Key Aspects:
- A sudden squall disrupted Noordam‘s tender operations at Kiriwina Island on Wednesday, January 14.
- Several hundred guests were temporarily stranded ashore and tenders were left bobbing in severe swells.
- No injuries were reported and tendering resumed after the squall passed and it was safe to bring the small boats alongside.
Tendering can be a fun ride from ship to shore at ports without a cruise ship dock, but a sudden squall made the small boats much less fun for guests aboard Holland America Line’s Noordam on Wednesday, January 14, 2026.
The incident happened midway through the ship’s 42-night one-way Sydney to Auckland journey that departed Australia on December 21, 2025. The squall suddenly appeared at Kiriwina Island in Papua New Guinea, a tender port the ship was visiting from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The weather had been calm enough for tendering operations to begin as planned, but the squall brought winds up to 40 knots (46 miles per hour) to the immediate area.
According to Paul and Carole Love To Travel, who were onboard Noordam at the time, chairs were flying across the ship’s deck and the tenders currently heading between the ship and the island were forced to wait out the vicious weather.
“As it was unsafe for the tenders to come alongside the ship, 700 passengers were stranded on the island and some passengers already in tenders were bobbing around for up to 90 minutes,” the couple described.
Video of the incident shows the small tender boats bobbing aggressively in the wind and rain, with the cloth over the boats’ entrances whipping about with the gusts. At times, the boats’ bows are splashing in and out of the aggressive swells.
The situation was certainly frightening and uncomfortable for guests who were on the tender boats, though no injuries were reported. There was some minor damage to the tenders, but nothing significant and the boats were in no way compromised.
Furthermore, the “stranded” passengers were only temporarily unable to leave the island, waiting for the squall to pass before tendering operations could resume. Some food and water were shuttled to the island in the meantime, for everyone to remain as comfortable as possible.
Onboard Noordam, the captain made several announcements to keep guests apprised of the situation and how operations were being handled.
Once the squall passed, all guests were brought back to the ship safely and without incident, and Noordam was able to complete her visit.
Are Tender Boats Safe?
While the dramatic video may make it seem as though the situation was dangerous, the small boats are equipped to handle such conditions and are engineered not to capsize or sink even if they take on water.
Because local communities cannot offer shuttle service to a ship as large as Noordam with her 1,916 guests, the ship’s own lifeboats are used as tenders in such remote destinations.
Each tender boat can hold at least 200 guests, but it is unclear whether or not they were fully loaded when the squall hit.
Every tender is crewed by experienced seamen who can handle such rough conditions if necessary. All of the small boats are also equipped with life jackets and other emergency gear.
Read Also: Cruise Ship Tendering – Top Pro Tips
Naturally, such a rough time in the tenders would not be pleasant, and it’s possible that multiple guests experienced seasickness and other discomfort during the squall.
Several guests have reported that crew members did a fantastic job in such extraordinary circumstances.
“This really does show the skill and experience of the tender pilots to be able to ride this out and keep everyone safe if not comfortable,” one guest noted.
“The crew handled the situation very well,” another commented.
Noordam Continues Voyage
Despite the brief squall that made the visit to Kiriwina Island far more memorable than anticipated, Noordam was able to continue on her lengthy cruise.
The 82,500-gross-ton ship has already visited many outstanding ports in Australia after departing Sydney, including Burnie, Adelaide, Port Arthur, Melbourne, and Brisbane.
Earlier in the sailing, the ship did skip the planned visit to Townsville due to Cyclone Koji.
Following several ports in Papua New Guinea, Noordam is visiting the Solomon Island, Vanuatu, Fiji, Tonga, and several ports in New Zealand before debarkation in Auckland on February 1.
Hopefully, the ship and all her tenders will have smooth sailing for the rest of her voyage!
Holland America Passengers Caught Out After Tendering Took a Rough Turn
