An interesting story comes from New Zealand, as the country is facing nationwide fresh egg shortages leading suppliers and supermarkets to introduce a temporary limit on the purchase of eggs. Yes, you heard it right. New Zealand is facing egg shortages in the past month as a result of the ban on battery-caged hens which started a week ago. 

According to New Zealand Stuff, one cruise ship has been affected by the shortage and was apparently running low on this essential item on the breakfast menu. 

In the highly competitive cruise market guest satisfaction is a top priority and the word “No” or “Sorry we don’t have it” virtually doesn’t exist. So how do you explain to guests who paid a small fortune for a luxury cruise that you are running low on eggs? You definitely don’t and take care of the challenge immediately, and sometimes you need to think outside the box.

In this case a box of eggs per customer.

Suff reports that two dozen crew members have been spotted shopping for eggs in several supermarkets across Port Chalmers shortly after the cruise ship Azamara Quest arrived with about 650 passengers and 400 crew onboard.

The owner of a shop who feared they were about to be cleaned, cracked the plan when he counted 23 people outside the store, and saw two entering to buy a carton of eggs each and refused to sell to the crew.

The owner said the store was frequently visited by cruise ship passengers and crew members, but eggs were never on their shopping lists.

A spokesperson of another store confirmed the same situation, and said that the supermarket team refused to sell them any more eggs given their large purchase the day before.

Azamara Quest is currently on a 16-day voyage from Auckland to Sydney. The ship departed the port of Auckland on January 21, visiting a number of ports in New Zealand including an overnight stay at Dunedin, Port Chalmers on January 29-30.

New Zealand Cruise Association chief executive, Kevin O’Sullivan, told Stuff that cruise ships are normally stocked at the turnaround ports by suppliers, and the case illustrates the short supply of eggs across New Zealand.