TWO cruise ships scheduled to call Port of Burnie last week bypassed the Tasmanian port, according to TasPorts.
The port operator said it was informed by shipping agents that cruise ships Regatta and Seven Seas Explorer had cancelled their plans to visit Burnie.
TasPorts said the cruise ship companies made the decision to cancel.
Regatta is operated by Oceania Cruises and Seven Seas Explorer is operated by Regent Seven Seas Cruises. Both companies are subsidiaries of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings.
The official Facebook page of Burnie City Council suggests there had been some confusion about the reasons for the cancellations.
TasPorts CEO Anthony Donald said different factors can influence scheduled cruise ship visits and lead to itinerary changes or cancellation of a port visit.
“We understand that the cruise lines, the industry and federal agencies continue to work closely together to ensure arrangements are in place to facilitate cruise ship arrival and departures at ports across the country,” Mr Donald said.
“Factors which can influence cancellations include adverse weather conditions, and while unfortunate, these decisions are not taken lightly and TasPorts’ obligations will always be to marine safety, protection of infrastructure assets and the environment.”
Mr Donald noted TasPorts has facilitated 77 cruise ship visits to Tasmanian ports so far this season, with a further 80 bookings scheduled across the remainder of the 22/23 season.
“These numbers signify a strong rebound to pre-Covid levels, which is incredibly pleasing and confirms that attractiveness of Tasmania as a destination with significant economic benefits flowing on for the state,” he said.
