Reidy said there was minimal disruption.
"Our engineers worked quickly with the manufacturers and an issue with a seal in the steering system was fixed.
"While the Aratere is often described as a 'lemon', the facts on reliability refute this. Its on-time performance over the past four years, 99 per cent success in scheduled sailings and record passenger numbers each year are second to none.
"Managing that asset is important to Kiwirail, so at the first sign of an issue, we took the decision to thoroughly investigate. At no time was there any risk to the safety of the passengers, crew, or ship."
The first sailing tonight will be at 10.45pm.