Breaking News - Two cruise ships in Melbourne evacuated

[By The Bay]

Two cruise ships at Station Pier in Melbourne have been evacuated as a precaution after sniffer dogs smelt "something suspicious".

 

Source: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-11-20/cruise-ships-evcauated-after-sniffer-dogs-detected-suspicious/6958418

[icat2000]

Web cams show the ships still there. Must be false alarm

[Bodogbodog]

Web cams show the ships still there. Must be false alarm

 

 

They're unlikely to leave with a possible bomb on board!

[perditax]

I looked at a terminal calendar and from what I can make of it, I only see Explorer of the Seas in port. (Maybe the other one was a smaller ship?)

[ozziepost]

The other ship will be the Spirit of Tasmania no further news on the media about this lets hope it is a false alarm.

[perditax]

Another article, not much new info, Twitter may be a good resource.

 

http://www.skynews.com.au/news/national/2015/11/20/bomb-squad-called-to-melbourne-cruise-ships.html

[DianeandMark]

Web cams show the ships still there. Must be false alarm

 

 

They evacuate the passengers, not move the ships.

[Kiwi Kruzer]

I looked at a terminal calendar and from what I can make of it, I only see Explorer of the Seas in port. (Maybe the other one was a smaller ship?)

 

 

Noordam is in port today....

Thu 19 Nov

2015 Explorer of the Seas 19 Nov 20150800 19 Nov 20151700

Fri 20 Nov

2015 Noordam 20 Nov 20150800 20 Nov 20151800

[MicCanberra]

Goodness, hope all is well.

[perditax]

I think I forgot about the date difference.

[icat2000]

They're unlikely to leave with a possible bomb on board!

 

didn't they say the ships were evacuated. I took that as leaving port. I guess what it means is they got everyone off them.

[icat2000]

They evacuate the passengers, not move the ships.

 

Thanks. Some of the articles stated they had left port. So I was wondering what the ships were doing still there.

[keenmolly]

Spirit of Tasmania is not a cruise ship. It is a passenger/vehicle ferry which travels across Bass Strait daily to Tasmania. I have travelled it often.

[Adidas4fun]

News item updated a few minutes ago - no new information! :)

[Hazydavo]

from 9news site

 

Two cruise ships have been evacuated at Station Pier as a precaution while police investigate a suspicious smell. (9NEWS)

 

 

 

 

 

Melbourne's Station Pier has been evacuated, with hundreds of people told to leave the area as police investigate a possible bomb scare.

 

Police say no suspicious object has been found but sniffer dogs responded to a scent while patrolling at the pier, Melbourne's main passenger shipping terminal.

 

"We have evacuated two cruise ships while we are conducting a safety check and the bomb response squad is on the way," a Victoria Police spokeswoman said on Friday.

 

 

 

 

The Spirit of Tasmania and a Dutch-registered cruise ship from the Holland America Line, the MS Noordam, are berthed at the pier and all passengers and crew have been removed along with staff at the pier.

 

US traveller Marc Wichman joined the MS Noordam in New Zealand with his great-nephew Nick, and both men had disembarked for a day-visit hours before the pier was evacuated about 12.15pm.

 

"We have been told that there is a bomb threat on the ship that we're on," Mr Wichman told AAP at the scene.

 

He said the operation was calm and the pier was evacuated efficiently.

 

"Everybody here is really calm. There has been no running around or anything," he said.

 

"We just have to wait here and see what happens. We are supposed to be on board in a couple of hours."

 

Port of Melbourne Corporation chief executive Nick Easy would not comment on the operation but says the pier is in lockdown.

 

"Those two vessels are berthed at the pier and both were scheduled to depart at 5.30pm but they won't do so now until the area is cleared by Victoria Police," Mr Easy told AAP.

 

Shadie Farah, who works at the D'Lish Fish cafe at the pier entrance, says police told him explosives have been found.

 

"The cops have blocked everything off. They told us that explosives have been found on one of the boats," Mr Farah told AAP.

 

"There are heaps of people. They've stopped the trams and everything's blocked off."

 

Dorothy and Graham Stein, from Scotland, have been unable to get back aboard their vessel, the MV Noordam.

 

"One or two people said sniffer dogs found something and everyone evacuated off the ship," Mrs Stein told AAP.

 

"I think it is a little bit of a worry in view of what has happened in Paris."

[Adidas4fun]

What do you want to bet the Noordam has some fireworks on board for thanks giving?

[Kiwi Kruzer]

Bomb scare over....

 

 

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/breaking-news/vic-bomb-squad-heads-to-station-pier/news-story/eac78269880b4e21d7769976064dcb9c

[Hazydavo]

Good but wonder what they found (or didn't I suppose)

[Cruise ship fan]

The evacuation is a little strange. I was onboard the Sun Princess a few years ago, when we were stuck in port for hours with the Diamond Princess as one of the dogs smelt explosives on our ship. We were left onboard and were told they found drugs (later found out they were just saying that to avoid panic). Everyone who was onboard stayed onboard though and no one could enter the pier. I take it recent events have changed how this is performed.

[Royalty X]

"It turns out the sniffer dog was responsible for the suspicious smell. Police apologise for any inconvenience and have changed the sniffer dog's diet to dry food for the next few days"... [emoji39]

[MicCanberra]

Thank goodness it is over and was a false alarm.:D

[The_Big_M]

The evacuation is a little strange. I was onboard the Sun Princess a few years ago, when we were stuck in port for hours with the Diamond Princess as one of the dogs smelt explosives on our ship. We were left onboard and were told they found drugs (later found out they were just saying that to avoid panic). Everyone who was onboard stayed onboard though and no one could enter the pier. I take it recent events have changed how this is performed.

 

May also be the different authorities (unless you were also in Melbourne - in which case I would have to ask, what's in the Melbourne air? :-p)

[Cruise ship fan]

May also be the different authorities (unless you were also in Melbourne - in which case I would have to ask, what's in the Melbourne air? :-p)

 

Yep it was in Melbourne as well. However on our ship the dog actually smelt military uniforms which had been used around explosives.

[PerfectlyPerth]

It was a delivery of canned tomatos.

 

The private security company whose dog set off the alarm (ie not federal or state authorities dogs) are now being investigated into their training methods with the dogs.

[cheznandy]

Yep it was in Melbourne as well. However on our ship the dog actually smelt military uniforms which had been used around explosives.

 

I am ex police and I was detained once going through airport security as gunpowder was detected......I handled my gun everyday.

Thankfully these days I do not have that problem!

 

Chez