A cruise ship whose passengers were left stranded ashore by bad weather on Saturday has left Akaroa for Sydney.
Many of the 700 passengers on the Sea Princess had to stay in local homes after the weather prevented them from being ferried back to the ship on Saturday afternoon.
Better weather on Sunday allowed the passengers to return to the ship which was anchored in Akaroa Harbour
Carnival Cruises spokesperson David Jones says the company will investigate why people went ashore when the forecast was for bad conditions.
He says the passengers were grateful for the kindness of residents who took them in when hotels in Akaroa and Christchurch could not accommodate the numbers.
About 80 ships called at Akaroa between October last year and late April this year.
