A second Viking cruise ship has cancelled its scheduled stop in Newcastle, citing safety concerns over the upcoming Rising Tide anti-coal protest, leaving local businesses reeling from the financial fallout.
The Viking Orion, which was due to dock on December 1, will now remain in Sydney with nearly 1,000 passengers spending an extra day there instead. Viking Cruises said the decision was made “out of an abundance of caution,” despite Rising Tide stressing that its People’s Blockade would only take place on November 29 and 30 and would target coal ships only, not passenger vessels.
This marks the second Viking cruise cancellation linked to the protest, and the impact on the Hunter region’s economy is already being felt. Stewart Ford, cruise coordinator for the Newcastle Tourism Industry Group, estimated the combined losses at around $750,000, with tour operators, restaurants, and small businesses among the hardest hit.
Hunter Valley businessman Trevor Richards, who owns several tourism-focused businesses in Morpeth, including an antique store and gallery, said the cancellations will devastate operators who rely heavily on international cruise passengers. “When they are overseas tourists, they generate huge amounts of income into small tourism businesses in the Lower Hunter,” he said. Richards has since written to Rising Tide demanding compensation for the losses.
The cancellations highlight the growing tension between climate activism and regional tourism, with local operators warning that further disruptions could damage Newcastle’s reputation as a cruise destination.
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