A couple from Sydney were denied the opportunity to exchange rings at the popular Lord of the Rings filming location, Hobbiton, after their cruise ship was denied entry by New Zealand’s border authorities.
The not-so-happy-anymore couple Janine Sherriff and Kyle Risk were set to meet up with family and friends at the popular tourist hotspot located in NZ’s North Island to tie the knot.
However, their plan was foiled when border control ordered them to divert course over a supposedly unclean hull.
The “Kiwi Adventure” cruise, which was meant to be a 13-day journey, turned into more of a Tasmanian adventure after the ship was told to head to Australia’s southernmost state instead.
In the end, just three juvenile mussels and one single hydroid commonly (AKA: lace coral) needed to be removed from the hull. However, this was still enough to trigger New Zealand’s biosecurity laws.
“We took the time off from work, we had our nearest and dearest friends and family all co-ordinate to be in New Zealand at this exact time,” Janine told the ABC.
“The plan was to get off the boat, go straight to Hobbiton, have our wedding, then head straight back to the boat for the rest of the honeymoon.”
“Now we have to figure out what to do about our wedding, we have all this money down the drain.”
What an absolute headache.
“First off, I was furious,” Kyle added.
“I saw Janine’s face when we got the news. I was ready to explode.
“I got a selfie from our family and friends at the site in Hobbiton we should have been on about 20 minutes before we had to turn around.”
“It would have meant a lot as it was a beautiful setting. As long as we have each other,” he added.
Ugh, how frustrating!
But also … aw. They still have each other <3.
The cruise operator in charge of the vessel, P&O, has offered customers $300 in on-board credit and a 50 per cent credit on a future cruise.
“We apologise for the change in itinerary and thank our guests for their patience and understanding,” a spokesperson for the company’s Australian division said per the Daily Mail.
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