This isn't a view you see from your front window every day! Seems they've got to park those empty ships somewhere.
Radiance of the Seas off the coast of Wollongong pictured.
Some of the international cruise ships caught up the Australian government's new ban - which prevents them from...
www.illawarramercury.com.au
"Some of the international cruise ships caught up the Australian government's new ban - which prevents them from docking in Australia for the next 30 days - will take refuge at Port Kembla.
Already, the Royal Caribbean ship Radiance of the Sea has taken up a berth at the port while it waits out the government's restrictions.
Wollongong councillor Leigh Colacino, in his capacity as chair of Cruise Wollongong said Port Kembla had 11 berths available to host cruise ships during the ban.
"There are no passengers on there, and the crew stay on ship during this time, they do not come ashore," he said.
"Radiance is there now, and I think there will be more on the horizon."
Passengers due to set sail on the ship disembarked over the weekend, he said.
Cr Colacino said the cruise ship docking program was a sign of the strong relationship between the cruise industry and the port.
"I think it's great that Port Kembla can offer this," he said.
"They know because of the work we've done over the past few years that Port Kembla is a safe port, they will be safe for as long as they need to be held there.
"This is our time to give back to the cruise lines in their time of need.
"These ships have to be anchored somewhere around the world at this time.
"This was the first ship to come in to the port, and now it's the first one we've been able to help."
Around Australia, cruise ships have been called back to ports and passengers have had to cancel their trips after the 30-day ban came into place over the weekend.
Royal Caribbean has frozen its entire fleet worldwide until April 11, and most other cruise lines have similar freezes in place.
Wollongong's Michael Silva had boarded the Radiance of the Seas at Circular Quay at noon on Saturday, for a cruise he'd been looking forward to for a year.
"At 3.30pm I got a Facebook message saying all cruise ships would not be allowed into New Zealand," Mr Silva said.
"That was when I started freaking out. Then the captain announced over the speaker that everyone must get off by midnight, or stay the night and get off the next day via lifeboats."
The ship had to leave Circular Quay and moor off the coast because another vessel was due to enter the port.
Mr Silva chose to stay on board to enjoy at least one night on the ship, to "eat up and drink up".
He said Royal Carribean had offered either a 125 per cent credit or a 100 per cent refund - and he took the latter.
Still, it's left him feeling very disappointed and is now considering cutting his holidays short and heading back to work.
"It was very disappointing, but the crew handled it really, really well," he said."
Yes the marketing spin will be 'come on a cruise, there's an 80% chance you won't get sick! And 99 out of 100 people don't die!'
