at Napier this season drew an admiring audience along Hardinge Rd and on the Bluff Hill Lookout yesterday as it reversed into its berth at Napier Port silently and smoothly.
The Royal Caribbean line's Voyager of the Seas arrived for the first of fourvisits this season and at 137,276 gross tonnes is the largest liner to call.
However, when it comes to overall length it just misses out to the 121,878 gross tonne Celebrity Solstice which is scheduled to arrive on January 30 next year.
It measures 314 metres - three more metres than the Voyager of the Seas.
But size isn't everything, with the Voyager carrying 3138 passengers while the Celebrity Solstice hosts 2850.
"That's a big unit," was how shipwatcher Tony Smith put it as he watched the crews of the two guiding tug boats ease the giant into its berthing spot just after 1.20pm.
The passengers aboard lined the decks and would have been delighted with the clearing weather and the sight of blue skies - as for the past three days it had been caught up in the northeasterly storms which swept across the eastern and northern parts of the North Island.
However, by the time the first shuttle buses began ferrying them into the city the raindrops returned.
Napier Port operations manager Chris Bain said sea fog and mist which had shrouded the bay yesterday and early this morning had been looked at closely by the pilot crews but conditions eased and they determined that all was well to bring the giant in.
The Voyager of the Seas will call again on January 28, February 18 and March 15.
There are 44 more cruise ship arrivals scheduled this season.
