The cost of "Royalist"s reconstruction reached £4.5 million. (the cost of two new 2500-ton frigates). A minority of RNZN opinion, including Cpt Phipps, saw it as a policy reversal stopping the RNZN maintaining a six frigate fleet, good training conditions and commonality with the RN. The "Royalist", with massive RN/USN assistance, however returned over nine years of almost continuous service. After Suez in 1956 the Royal Navy transferred the bulk of the fleet to the Indian and Pacific oceans from 1957 to 1967 where, prior to 1955, there was only a token presence of a couple of cruisers and destroyers. As a result "Royalist" could be deployed effectively in 1957 with the RN carrier fleet.