Auckland to Waiheke ferry passengers face long delays

Hundreds of passengers taking the ferry to Waiheke have faced a long wait today.

Just after lunchtime, a long line of people could be seen entering and exiting the ferry terminal in central Auckland.

The queue snaked up Auckland’s Queen St at one point.

The exact reason for the delays is not yet known.

A disgruntled passenger said queues waiting for the Waiheke ferry had returned to Queen St at one point this morning.

He had a reservation for the 11am ferry, but was diverted to the noon sailing instead.

“They’ve obviously oversold for every trip, which is insane.

“The 11 am passengers have been transferred to the 12 pm navigation and now those passengers will have to wait for the next one,” said the woman.

Delays weren’t the only problem, the woman said.

“To add insult to injury, they have been sold without bubbles in midday sailing.

“This is the Christmas party season, how hard is it to get it right?”

Another passenger, Candice Bartlett, told the Herald that they had not been told the reason for the delay, only that they should expect a delay of about 20 minutes.

She was among a small group of people heading to Waiheke for a Christmas work performance.

They had arrived just before noon hoping to retake the 12pm ride.

“But we had to wait a very, very long line,” he said.

“The ferry line was outside the terminal when we arrived. Our friends who were here earlier said it had come to Queen St.”

She said the 20-minute delay they were told to wait turned into a 45-minute delay. They managed to board at 12:45 pm.

She said those returning from Waiheke included a large group of people dressed in “various” outfits, including a group of fairies or angels.

“Many people [going to Waiheke] they also had their suitcases. It’s just Christmas. “

A Fullers spokeswoman said the current time was a “busy summer season on the water” and that today there are multiple group bookings and an increase in visits to Waiheke Island.

“We have seen a steady increase in sponsorship in recent weeks and it has been great to see people go out on the water to celebrate the start of summer and the holiday season. This marks the beginning of what we anticipate will be a busy summer with locals. from Auckland and national visitors supporting local tourism and roaming the Hauraki Gulf.

“Demand for our services today is the result of increased passenger numbers and multiple large group bookings heading to Waiheke for the end of the year celebrations. We have planned for demand and put in additional services during the morning to move Large volumes of travelers We understand that delays can be frustrating and that all available capacity has been deployed to ensure that passengers get where they need to be.

“With higher passenger levels expected as we move into the holiday season, we are striving to provide maximum capacity for our fleet in the popular destination of Waiheke. We encourage all customers to travel with us during the summer period. to plan ahead and allow extra time for their trip. “