Name/TitleViking Orion moored in the Bay, start of the pandemic
About this objectOn 16 March 2020, the federal government implemented a cruise ship ban, preventing all foreign cruise ships from coming into Australian waters. At the time there were various ships already on the water, or in international waters but approaching Australia. They were exempt from the ban but, at the end of March, all cruise ships registered overseas were told to leave. Some requested permission to leave but, on 4 April 2020, all requests were refused.
The ban was implemented during a busy cruise season; cruise ships were a common sight from the Bayside foreshore. The Viking Orion, was scheduled on a 92-day cruise, Auckland to Vancouver, from 6 March 2020. It moored in the Bay after passengers had disembarked, visible from Bayside beaches, during March and departed in early April 2020. The photo was taken from Hampton foreshore. The ban was ultimately lifted from 17 April 2022, although added safety measures were put in place.
