cruise ship 800 covid cases sydney

Carnival Australia , the cruise operator, said Covid-positive passengers were isolating onboard and being cared for by medical staff.

Company president Marguerite Fitzgerald told ABC television that once Carnival saw an elevated number of Covid cases, it put extra protocols in place.

She said most of the cases started to be detected about halfway through the 12-day voyage.

All cases were either asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic, she said.

The outbreak comes as Covid cases rise across Australia, reflecting community transmission of the Omicron variant XBB, the federal government said this week.

Latest stories

Fury after aussie mp kills dog in act of revenge: 'despicable human'.

The Aussie politician has been labelled 'despicable' after sharing the photo online, while others applauded his actions.

Jill Biden Sums Up Donald Trump With 1 Withering Word

The first lady drew applause from the "View" audience with her comment.

Wendell Sailor news leaves fans saddened as NRL great makes massive decision for family

The news about Wendell Sailor has left fans with mixed emotions. Read more here.

Stephen King, Barbra Streisand and more react to Trump guilty verdict: ‘34 is now my favorite number’

John Leguizamo, Ellen Barkin and Lynda Carter also respond to Trump becoming first criminally convicted US president

Emily Ratajkowski Subtly Freed the Nipple in a See-Through Lace Sundress

Her unexpected footwear is a lesson in sporty dopamine dressing.

Murphy’s husband’s sad iPhone revelation

The husband of Samantha Murphy has made a tragic revelation, as the search for his wife continues.

Florida woman seen having sex on public pier in front of families ties to swims off to evade police

One witness was put in a tough spot when her four young children spotted the couple and began ‘asking questions about what the subjects were doing,’ according to police.

Aussie cafe owners hits back after customer charged $1 to heat up muffin

The owners of the Melbourne cafe have revealed the truth of what happened after they were 'named and shamed' online.

Ivanka Offers Just Four Words of Support After Dad Becomes a Felon

She was a noticeable no-show at Donald Trump’s seven-week-long hush-money trial in New York—and Ivanka could only bring herself to offer four words of public support for her father following his historic conviction on Thursday for paying off a porn star.“I love you dad,” she wrote on her Instagram Story, accompanied by a photo of her as a child with her father.Even Tiffany managed to make it to the courthouse on Tuesday, joining Eric and Donald Jr. as closing arguments got underway. Eric was bac

Extraordinary moment wallaby turns tables on invasive predator

It may have been an accident but wildlife experts say they've never captured anything like it. Watch the video here.

Trump's Newest Whine Has 1 Glaring Flaw, And Critics Can't Help Pointing It Out

The former president's latest courthouse complaint has a huge problem.

Suspect killed his pregnant sister and dismembered her body because she was ‘no longer innocent’

Jack Joseph Ball was charged with two counts of second-degree murder on Thursday for the killings of 30-year-old Bethany Ann Israel and her unborn child

Royal photographer claims Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s wedding was a ‘miserable day’

‘I can tell you now it was the worst royal wedding I ever did,’ photographer says

Royal news – live: Kate Middleton return update as never-before-seen holiday snap with William emerges

Speculation over Kate’s return to royal duties

Kim Kardashian's sheer tutu and corset is naked dressing with a balletcore twist

Kim Kardashian stars on the cover of Vogue China going commando in a see-through tutu and corset. She also wears a broken plate as a bra in the same photoshoot.

Newsmax Host Makes Head-Spinning Comparison Between Trump And Obama

Greg Kelly defended the former president's "human scum" comment in a truly unexpected way.

Here's How Radically Different 65 Celebrities Looked At The "Old Age" Of 31

"She's 31, not 71."

Kmart shopper's disgusting discovery in new appliance box: 'I have been scammed'

A Kmart customer's shocking find with her purchase has outraged shoppers. Find out more.

Nicole Kidman strips down for steamy scene with Zac Efron in new Netflix movie

Nicole Kidman and Zac Efron are reuniting for Netflix's new rom-com A Family Affair. Read more.

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene Forgets Trump's Friendship With Jeffrey Epstein

The Georgia Republican wants to go after people who might be on the notorious sex trafficker's "client list" but ignores the former president's links to him.

• Australia News

Hundreds of COVID-19 positive passengers disembark Majestic Princess after cruise ship docks in Sydney

Carnival Australia president Marguerite Fitzgerald confirmed 800 COVID cases had been recorded onboard the Majestic Princess, and the majority of infections were among passengers. 

Hundreds of COVID-19 positive travellers are disembarking a cruise ship docked in Sydney this morning, with passengers advised not to catch public transport home. 

The Majestic Princess carried 3,300 guests and 1,300 crew on a 12-day cruise to New Zealand, with at least 20 per cent of passengers contracting COVID-19.

Speaking in Circular Quay where the vessel docked on Saturday morning, Carnival Australia president Marguerite Fitzgerald confirmed 800 COVID cases had been recorded, and the majority of infections were among passengers. 

“We have been proactively preparing for and managing incidences of COVID-19 and working with NSW Health,” she told reporters.

Stream more Australian news with Flash. 25+ news channels in 1 place. New to Flash? Try 1 month free. Offer ends 31 October, 2023

“We started to see elevated cases about half way through this voyage.”

Ms Fitzgerald said most infected guests had mild symptoms or were asymptomatic and had been isolating in their cabins. 

Passengers who tested negative for the virus were allowed to disembark the cruise ship first, those who tested positive exited on a deck-by-deck basis through a separate door. 

Ms Fitzgerald said COVID positive passengers were advised not to use public transport when they disembark. 

“To help all our guests return home, we are working with all guests who have tested positive for COVID-19 to assist them with accessing private transport and accommodation to complete their isolation period,” she said.

“As they are getting off, they have advised how they will be returning home.”

NSW Health on Friday night ranked the Majestic Princess as a tier three COVID risk level, which indicates a high level of transmission.

All guests onboard were advised to wear masks and were required to take a rapid antigen test in the last 24 hours to determine how they would disembark.

Uninfected guests disembarking the Majestic Princess on Saturday morning told the Daily Telegraph they were satisfied with the precautions taken by the cruise line. 

“We felt safe most of the time … they were cleaning the whole time,” passenger Sharon Leslie told the publication.

Sharon Kluger said the cruise line kept passengers informed as the outbreak worsened. 

“We weren’t worried about COVID, we were just doing our own thing and wearing our masks,” she said.

It comes as Chief Health Officer Kerry Chant warned New South Wales had entered its fourth COVID-19 wave. 

There are currently 974 COVID-19 patients in NSW hospitals including 32 in ICU, while this week cases jumped from 12,450 to 19,800.

Add your comment to this story

To join the conversation, please log in. Don't have an account? Register

Join the conversation, you are commenting as Logout

Local news:

Get 7NEWS newsletters in your inbox

More than 800 covid patients arrive in sydney on majestic princess.

COVID-filled cruise ship docks in Sydney

A cruise ship carrying around 800 travellers infected with Covid has docked in Sydney.

The Majestic Princess arrived at Circular Quay on Saturday just before 6am, and many passengers sat on their balconies to watch the ship dock in the harbour, many wearing masks.

WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: The Majestic Princess arrives in Sydney.

Ambulance crews were on hand at the overseas passenger terminal as passengers prepared to disembark the vessel, which has just finished a 12-day tour of New Zealand.

It is estimated that almost one in four guests on board the luxury liner Majestic Princess have been diagnosed with Covid-19.

The cruise ship outbreak means this is the largest outbreak in Australia since the Ruby Princess docked in 2020.

A spokesman for Princess Cruises confirmed the Covid outbreak in a statement.

“Reflective of the increase in community transmission, we too have seen more guests test positive for Covid-19 on the current voyage of Majestic Princess,” the statement said.

“These guests are mildly symptomatic or asymptomatic and are isolating in their staterooms.

“All unimpacted guests are wearing masks and this will continue when they disembark in Sydney. We have been proactively preparing for and managing incidences of Covid-19 and continue to work closely with NSW Health including adhering to their guidelines.”

It is understood that private transport has been arranged for impacted guests to isolate at a site of their choice, be it their home, a hotel or another location.

The eastern seaboard and cruise protocols state that passengers and crew who test positive for Covid-19 “must isolate for five full days from the date of their positive test result.”

Stream free on

Princess cruise ship with at least 800 positive COVID-19 cases docks in Australia

A cruise ship carrying at least 800 passengers infected with COVID-19 has docked in Sydney, Australia, multiple outlets reported.

The Majestic Princess , which returned from New Zealand, was carrying more than 4,000 people aboard, according to the Australian Broadcasting Corp .

Princess Cruises, the cruise line, said in a statement that all guests onboard the holiday cruise took a rapid antigen test within less than a day of disembarking and passengers who had tested positive would exit separately and not take public transport, the Washington Post reported Saturday.

“Our onboard medical team will continue to support guests until they disembark,” the cruise line said in a statement.

The cruise line did not say whether guests who had tested positive could isolate onboard until they recovered, the outlet reported, though the company said it would help guests access accommodation for isolation.

Fact Check: No evidence that DJ Mighty Mouse's death was linked to the COVID-19 vaccine

Marguerite Fitzgerald, the president of cruise operator Carnival Australia, told the BBC a large number of cases started to be detected about halfway through the 12-day voyage. Princess Cruises is part of the Carnival Corporation.

All cases were either asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic, Fitzgerald said.

COVID and Disney Cruise line update: Royal Caribbean, Disney Cruise Line further lift COVID-19 requirements

As of Saturday, the Majestic Princess was scheduled to set sail to Melbourne, Australia.

Australia no longer requires people who have tested positive for the virus to isolate, though local authorities have issued guidance that coronavirus patients onboard ships should isolate for five days after testing positive.

Natalie Neysa Alund covers trending news for USA TODAY. Reach her at [email protected] and follow her on Twitter  @nataliealund .

• Travel Updates
• Health & Safety

Majestic Princess cruise ship docks with 800 positive Covid cases onboard

A huge cruise ship with hundreds of positive cases on-board is set to disembark in Sydney early this morning.

Traveller fined $9k over pork lunch box

Measles warning for parts of Sydney

Bali villa’s ‘river’ view stuns tourists

A cruise ship with around 800 cases of Covid-19 on board has docked in Sydney on Saturday morning just as the state declares a fourth wave of the virus.

The Majestic Princess pulled into Sydney’s international cruise ship passenger terminal at Circular Quay at around 6am on Saturday.

Video posted to social media captured the moment it pulled into the harbour with passengers clinging to their balcony.

Almost one in four guests on board have now been diagnosed with Covid-19 after a 12-day trip around New Zealand.

Passengers Stephen and Sharon Leslie said while they felt safe onboard the cruise, they were disappointed another outbreak had occurred.

“It’s just disappointing for the cruise industry … and towards the end it did spoil things a bit,” Mrs Leslie told the Daily Telegraph.

Danielle Whitney-Smart was forced to spend the last few days of her first-cruise experience stuck in her cabin.

“It was great but definitely strange by the end,” Ms Smart told the Daily Telegraph.

She said she “couldn’t fault” the cruise company who ramped up cleaning protocols to manage the spread of rising cases.

Ambulance crews were standing by at the overseas passenger terminal as people prepared to disembark the ship.

A Princess Cruises spokesperson confirmed the outbreak and said positive cases were isolating in their rooms this morning.

“These guests are mildly symptomatic or asymptomatic and are isolating in their staterooms. All unimpacted guests are wearing masks and this will continue when they disembark in Sydney on 12 November,” the spokesperson said in a statement.

“Reflective of the increase in community transmission, we too have seen more guests test positive for Covid-19 on the current voyage of Majestic Princess.”

The #MajesticPrincess is pulling into Sydney Harbour right now. May it not be a giant superspreader in this stunning city. pic.twitter.com/LWXIv0JvyJ — David Wild (@Wildaboutmusic) November 11, 2022

The outbreak is the single biggest case of cruise ship infections in Australia since the Ruby Princess docked in 2020.

There were 900 covid cases on board that ship and 28 people died during the subsequent outbreak.

NSW Health is liaising with the cruise operator in the wake of the outbreak to “monitor the health of its passengers and crew members”.

“NSW Health’s assessment is that the Covid-19 risk level for the Majestic Princess is now Tier 3, which indicates a high level of transmission,” a spokesman said in a statement.

Private transport has been arranged for guests who have tested positive to travel to isolation.

“Carnival has advised NSW Health that passengers disembarking from the ship have undertaken a rapid antigen test in the 24 hours leading up to disembarkation,” a NSW Health spokesman said.

“Carnival has advised NSW Health that they are assisting passengers with Covid-19 to make safe onward travel arrangements.”

There are currently 4600 people on-board the Majestic Princess – 3300 guests and 1300 crew.

The outbreak comes as its announced that NSW has entered a fourth wave of Covid-19, with chief health officer Dr Kerry Chant saying that current omicron variants circulating in the community are able to escape immunity.

“The wave is taking off with some trajectory, it will be quite a steep wave and hopefully the decline will be equally as steep,” she told ABC.

“That’s why it’s important the community takes these protective measures now and I can’t stress the urgency — if you’re going to get vaccinated do it immediately.”

A traveller has been slapped with a $9000 fine and deported back home after sniffer dogs discovered their roasted chicken and pork combo lunch box.

A child who has just returned from the Middle East has contracted measles, leading NSW Health authorities to issue an urgent warning.

A video from a luxurious Bali villa has exposed a notorious problem plaguing the Aussie favourite holiday destination.

• SYDNEY, NSW
• MELBOURNE, VIC
• HOBART, TAS
• BRISBANE, QLD
• ADELAIDE, SA
• CANBERRA, ACT

'Plenty of protections in place' as 800 COVID-19 infected passengers disembark cruise ship in Sydney

• Coronavirus

Send your stories to [email protected]

Auto news : Call for Queensland to up speed limit to 130km/h.

Top Stories

Unclear what caused chopper crash that killed Aussie TV star

The copycat serial killer who was inspired by TV documentary

Crowds erupt outside court after Trump verdict

Donald Trump found guilty in historic trial

More Than 800 Passengers Got COVID On A Cruise Ship, Which Then Let People Off In Australia

The cases are all mild or asymptomatic.

BuzzFeed News Reporter

The Majestic Princess cruise ship docked at the International Terminal at Circular Quay in Sydney on Nov. 12, 2022.

Passengers on a cruise ship where more than 800 people tested positive for COVID-19 disembarked on Saturday in Sydney.

The Majestic Princess returned from a 12-day voyage to New Zealand carrying more than 4,000 people, according to the Australian Broadcasting Corp . That means 20% of the people on board got COVID.

Marguerite Fitzgerald, the president of the ship’s cruise operator Carnival Australia, said at a Saturday press conference that cases started to rise about halfway through the trip. She also said that all cases were mild or asymptomatic.

A spokesperson for the ship’s cruise line, Princess Cruises, said in a statement that all guests on board took rapid antigen tests within 24 hours of disembarking. Those who tested positive were told to exit separately from others and to avoid public transportation. Cruise line staff were also helping people who were positive find accommodations to continue isolating, Princess Cruises Senior Vice President Stuart Allison said in a statement to Australian outlet 9 News .

The Majestic Princess prepares to depart from Sydney in November 2022.

In an additional statement to CNN , Fitzgerald said the cruise operator has been implementing “the most rigorous and strict measures which go well above current guidelines,” including testing staff and passengers for COVID before they board and requiring 95% of guests over the age of 12 to be vaccinated. She said that Carnival Australia ships have made more than 50 voyages, “with a vast majority of more than 100,000 guests unimpacted by COVID.”

“However, the emergence of COVID in the community has meant we have seen a rise in positive cases on the last three voyages,” she added.

The Majestic Princess has since continued on to Melbourne, carrying 220 people from the original New Zealand cruise, SBS News reported . That means at least 580 people who got COVID on the ship disembarked in Sydney.

The Majestic Princess docked in Sydney

After Australia closed its borders for two years, tourism is back in the country, and neither proof of vaccination nor a negative COVID test is required to enter. The country also no longer requires people with positive COVID tests to isolate, but local authorities in New South Wales advised individuals who test positive to isolate for five days after. These relaxed guidelines serve as a sharp contrast with Australia's once-intense COVID regulations .

Carnival cruise ships have been incubators for COVID in the past. In March 2020, the Ruby Princess allowed thousands of passengers to disembark in Sydney. At least 700 cases were linked to the ship, and at least 28 people died, according to the ABC . There were 12 COVID-related fatalities later that year linked to the Diamond Princess .

“Didn’t… didn’t we already do this?” one Twitter user wrote in response to the news about the 800 COVID cases on the Majestic Princess .

Other users are raising questions about how safe it is to cruise while the pandemic is ongoing, even if vaccines provide protection against severe illness.

The Twindenberg @jonkudelka I didn’t understand why anyone would pay to go on a cruise ship before covid but seriously how much would you have to hate yourself to do it now? 12:33 AM - 12 Nov 2022 Reply Retweet Favorite

The Cockatoo @DarcyAmaroo Back to square one. That’s how it started. A cruise ship docking with hundreds of cases of Covid on board. Why would you go on a crowded cruise ship with Covid still spreading through the population? 08:32 PM - 11 Nov 2022 Reply Retweet Favorite

covid is not over @twee_i_a I get it, I really do. The need 2 get back to a "normal life" is absolutely critical for all of us. But we are going to have to realize that for ALL of us to have any hope of doing that, many of us are going to have to change the way we go about things. Cruises are not necessary. 07:26 PM - 11 Nov 2022 Reply Retweet Favorite

MelissaD 🔥💧🐨🌱💓🌍 😷 @D_Melissa2 If cruise ships are going to have 800+ Covid-19 🦠 + cases of people disembarking from them we really need to talk about responsibilities to the community. 11:12 PM - 11 Nov 2022 Reply Retweet Favorite

Topics in this article

• International edition
• Australia edition
• Europe edition

Covid-hit Coral Princess cruise ship docks in Sydney

Passengers must record a rapid antigen test before disembarking but crew remain onboard

• Follow our Australia news live blog for the latest updates
• Get our free news app , morning email briefing and daily news podcast

A cruise ship with more than 100 Covid-19 positive people onboard has docked in Sydney .

After departing Eden on the New South Wales south coast with more than 2,300 people onboard, the Coral Princess berthed at Circular Quay just before dawn on Wednesday, where it will remain for a day before returning to its home port of Brisbane.

Passengers will have to record a negative result on a rapid antigen test before disembarking but the crew will have to remain.

The outbreak mostly involves infected crew members, with 114 in isolation on Tuesday.

Four passengers were also isolating after positive results, and 24 earlier disembarked in Brisbane , according to Queensland’s chief health officer, John Gerrard.

NSW Health said passengers who tested positive had probably taken the virus onboard with them rather than becoming infected at sea.

The ship docked in Eden on Tuesday, where about 800 passengers disembarked after returning negative tests.

The Eden-Monaro MP and NSW regional development minister, Kristy McBain, said locals had been happy to see the ship dock after bushfires and the pandemic impacted the region.

“When you’ve got towns that rely on tourism it’s been an incredibly difficult couple of years,” McBain told Sydney radio 2GB on Tuesday. “Hopefully this will be the first of many cruise ships to dock this season ... There’s been significant investment into the Port of Eden so that cruise ships could dock in town.”

A Princess Cruises spokesperson said the crew who had tested positive were asymptomatic or had mild symptoms.

At the beginning of the pandemic in March 2020, another Princess cruise liner – the Ruby Princess – was briefly linked to one in eight NSW coronavirus cases.

The latest cruise ship outbreak comes as concern grows about the growing spread of the B.4 and B.5 Omicron subvariants that could reinfect people who have already had the virus.

Sign up to receive an email with the top stories from Guardian Australia every morning

The Australian Health Protection Principal Committee has advised shortening the period people are considered immune to the virus to four weeks, requiring people experiencing symptoms more than 28 days after they left isolation to get tested again.

The Pharmaceutical Society of Australia has criticised the end of free rapid antigen tests for concession card holders and called for the government to extend it beyond July.

“Case numbers and hospitalisations are still rising every single day,” said the society’s president, Fei Sim. “Governments should be encouraging more testing, not less.”

Australia recorded 41,336 new coronavirus cases and 58 related deaths on Tuesday.

• Coronavirus
• New South Wales
• Tourism (Australia)

Most viewed

Royal Caribbean, Carnival Cruise issue warning for cruise fans

D uring the Covid era, when all major cruise lines were essentially shut down, it seemed somewhat unlikely that cruising would make a full comeback. During that period, cruise lines had to offer massive deals to entice people to book theoretical cruises that might happen at some point in the future.

Royal Caribbean offered low prices and double loyalty points as a way to get its most loyal passengers to come back onboard. The theory at the time was that just getting some passengers onboard when the industry was allowed to resume sailing would show others that taking a cruise was safe.

Related: Carnival Cruise Line shares a key onboard smoking rule

That was a challenging proposition as Covid did show many Americans how quickly a virus could spread in a closed environment. It seemed logical that some ardent cruisers would be wary to return even with vaccines and the many improvements to shipboard cleaning and air filtration.

There was a day when it seemed like Covid would teach Americans that we are all only as healthy as the person making our meal. It seemed like things like mandatory sick days, and basic health precautions would become something that would become the norm simply because that would keep us all healthier. 

That did not happen and while the cruise industry has adopted stronger cleaning and health protocols, the broader world has not. Cruise passengers, while they may have been wary at first, have come roaring back and that's a mixed blessing for anyone looking to cruise.

Royal Caribbean and Carnival have record success

When you sail on a Royal Caribbean or Carnival Cruise Line ( CCL ) cruise ship these days, there are very few signs that Covid ever happened. There are more hand sanitizer stations and you do still see some passengers wearing masks. Some ships still have some outdated signs about social distancing, but mostly, ships are full, people are crowded together, and Covid seems like a distant memory 

The cruise industry has bounced back better than expected and faster than anyone what imagine, That's something Carnival CEO Josh Weinstein addressed during his company's first-quarter earnings call .

"The first quarter has been fantastic across the board and yet another set of records. We delivered record revenues, record bookings, and record customer deposits again this quarter, a great start to the year," he shared. 

Prices, he noted, are higher and ships are sailing with more passengers.,

"Yields increased over 17% year over year, another record, and more than double the increase in unit costs. This was driven, not only by closing the occupancy gap but also through solid mid-single-digit price increases," he added.

Sign up for the Come Cruise With Me newsletter to save money on your next (or your first) cruise.

Those numbers, which are similar to what Royal Caribbean reported, are great for the company and its shareholders, but they send a warning message to people looking to book a cruise.

Royal Caribbean's ships are filling into 2026

Cruise lines have capacity constraints based on how many rooms they have available to sell. When the cabins are sold, they're gone, and there's no way to quickly create more availability. That means that as ships start to fill up, prices go up as the available rooms become more scarce.  

Royal Caribbean CEO Jason Liberty shared some positive news about his company's booking pattern during its first-quarter earnings call .

"Guests are making their decisions much further out. When we look at the repeat rates that are going on and the dreaming that our guests are doing to make sure that they're getting the vacation experience that they want is really all leading to very, very strong demand trends for 2024 as well as 2025. And by the way, we're also taking bookings into 2026," he said.

With both companies reporting strong advance bookings, that means that passengers will likely be paying higher prices in most cases. Liberty also noted that passengers are making some added-fee booking choices, like specialty dining, drink packages, internet, and excursions, earlier.

Want the latest cruise news and deals? Sign up for the Come Cruise With Me newsletter.

"We're also seeing very strong booking behavior pre-cruise. And again, making sure that our guests are, have the ability to get the first day of their vacation back by planning their onboard activities and shore excursion activities well in advance. And that's also not only helping our ability to yield manage on the onboard experience, but it's also improving our customer deposits, which is also rising due to that," he added.

Cruise ship Majestic Princess with hundreds of COVID-infected passengers docks in Sydney

Health authorities are working with the operators of the Majestic Princess cruise ship that has docked in Sydney Harbour with hundreds of people infected with COVID on board. 

Key points:

• NSW Health says the cruise ship is at a Tier 3 warning, the highest possible COVID alert
• Cruise operator Carnival says about 800 people are infected with the virus
• All passengers will do a rapid antigen test before disembarking

New South Wales Health has confirmed the cruise ship is at the highest COVID alert possible for those on board with a Tier Three warning.

That means at least 20 per cent of people who were on board for the cruise have COVID.

The ship has more than 3,000 passengers and 1,000 crew, with several hundred believed to be infected.

Many passengers disembarked from the ship on Saturday after testing negative to the virus.

The president of cruise operator Carnival Australia, Marguerite Fitzgerald, said there were about 800 people infected, who were mostly passengers.

"This is a 12-day voyage and we started to see elevated cases about halfway through," she said.

Ms Fitzgerald said the infected guests are mild or asymptomatic, and have been isolating in their rooms.

"Reflective of the increase in community transmissions, we too have seen more guests test positive for COVID-19 on the current voyage of Majestic Princess. This is a result of mass testing of our 3,300 guests," she said. 

The company said it had been proactively preparing for COVID-19 incidents and was working closely with NSW Health. 

It comes as the state sees a sharp spike in the number of COVID cases.

Chief Health Officer Kerry Chant on Friday warned NSW had entered its fourth COVID-19 wave , with 19,800 cases detected in the seven days to 4pm on Thursday.

It was a jump of 7,350 cases on the week before, when 12,450 cases were detected in NSW.

NSW Health said in a statement that all COVID-positive people onboard were isolating and being cared for by the staff medical team.

"NSW Health's assessment is that the COVID-19 risk level for the Majestic Princess is now Tier 3, which indicates a high level of transmission," it said in the statement.

"Carnival has advised NSW Health that they are assisting passengers with COVID-19 to make safe onward travel arrangements."

One man leaving the ship said he thought the cruise operator had done a good job with protocols, but passengers were not listening to instructions.

"It was scary because we heard about it [the infections] but we tested negative, and the Princess Majestic were really good with the protocols," he said.

"We wore masks for the last seven days and we were very careful when we went ashore, so some people don't just listen. Obviously they didn't [follow the rules] and that was the problem, people just don't take COVID seriously."

Another passenger praised the crew and said the cruise was enjoyable.

"Fantastic, no problems. The crew were terrific, and we've had a great time," he said.

"You've got to accept that this is how it's going to be, and no we thoroughly enjoyed it."

Carnival said all positive cases would be separated from other guests when they disembark the ship.

"We understand this current wave of COVID-19 is concerning to many in the community and we take our responsibility in keeping everyone safe very seriously," it said in a statement.

"All guests disembarking have undertaken a rapid antigen test in the past 24 hours, which will determine how they will disembark the ship.

"All guests will be masked, regardless of COVID status."

The Opposition said while the situation was delicate it would not be calling for restrictions.

"No, I'm not calling for that [restrictions], I think that the advice from Kerry Chant [NSW Health Chief Officer] this morning was wise," leader Chris Minns said.

"Let's manage this situation using the expert advice and expertise of our chief health officer ... I've got confidence in them to navigate through a tricky situation." 

• X (formerly Twitter)

Related Stories

Nsw enters 'fourth wave' of covid-19 pandemic with sharp rise in new cases.

The latest COVID case numbers may not be completely reliable – but they do give us an important insight

A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

A lock ( ) or https:// means you've safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

• Vessel Sanitation Program
• Stay Healthy on Your Cruise
• Meetings & Announcements
• Vessel Sanitation Training
• Data Summary
• Public Health Resources
• Addressing AGE on Cruise Ships

Outbreaks on Cruise Ships in VSP's Jurisdiction

At a glance.

Learn more about outbreaks of gastrointestinal (GI) illness on cruise ships in the Vessel Sanitation Program's (VSP) jurisdiction, including outbreak details and actions taken in response.

2024 outbreaks

About outbreak reporting.

We post outbreaks when they meet all the following criteria:

• Ship is under VSP jurisdiction (on voyages including both U.S. and foreign ports)
• Ship carries 100 or more passengers
• Voyage is 3-21 days long
• Voyage has 3% or more of passengers or crew reporting symptoms of GI illness to the ship's medical staff

We may also post information on outbreaks of public health significance that do not necessarily meet the above criteria.

Notes about the data

GI illness is a commonly used term for acute gastroenteritis (AGE).

Cruise ships report cases that meet our case definition for AGE. We define a reportable case of AGE as

• three or more loose stools within a 24-hour period or what is more than normal for that person OR
• vomiting along with one of the following symptoms: diarrhea, muscle ache, headache, abdominal cramp, or fever.

What case totals mean‎

Learn how passengers can protect themselves with these tips for healthy cruising .

Find more information on

• VSP outbreak response
• Earlier outbreaks (2019-2023)
• Archived outbreaks (1993–2018)

Read our publication on cruise ship GI outbreaks during 2006-2019.

The Vessel Sanitation Program helps the cruise ship industry prevent and control the introduction and spread of gastrointestinal illnesses on cruise ships.

For Everyone

Public health.