Two climate protesters paddled out to meet cruise ship Majestic Princess as it was departing Port Chalmers about 4pm.
They were holding a banner reading "Climate Liberation Aotearoa They Cruise — We Lose!".
In the morning, they had handed out a comic illustrating the environmental costs of cruise ships to its passengers.
The Climate Liberation Aotearoa campaign was a rebranding of Restore Passenger Rail with expanded goals.
Climate Liberation spokesman James Cockle said with the rebrand the campaign was shifting to a wider focus on transportation with four broad goals: to travel less, travel active, travel public and travel electric.
He said the campaign had three requests for the Climate Change Commision, the National government and local government to include international shipping and aviation in their emissions budgets and emissions reductions plans, that subsidies for the cruise industry are ended and that cruise ships be banned from visiting sensitive natural environments.
Dunedin supporter Bruce Mahalski said yesterday’s protest was the first against the cruise ship industry by Climate Liberation and would not be the last.
"We can be confident that this government will not do the right thing and include shipping and aviation emissions in the Emissions Reduction Plan.
"So today we are asking the passengers themselves to join us and demand that cruise ship companies pay for the emissions they produce.
"It’s time to end the free ride."
Mr Mahalski said carbon doioxide emissions per typical cruise ship passengers were about three to four times higher per kilometre than for an economy class plane passenger.
"This is because these ships engines are always burning carbon rich marine diesel oil and heavy fuel oil, even when in port, to keep the electricity flowing and the water slides and pokie machines running."
He said the "huge floating hotel" had about 6000 toilets flushing grey water and waste from showers and washing machines as well. While filtered, a lot of chemicals found their way into the ocean.
The paddleboarders stayed away from the shipping lane and did not disrupt the ship’s progress so no law was broken, Mr Mahalski said.
