Queen of Melbourne operations manager Manoj Kumar has refuted claims by passengers that there was no communication from them with regards to Queen of Melbourne’s delayed departure from Nabouwalu last Wednesday night.

“I had checked with my staff who reported that they had contacted all those that had paid their tickets for the Nabouwalu to Natovi trip last Tuesday,” Mr Manoj said.

“I could not make any comment last week because I needed to get information from my staff first,” he said.

“Our vessel developed a problem while at Natovi, we apologise to the inconvenience.

“We stayed with the passengers at Natovi and did not run away.

“Likewise for those that boarded from Nabouwalu we gave them a hot meal.

“Yes, I admit passengers were at the Nabouwalu jetty but we were not able to provide them with hot drinks or food until they were inside our vessel.

“And we provided them a hot meal when we departed Nabouwalu for Natovi.”

Queen of Melbourne had developed problems before departing Natovi for Nabouwalu on Monday night.

It was scheduled to depart Natovi at 9pm Monday June 3. Passengers were advised to board the vessel at 1am Tuesday only to be told to get off again at 6am so that engineers can work on the problem.

Queen of Melbourne finally left for Nabouwalu later in the morning arriving there at 2pm.

Frustrated traveller Laitia Matalomani who had left Jerusalemi Village in Savusavu with his pre-paid Nabouwalu to Natovi ticket on Tuesday June 4 said he was neither contacted nor informed of the delay by Queen of Melbourne staff.

“I left my village (Jerusalemi) at 6.30am as my ticket said reporting time was 10am,” Mr Matalomani said.

“If they had called I would not have left early. It was not until we got to Nabouwalu when those at the jetty said the vessel (Queen of Melbourne) was delayed at Natovi,” he said.

Another passenger said that he and his family were at the Nabouwalu jetty for more than 11 hours.

“We were there from the morning and I pitied the aged and small children sitting and standing around hungry and cold waiting for the announcement to board,” he said.

Queen of Melbourne finally left Nabouwalu for Natovi at 8.30pm Tuesday arriving there at 1am Wednesday.