Queen Victoria Comes to Auckland

Last Saturday, Queen Victoria made a scheduled "Port of Call" visit to Auckland, and berthed at Princes Wharf. (You can just make out the scaffolding and sheets being used while the leaky building issues are sorted out on those rooms at the end of Hotel Hilton.)

Queen Victoria looks a little smaller than Dawn Princess (pictured here at Princes Wharf last week). Queen Victoria is 90,000 tonnes gross tonnage. Length 294 metres. Beam 32.3 metres.

It appears that Princes Wharf is not standing up the strain of cruise ship visits that well. Not sure if this is because of Hilton Hotel or Apartment resident grumpiness, or if the wharf and cruise ship terminal fittings need maintenance. If so - get it done. BTW, at least one person has asked me: why don't we allow cruise ships to berth on both sides of Princes Wharf. Make it work for its living.

You can make out Queen Victoria to the right of this picture. On Princes Wharf. Queens Wharf is right of centre - with the brown ferry building behind. The red feright ship to the left is berthed at Bledisloe Wharf. This is where Queen Mark II could be berthed safely (length and strength is good for something the size of Queen Mary II.