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A wedding with a Hobbit theme was called off due to their means of entering New Zealand being denied at the border.
The ship, Pacific Adventure, belonging to P&O Cruises Australia, was instructed to leave by authorities due to the discovery of high levels of organisms and “biofouling” on its hull.
According to ABC, Janine Sheriff and Kyle Risk, a couple from Sydney, Australia, expressed their sadness and disappointment following an incident at the film set in Matamata on New Zealand’s North Island. They were looking forward to meeting up with their loved ones but were unable to due to the incident.
Ms Sheriff stated that the original plan was to disembark from the boat, immediately travel to Hobbiton for the wedding, and then return to the boat for the remainder of the honeymoon.
After booking their cruise, the couple ultimately chose to tie the knot in New Zealand.
“Kyle is a huge enthusiast of the Lord of the Rings franchise, and when we discovered our destination would be related to it, we playfully brought up the possibility of a wedding package.”
“He was filled with pure joy and excitement, as if he had stumbled upon the greatest discovery. We began making concrete plans for the wedding, arranging time off from work and coordinating with our closest friends and family to join us in New Zealand at the designated time.”
Mr. Risk was extremely angry when he saw Janine’s reaction to the news. I was on the verge of losing control.
“I received a self-portrait of our family and friends at the Hobbiton location, just 20 minutes before we had to head back.”
“It would have held great significance, given the beautiful surroundings.”
Ms Sherriff expressed her love for her partner and her disappointment that they were unable to officially become husband and wife as planned. She is devastated that this special day has been taken away from them.
The Independent has reached out to P&O Cruises Australia for a statement. Following a refusal of entry into New Zealand, the vessel proceeded to Tasmania.
The pair received free tickets to return to Sydney and tied the knot there. Additionally, they were given a 50% refund for their cruise fare.
The cruise line informed ABC that the ship departed from Sydney on Monday in order to clean its hull off the Bay of Plenty due to New Zealand’s strict biosecurity regulations. However, the weather prevented this from happening, resulting in a change to the itinerary. The cruise line apologizes for any inconvenience caused.
Source: independent.co.uk
