princess cruise ship with covid in australia

clock This article was published more than  1 year ago

A cruise ship with 800 covid cases docks in Sydney

An earlier version of this story said the Ruby Princess cruise ship is owned by Carnival Cruise Line. The ship is owned by the Carnival Corporation. The story has been corrected.

A cruise ship carrying some 800 people who have tested positive for the coronavirus docked in downtown Sydney on Saturday, triggering memories of a deadly ship-related outbreak in Australia’s largest city in the early, pre-vaccine days of the pandemic.

The Majestic Princess, which returned from New Zealand, is carrying more than 4,000 people, according to the Australian Broadcasting Corp (ABC). Princess Cruises, the cruise line, said in a statement that all guests onboard took a rapid antigen test within 24 hours of disembarking and that passengers who had tested positive would exit separately and not take public transport. Australia no longer requires people who have tested positive for the virus to isolate, though local authorities have issued guidance that covid patients onboard ships should isolate for five days after testing positive.

“Our onboard medical team will continue to support guests until they disembark,” Princess Cruises said in a statement. It did not respond to a question about whether customers who had tested positive could isolate onboard until they recovered, though the company said it would help guests access accommodation for isolation. The Majestic Princess was scheduled to soon sail to Melbourne, Australia’s second-largest city.

The health department of New South Wales, the state in which Sydney is located, said in a separate statement that patients had been isolating onboard. State authorities said that there was a “Tier 3” covid risk level aboard the Majestic Princess, indicating a “high level of transmission.”

Cruise ships have been a potent incubator for the coronavirus. In the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention monitored such ships for transmission at sea for about two years ; it also warned against cruise travel amid the omicron spike during last year’s holiday season. The CDC still recommends getting vaccinated and taking a coronavirus test before boarding a cruise ship.

In early 2020, Carnival Corporation’s Ruby Princess allowed thousands of passengers to disembark in Sydney, placing the cruise ship at the center of one of Australia’s largest covid outbreaks. At least 28 people died and 700 cases were linked to the ship, according to the ABC . Another Carnival ship, the Diamond Princess , also logged 12 Covid-related fatalities earlier that year, including the first Australian national to die of the virus.

But the country has since lifted coronavirus restrictions on international travel: Proof of vaccination or a negative coronavirus test are no longer required for entry, and mask-wearing on international flights is encouraged but not mandatory, according to Australia’s Department of Health and Aged Care.

The absence of restrictions is a far cry from how Australia first handled the pandemic. Sydney, the commercial capital, enacted a 106-day lockdown in 2021, while Melbourne endured the world’s longest stay-at-home lockdown. Australia also closed its borders to nearly all international travelers for nearly two years , reopening in February. It deported tennis ace Novak Djokovic for being unvaccinated, preventing him from competing in this year’s Australian Open. The country has one of the lowest covid death rates in the Western world.

One side effect of cruise covid rules: Norovirus has plummeted

Australia’s reopening came after it achieved one of the world’s highest immunization rates. As of Nov. 9, nearly 96 percent of residents older than 16 have received two doses of a coronavirus vaccine . The country of 25.7 million people reported a seven-day rolling average of 12 deaths on Friday, or about half that of a month ago.

But New South Wales authorities said this week that the state had entered a new wave of the pandemic, and some medical experts fear that the upcoming holiday season will trigger a spike in infections that could challenge the hospital system in a country that has removed virtually all curbs on the virus.

“If the major public hospitals on the east coast aren’t overwhelmed with patients and facing staff shortages over the holiday break - I’ll donate $1000 to charity,” tweeted physician Steve Robson, president of the Australian Medical Association, in response to news of infections on board the Majestic Princess. (Most of Australia’s population lives on its east coast.)

Katerina Ang contributed to this report.

• Share full article

Advertisement

Supported by

Carnival Was Negligent in Covid Outbreak on Cruise Ship, Court Rules

An Australian judge found that the cruise company and a subsidiary “breached their duty of care” in handling a coronavirus outbreak on the Ruby Princess in March 2020.

By Michael Levenson

The coronavirus was already devastating parts of the world, bringing illness and death, and the future was uncertain when Henry Karpik, a retired police officer from the Australian suburb of Figtree, and his wife of nearly 50 years, Susan Karpik, began their holiday cruise to New Zealand aboard the Ruby Princess.

It was March 8, 2020. About a week earlier, a passenger on another cruise ship, the Diamond Princess , had become the first Australian to die of Covid-19.

A few days after the Ruby Princess left Sydney, Australia, Mr. Karpik began to feel tired, weak and achy, court records show. By the time the ship returned to Sydney, on March 19, 2020, Ms. Karpik saw that her husband was shaking and barely able to walk or carry his luggage, according to court documents.

Mr. Karpik, who was 72 at the time, spent nearly two months in the hospital, was placed on a ventilator, put into an induced coma and, at one point, given only a few days to live, court records show. He later recovered.

Ms. Karpik, the lead plaintiff in a class-action lawsuit against the cruise company Carnival, which chartered the Ruby Princess, also contracted Covid-19, although her symptoms were milder.

On Wednesday, an Australian court found that Carnival and a subsidiary, Princess Cruise Lines, were negligent and had “breached their duty of care” in their handling of a coronavirus outbreak aboard the ship in the early days of the pandemic.

About 2,670 passengers and 1,146 crew members were aboard the Ruby Princess. About 660 people on board contracted coronavirus, and 28 died, according to court records.

Ms. Karpik, a retired nurse, had sought damages for “personal injuries and distress and disappointment” of more than 360,000 Australian dollars, or about $227,000.

But Justice Angus Stewart of the Federal Court of Australia found that Ms. Karpik’s Covid-19 infection gave rise to “very mild symptoms,” and did not result in long Covid. He awarded her 4,423 Australian dollars, plus interest, or about $2,790, for her out-of-pocket medical expenses.

“I have found that before the embarkation of passengers on the Ruby Princess for the cruise in question, the respondents knew or ought to have known about the heightened risk of coronavirus infection on the vessel, and its potentially lethal consequences, and that their procedures for screening passengers and crew members for the virus were unlikely to screen-out all infectious individuals,” Justice Stewart wrote .

Justice Stewart ruled that Carnival knew of the danger to passengers from outbreaks in February 2020 on other vessels owned and operated by the company, namely the Diamond Princess off Japan and the Grand Princess off California.

“To proceed with the cruise carried a significant risk of a coronavirus outbreak with possible disastrous consequences, yet they proceeded regardless,” Justice Stewart wrote.

Vicky Antzoulatos, Ms. Karpik’s lawyer, said that each passenger would need to prove individual damages unless Carnival settles the lawsuit. All of the passengers who were on the ship are part of the class action, she said.

“Susan’s husband was very catastrophically injured, so we expect that he will have a substantial claim, and that will be the same for a number of the passengers on the ship,” Ms. Antzoulatos said, according to The Associated Press .

Carnival Australia said in a statement: “We have seen the judgment and are considering it in detail. The pandemic was a difficult time in Australia’s history, and we understand how heartbreaking it was for those affected.”

Ms. Karpik said that she was pleased with the judgment and that she hoped it would help other passengers on the Ruby Princess and the families of those who died.

“I hope the finding brings some comfort to them,” she told reporters, according to 9News , “because they’ve all been through the mill and back.”

Michael Levenson joined The Times in December 2019. He was previously a reporter at The Boston Globe, where he covered local, state and national politics and news. More about Michael Levenson

Come Sail Away

Love them or hate them, cruises can provide a unique perspective on travel..

 Cruise Ship Surprises: Here are five unexpected features on ships , some of which you hopefully won’t discover on your own.

 Icon of the Seas: Our reporter joined thousands of passengers on the inaugural sailing of Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas . The most surprising thing she found? Some actual peace and quiet .

Th ree-Year Cruise, Unraveled:  The Life at Sea cruise was supposed to be the ultimate bucket-list experience : 382 port calls over 1,095 days. Here’s why  those who signed up are seeking fraud charges  instead.

TikTok’s Favorite New ‘Reality Show’:  People on social media have turned the unwitting passengers of a nine-month world cruise  into  “cast members”  overnight.

Dipping Their Toes: Younger generations of travelers are venturing onto ships for the first time . Many are saving money.

Cult Cruisers: These devoted cruise fanatics, most of them retirees, have one main goal: to almost never touch dry land .

• 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.

‘Red flag’: Warning to Aussie travellers

Tough road rules come into force today

Highly-virulent disease warning for Aussies

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.”

As many Aussies get ready to jetset to Europe for the summer, they are being urged to keep a close eye out for three types of scams.

Holidaymakers have been issued a warning as they hit the roads for the long weekend.

Australian travellers have been issued a warning about bringing home a highly contagious disease from overseas.

Princess Cruises’ Grand Princess hit with Covid, gastroenteritis on Australia trip

A cruise ship has finally reached port in Australia after its passengers and crew were subjected to two weeks aboard a floating Petri dish of Covid and gastroenteritis.

Princess Cruises’ Grand Princess has arrived in Port Adelaide after an 18-day round trip to Queensland that saw the ship, which has the capacity for 2600 passengers and 1150 crew, ravaged by twin outbreaks.

A 57-year-old passenger told the Advertiser they believed several hundred people could be affected.

If the raw numbers were not horrifying enough, several passengers gave graphic descriptions of the environmental conditions aboard the Grand Princess.

“We had a man two doors down from us who had Covid and gastro and we didn’t know about it, and you could smell it down the hallway,” one passenger told Nine’s The Today Show .

Geoff and Di Lines told the Advertiser they detected a “strong toilet-y smell” in the ship’s theatre.

“There were a couple of times we smelt a sewage-type smell,” Geoff Lines said.

Other passengers said that the crew had been trying to enforce hygiene measures and had “cleaned the whole ship about twice”.

That included all passengers disembarking in Melbourne on Saturday to allow the ship to be cleaned thoroughly.

• Majestic Princess cruise covid cluster due to community ...
• Inside Covid cruise: Nurse says guests to blame for ...
• Hundreds sick with gastro on New Zealand cruise ship ...
• What it's really like aboard a gastro cruise ship - ...

South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas told The Today Show that his government had been monitoring the infected ship as it steamed back towards his state, and those on board who needed hospital care would be transported safely to shore.

“The good news is that reports that we’ve got from the cruise operators [indicate] that the number of cases presenting have actually dramatically decreased over the course of the last couple of days,” Malinauskas said.

“But geez, I do feel for those people on board. Imagine having both of them at the same time - that wouldn’t be much fun at all,” he added.

A spokesman for Princess Cruises confirmed to the Advertiser a number of passengers had reported to the medical centre with gastrointestinal and respiratory symptoms.

“We proactively launched a comprehensive disinfection programme developed in co-ordination with international health authorities to prevent further spread,” the spokesman said.

“As an extra precaution, we have arranged for the ship to undergo an additional disinfection today prior to the embarkation of the next voyage.”

The Grand Princess hit headlines at the beginning of the Covid pandemic when an outbreak occurred and the ship was anchored offshore in San Francisco while tests were carried out.

Over 100 people were infected and at least seven people died.

Latest News

Why transcreation is more effective than translation for global travel campaigns

REIS21: Norway’s ambitious plan to lead the world in sustainable travel

The ultimate guide for travelers: Essential tools from UK planet tools

Holibob adds new funding to power its ecommerce engine for experiences

UN Tourism: Launch of the Second Edition of Qatar Tourism Awards

Concord Hospitality promotes Kristie Byrd to Divisional VP of Sales and Marketing

76% of surveyed US hotels report staffing shortages, finds AHLA

SB Winemaker’s House & Spa Suites Selected for Virtuoso’s Elite Hotels & Resorts Program

Austria Center Vienna reports a highly successful year for congresses in 2023

Dieter Schmitz named General Manager of Sofitel New York

Princess Cruises lifts Covid-19 protocols for most voyages

Majestic Princess in Singapore, June 2017.

The change applies to all itineraries sailing from US and European homeports except destinations where government regulations, such as Australia and New Zealand, may still have their own requirements.

Beginning October 21, Princess Cruises is lifting its Covid-19 protocols, meaning there are no longer vaccination or testing requirements on most voyages. Guests sailing with Princess Cruises will no longer have to provide a negative test result, regardless of their vaccination status.

The cruise line already changed its protocols on September 6, when it removed the need for test results for vaccinated guests. This has now been updated to include unvaccinated guests. Children under five do not require pre-travel testing. The minimum age to sail is 6 months or 12 months based on the cruise itinerary.

A small number of sailings that the cruise line calls “enhanced guidelines voyages” also continue to have their own vaccination and testing requirements. Guests are advised to continue to check the requirements for their cruise before booking and again before it’s time to sail.

Canada On September 26, Transport Canada announced that it was removing its COVID-19 requirements for cruise guests to enter the country effective for cruises October 1 and beyond. Visitors are also no longer required to upload their information into the ArriveCAN app. Thus, protocols for cruises including Canada are now the same as the standard in the United States, United Kingdom & Europe (this excludes any Enhanced Guidelines Voyages).

Australia & New Zealand If cruise departs, arrives or visits Australia guests 12 to 17 years old must be fully vaccinated (no booster). Guests ages 18 or older must have received primary series of COVID-19 vaccines including one booster dose if eligible, received any time before embarkation.

Guests aged 18 years or older who are not up to date require a vaccination exemption to sail. Guests 12 and older not fully vaccinated on cruises departing, arriving or visiting Australia require a medical exemption and have different testing requirements. Under local protocols, prior infection with COVID-19 is not grounds for a medical exemption. Medical exemptions need to be submitted to Princess for validation before a booking can be guaranteed.

Vicky Karantzavelou

Vicky  is the co-founder of TravelDailyNews Media Network where she is the  Editor-in Chief . She is also responsible for the daily operation and the financial policy. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Tourism Business Administration from the Technical University of Athens and a Master in Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Wales.

She has many years of both academic and industrial experience within the travel industry. She has written/edited numerous articles in various tourism magazines.

• Vicky Karantzavelou https://www.traveldailynews.com/author/vicky-karantzavelou/ Holibob adds new funding to power its ecommerce engine for experiences
• Vicky Karantzavelou https://www.traveldailynews.com/author/vicky-karantzavelou/ Concord Hospitality promotes Kristie Byrd to Divisional VP of Sales and Marketing
• Vicky Karantzavelou https://www.traveldailynews.com/author/vicky-karantzavelou/ SB Winemaker's House & Spa Suites Selected for Virtuoso’s Elite Hotels & Resorts Program
• Vicky Karantzavelou https://www.traveldailynews.com/author/vicky-karantzavelou/ Dieter Schmitz named General Manager of Sofitel New York

Related posts

Princess Cruises takes delivery of new Sun Princess from Fincantieri

Princess Cruises announces The Love Boat themed cruise with iconic original cast

Princess Cruises salutes 65th anniversary of Alaska statehood

Princess Cruises ends 2023 with top awards from [restigious travel industry organizations around the world

Previous post, safely secures $12m. to extend short-term home rental insurance leadership, zambezi grande in zambia opens on the banks of the zambezi river.

Tauck operates first-ever “Smaller Groups”

Ecotourism market to see exponential growth, expected to reach $829.8bn by 2035

Global Aman Wellness Ambassador, Maria Sharapova, launches retreat experience Amanzoe, Greece

2024 Tourism Outlook: Spending rises in Europe and the Middle East despite economic uncertainties, IPSOS report finds

“Serrae Villa Fiesole” at FH55 Hotel Villa Fiesol joins the Michelin Guide

Generator announces official opening of Berlin Alexanderplatz

Lemongrass launches Springboard

Mazagan Beach & Golf Resort inaugurates organic composting station in celebration of World Environment Day

PredictX launches Air Sourcing Navigator for business travel managers

Trip.com reveals 2024 Trip.Best Global and Asia 100 rankings

Prime Travel Service appoints Kseniia Zhuchenko as new Business Development Assistant

Ethiopian resumes flights to Axum

Lithuanian Airports are looking for a duty-free shop operator

Staycations and Greek Islands top British holiday preferences this Summer, Taboola data shows

2.3 million passengers traveled with SAS during May

CHTA celebrates the success of the inaugural Marketplace Responsible Tourism Day

Saudi Arabia’s Travel & Tourism breaks all records

UN Tourism hosts First Regional Forum on Gastronomy Tourism for Africa at Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe

Travel Leaders Network’s Lea Diele wins 2024 Educational Excellence Award from The Travel Institute

AJMAL MAKAN unveils Al Thuraya Island project redefining standards of luxury real estate development

TourReview transforms tours and activities customer feedback management with launch of Review Collector

The Chancery Rosewood announces three key appointments to the leadership team

Brick Hospitality introduces advanced guest service robots across premier hotels

Hornblower Group receives court approval for financial restructuring plan

Ninth edition of Global Exhibitions Day celebrated worldwide

Surf’s calling: Embrace the ocean and learn to surf this summer

How to experience the best of Nashville without breaking the bank

Safety tips when visiting Philadelphia, PA – From a personal injury lawyer

The best countries to work in luxury hospitality revealed

Emirates Airlines arrived in Colombia after years of strategic planning

Tripleseat acquires 3D floor plan provider, Merri, to revolutionize event management and planning

World’s first in-flight study of commercial aircraft using 100% sustainable aviation fuel show significant non-CO2 emission reductions

Paxport launch PaxHub solution

Dubai Municipality reserves public beaches for families during Eid Al Adha holiday

BHI provides $41m. loan to Lam Group, to refinance Aloft by Marriott New York Brooklyn

Wego partners with Spain Tourism Office in a summer campaign to drive more travelers from the GCC.

AHLA workforce report: Hotels add 700 jobs in May

Croatia National Tourist Board celebrates 25th anniversary in the U.S.

Eventscase launches EVA, a new virtual assistant via Whatsapp

Jacqueline Dobson takes on expanded role at Internova Travel Group

Munich Airport presents progress in construction work on the new pier of Terminal 1

Ronin Ronald Endozo share insights from Citadines Culture Village Dubai

Niarra Travel appoints Lindsey Walter as Managing Director

Global Blue launches its first Sustainability Barometer for international shoppers

The Access Group expands in North America with acquisition of hotel tech specialist SHR Group

UN Tourism welcomed to German Bundestag and strengthens bilateral relations

Illinois Office of Tourism unveils Spring/Summer campaign, launches new website with AI capabilities

New Chair and Deputy Chair elected for EASA Management Board

Aero’s adaptability: Pivots flights from Rifle to LA during Aspen Airport closure

World Travel Holdings and Worldia announce strategic partnership

WeTravel and Pattern Insurance partner to simplify international insurance in multi-day travel booking experience

Milan Malpensa, new direct flight to Ponta Delgada-Azores (technical stop) and to Boston-USA

IMG expands partnership with Teladoc Health to provide more travelers with telehealth services

Clarity launches booking platform ClarityGo

FTI Touristik GmbH cancels all FTI trips up to and including 05 July 2024

Qatar Airways expands network in Europe with flight resumption to Lisbon, Portugal

Whitestone Companies partners with Shaner Hotels to manage the newly acquired Le Méridien Atlanta Perimeter

Villa Nai 3.3 welcomes a New General Manager and Executive Chef to its Team

China unleashed: Outbound travel from China surges by close to 400% says Sabre

Nemacolin’s “crown jewel”, The Chateau, reopens Summer 2024

Dream Yacht Worldwide expands personalized crewed sailing experiences in Bahamas & Virgin Islands

National Tour Association names new host cities

6th Africa Youth In Tourism Innovation Summit and Challenge concluded with historic success

AVA Resort Cancun launches new era of luxury all-inclusive travel

Culture and history: Six must-see global monuments

Accor and Amadeus announce a new collaboration

Breezeway now available on Oracle Cloud Marketplace 

Hospitality “Oscars” for Alain Sebah and Dupe Olusola at Africa Hospitality Investment Forum

Finnair traffic performance in May 2024: Overall capacity ASK, increased in May by 6.0% year-on-year

Jet Prime Business Aviation Lounge unveils Mauritius Duty Free Paradise Outlet

Yacht charter safety essentials: Guidelines and regulations for smooth sailing in Croatia

Foodie factory FOMO: Where your fave eats get made

Kimpton Rowan Palm Springs debuts Rowan Courts, downtown’s first hotel Pickleball Courts

Touristech startup Fest 2024 call open for disruptive startups in the travel tech sector

International travelers to rise to 40% of hotel guests in the US this summer: SiteMinder report

El Capitan Hotel partners with Lasting Adventures

easyJet to serve Costa Coffee onboard all flights from this summer

Like Magic appoints HR Group’s tech chief as Senior Product Owner in latest strategic hire

Oceania Cruises relaunches personalized Cruise Vacation Guide

limehome continues its expansion to the Netherlands: 50 new units in Amsterdam

LGBTQ+ Travelers lead the way in adopting AI for trip planning

NEOM reveals Magna, its new coastal region

Gulf Air launches seasonal flights to Geneva

Don Crowe joins Dream Golf as Senior VP, Operations

USTOA’s SIR Summit brings together industry leaders to share best practices for responsible tourism in Singapore

Airbnb’s EU Pledge: New rules and a sustainable tourism future for Europe

WeTravel launches academy dedicated to multi-day travel product development 

Minor Hotels’ Ramón Aragonés announces retirement, Gonzalo Aguilar to become Europe & Americas CEO

The rebirth of tourism in Italy’s art cities

JetBlue Vacations announces new partnership with Viator

Launch of the promotional campaign “Slovenia. It’s all in our nature”

Successful Brussels Pride demonstrates the power of inclusivity in destination tourism

Elevated Summer travel experience with complimentary snacks, beer and wine on Air Canada

New LATAM Airlines flight from Lima to Huaraz offers more Peruvian adventures to tourists

SWISS takes off with Michelin-starred cuisine from Canton Vaud

Sofitel New York embarks on a new era of luxury with comprehensive renovation

PLAY airlines expands partnership with Dohop to launch PLAY Connect retail platform

The ultimate gamble: Crafting your perfect casino tour experience

Travelling tips for gamers: Exploring Europe

SWISS and SBB expand Air Rail product from Geneva Airport

B2B distribution of activities and transfers accelerating ‘rapidly’ as more travellers buy before heading on holiday, says Servantrip

W4B launches powerful AI Automation tool for hospitality industry in partnership with VC backed Persona Studio

Lodging Econometrics: Resurgence in full-service projects in the global construction pipeline at Q1 2024

AGlaze paint sealant relaunched to airline customers

Planeterra launches Global Community Tourism Fund to support responsible tourism initiatives worldwide

Official launch of The Royal Thanda Club by Thanda Safari 

Summer flight schedule at Hahn Airport is growing

PKFARE, a DerbySoft Company, launches branded fares solution

Record-breaking attendance at Caribbean Travel Marketplace 2024 highlights the region’s growing tourism sector

Europalco achieves ISO 20121 certification for sustainable event management

Air Serbia carried over 370,000 passengers in May 2024

Little America Hotel & Resort Cheyenne names McKitrick Burse as new Executive Sous Chef of Hathaway’s Restaurant

Newly reimagined Mining Exchange Hotel in Colorado Springs

Albania’s Travel & Tourism sector bursts onto the world stage, reveals WTTC

Mfuwe International Airport in Zambia remains open to visitors this Summer

Discover Airlines opens long haul base in Munich and significantly expands its programme 

Four Seasons Resort and Residences Cabo San Lucas at Cabo Del Sol is now open

Global Wellness Summit announces 2024 theme: “A Watershed Moment for Wellness”

StudentUniverse finds Gen Z is ready to book cruise vacations

SITA to transform ITA Airways’ digital network infrastructure

Star Alliance commemorates 10 years at Heathrow Terminal 2

$90m. Hotel Cleveland, Autograph Collection now open

Atlantic Airways launches new flight from Gatwick to the Faroe Islands

Emaar announces AED 1.5bn expansion of Dubai Mall

Radisson Hotel Group targets expansion to 25 hotels in South Africa by 2030, doubling its current portfolio

Mundo Imperial Entertainment & Hospitality announces major developments and resilient recovery

FTI Touristik GmbH: Provisional insolvency administrator Axel Bierbach strives for the fastest possible solutions for customers

The Ritz – Carlton Bacara welcomes new General Manager Bradley Cance 

Concord Hospitality promotes Farrah Staub to Regional VP of Sales and Marketing

Comply365 and Vistair to unify brands

Dream Vacations/CruiseOne launches LGBTQ+ marketing and training resources for Pride Month and beyond

ACI Europe sees April passenger traffic surges close to full recovery

Nocturne Luxury Villas appoints Erin McCarthy to Chief Marketing Officer

Thrills and chills: Haunted places and legends of Romania

ITA Airways launches connections to Saudi Arabia

Strawberry completes rollout of Mews across portfolio of 230 hotels

Emirates, Airbus and IATA collaborate on CBTA training

The ultimate guide to minibus hire for seamless event travel

BWH Hotels prioritizes growth in the Middle East

IATA Timatic AutoCheck to enhance seamless travel experience for Star Alliance customers

UN Tourism commits to the Antigua and Barbuda Agenda for Small Island Developing States

Mar Hall unveils plans for luxurious woodland lodges

Colletts Travel experiences rush to book last-minute luxury Summer holidays

International SOS encourages organisations to prioritise pilgrim health and safety during Hajj 2024 with vital precautions

Wego announces the most popular Summer destinations for GCC travelers

Global Asset Solutions expands worldwide team

ICAO leaders affirm global aviation priorities with Canadian PM and Ministers

WTAAA applauds American Airlines’ NDC strategy shift, urges ongoing dialogue

Sheraton Maui Resort & Spa appoints Chef Charles Andres as Executive Chef

EL AL and Virgin Atlantic sign codeshare and loyalty club agreement

The Athens Group, developer of luxury hotels and resorts, hires Richard Holtzman

HomeExchange Collection partners with Quintessentially to provide exclusive member benefits

HSMAI Global launches Certified Hotel Sales Leader (CHSL) certification

Boom appoints Generali’s former Global Head of Digital Transformation to Advisory Board in latest strategic hire

Tourism and hospitality are set to soar, powered by new travelers, destinations, and trends, says McKinsey report

Qatar Airways touched down for the first time in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo

Budapest Airport unveils new Wizz Air and Ryanair destinations for the height of summer

Hilton set to double lifestyle portfolio to 700 hotels within next four years

Mexicana de Aviación orders 20 Embraer E2 aircraft

Pieter Elbers chairs IATA Board of Governors

Analysis of travel bookings highlights business uncertainty and persistent inflation as companies reduce international trips

Expedia Cruises expands California footprint with Anaheim signed agreement as travel industry surges

Almajd Alarabia hotel group appoints RMS Cloud to support business growth

Longfellow Hotel debuts in Portland

New survey reveals the growing demand for integrating culture and arts into conferences and events

CapitaLand Ascott Trust fully acquires student accommodation property Standard at Columbia to boost income resilience

DMS Mexico debuts as newest DMC Network member 

A record number of passengers passed through Tallinn Airport in May

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

• 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

Coronavirus

Coronavirus More than 100 people on a cruise ship that docked in NSW on Tuesday have tested positive to COVID-19. Here’s what we know

It's been three months since  Australia's cruise ban lifted , allowing the re-entry of cruise ships into Australian waters.

Health officials are now tackling a COVID outbreak that has seen more than 100 people infected on the Coral Princess, which docked on the NSW South Coast on Tuesday.

Here's what we know.

How many people have been infected? 

There are 118 confirmed cases, including 114 crew and four passengers who have tested positive to the virus, Queensland’s Chief Health Officer (CHO) confirmed on Tuesday afternoon.

There were more than 2,300 guests and crew on the cruise ship that had sailed from Port Douglas in Far North Queensland to Brisbane . 

Queensland CHO Dr John Gerrard said 24 people with COVID-19 disembarked in Brisbane and all were isolating and relatively well.

Dr Gerrard said it was “inevitable” that there would be outbreaks on cruise ships .

“To keep this virus off these ships where there are thousands of people in the middle of a pandemic is extraordinarily difficult," he said.

Where is the Coral Princess now?

The ship docked in Eden off the NSW South Coast at 8:30am on Tuesday and was due to depart at 5pm.

It was the first cruise liner to return to Eden since COVID-19 shut the industry down when a cruise ban was introduced two years ago .

A spokesperson for Carnival Australia said it asked passengers disembarking in Eden to wear a mask where appropriate, and be mindful of the local community.

What was the COVID-19 cruise ban?

In March 2020, the Australian government placed a ban on the entry of large international cruise ships into its waters in an effort to curb the spread of COVID-19. 

Hundreds of COVID-19 infections were linked to cruise ships early in the pandemic, including on the Diamond Princess in February 2020 and the Ruby Princess a month later.

After docking in Sydney, the Ruby Princess became the centre of one of Australia's largest coronavirus outbreaks .

In the weeks that followed, more than 600 of the passengers tested positive for COVID-19, and 28 people died.

So, what's going to happen now?

The outbreak has led to Princess Cruises offering refunds to those booked on its next 12-day cruise .

A spokesperson for Carnival Australia, which represents Princess Cruises, said the number of cases identified by Queensland Health were "overwhelmingly among crew".

It said crew were isolating on board "in line with the protocols that have effectively supported the resumption of cruising in Australia".

What safeguards are in place on board?

A Princess Cruises spokesperson said: "Protocols include regular testing of crew, who must all be fully vaccinated, and isolate if they test positive.

"The health and well-being of our guests and crew remain our main priority and the protocols being followed on board are working."

Queensland Health Minister Yvette D'Ath said COVID-19 protocols were in place on the ship before the outbreak.

"The virus is everywhere and there's no escaping that, but I do want to acknowledge that the public health units, along with the cruise line, are doing all the right things and following the protocols in place," she said.

• X (formerly Twitter)

Related Stories

Covid-19 outbreak among crew and passengers on cruise ship docked in brisbane.

'Another curve ball': COVID cruise ship docks in NSW as testing requirements change