Napier, New Zealand

I'm writing this blog post on Thursday afternoon.  We were scheduled to arrive in Napier, NZ at noon today and leave at 6 p.m.  Janis and I were looking forward to this visit because we've heard so much about Napier and because we signed up for a three-hour coastal and river valley bike ride that sounded particularly interesting.  But it was not to be.  The captain announced around 11 a.m. that because of rough seas and high winds he felt it necessary to cancel the visit.  He came back on the public address system a bit later to say that we were then passing Napier if anyone wanted to look at it as we went by.  I ran back to our room for my camera, but by the time I got to a viewing deck it was effectively all over.  I am posting a few photos to show what I was able to see, which was not much.  But, as you can see, a few photos show the pilot boat alongside our ship and the pilot getting back onboard the pilot boat.  That obviously means he/she had been on the ship, so I assume the pilot participated in the decision to abort.  The impact on the city has to be significant when 870 or so expected visitors don't show.

The Hawke's Bay area, of which Napier is a part, is the second largest wine growing region in NZ and boasts over 70 vineyards.  The city of Napier itself was destroyed by an earthquake in 1931 and rebuilt in the art deco style of the day.  It is said to be very attractive.  Maybe on another visit to NZ.  Our next scheduled stop is Wellington, NZ beginning tomorrow at 9 a.m.  Here's hoping!

      

Comments

  1. Geri and Lenny BlogFebruary 3, 2018 at 6:57 AM

    Too bad about this stop. We have had a somewhat disappointing change in our cruise itinerary, even before we leave on March 5th. We now have one less stop in India and an extra day in Oman.

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  2. John and KimFebruary 12, 2018 at 9:53 AM

    Too bad about missing this planned stop. Have caught up with your notes and photos to this point - all looks mahvelus! As is typical with Viking, you get a great cultural and educational experience in addition to the food and scenery. We are anticipating our departure for FL and the Caribbean on Thursday Feb 15. All's well here. Best regards - John and Kim

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