cruise ship docked in australia with covid

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Cruise Ship With 800 Covid-Positive Passengers And Crew Docked In Sydney

After cases soared, a cruise ship with 800 Covid-positive passengers docked in Sydney , Australia.The wave of infections spread around both passengers and crew members on a cruise ship sailing from New Zealand.

The Majestic Princess cruise ship was halfway through a 12- day voyage when the outbreak happened. Cases increasingly spread which led to mass Covid-19 testing for 3,300 passengers on board. Of these passengers, 800 tested positive alongside a few crew members.

According to CNN, the ship had 4,600 passengers and crew on board in total.

Related: Disney Cruise Line Presents Marvel Day At Sea

Cruise ship with 800 Covid-positive passengers docked in Sydney:

The uptick in cases has been linked to the rise of infections in Australia.

In a media briefing, Carnival Australia president Marguerite Fitzgerald told reporters that a large number of the cases were detected at least halfway into the voyage, adding that all cases were either asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic.

She also highlighted that all guests who tested positive will have help “with accessing private transport and accommodation to complete their isolation period”. Fitzgerald added that Carnival Australia maintains the most stringent of measures to keep all safe onboard, including requiring 95% of guests over the age of 12 to be vaccinated and testing staff and passengers for Covid before they board.

The incident is reminiscent of the outbreak on the ship Ruby Princess, which belongs to the same operator, earlier in the pandemic. When asked about the comparison, the BBC shares that Fitzgerald responded: “Since then, we as a community have learnt a lot, a lot more about Covid.”

According to reports, the Majestic Princess will soon depart for Melbourne.

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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

Cruise ship docks in Sydney after 800 people on board infected by COVID outbreak

• A cruise ship where 800 people on board have tested positive for COVID has docked in Sydney.
• The president of the cruise operator said cases began to rise halfway through the voyage. 
•  54,661 cases of COVID were reported across Australia in the last week. 

A cruise ship suffering a major COVID outbreak has docked in Sydney, Australia.

The BBC reports that approximately 4,600 passengers and crew were aboard the luxury Majestic Princess, and 800 people were affected by the outbreak of the viral bug. 

President of the cruise operator Carnival Australia Marguerite Fitzgerald told ABC Australia that they began seeing many cases halfway through the 12-day cruise around New Zealand, with all cases either asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic. 

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She told the news outlet, "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 added that staff would be assisting all COVID-positive guests "with accessing private transport and accommodation to complete their isolation period," according to ABC. 

One passenger told ABC, per The Guardian: "It was scary because we heard about it, but of course, we tested negative, and the Majestic Princess were really good with the protocols. [We] wore masks for these last seven days, and we were very careful when we went ashore."

Carnival Australia did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment. 

COVID cases are spiking across Australia, with 54,661 cases reported across the country in the last week, said The Guardian.

According to Reuters , Australian authorities have been working to assure the public that this ship outbreak is under control. Home Affairs Minister Clare O'Neil said that authorities had created "regular protocols" since the March-April 2020 Ruby Princess outbreak when hundreds caught COVID-19-linked an Australian cruise around the coast of New Zealand, and 28 people died.

O'Neil told Reuters that the authorities are determining how to get passengers off the Majestic Princess "on a case-by-case basis."

The ship will soon depart for Melbourne, Australia.

Watch: The rise and fall of the cruise industry

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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 .

Second cruise ship with COVID-19 outbreak docks in Sydney; fourth wave may peak next week

This is your latest weekly update on covid-19 in australia..

The Majestic Princess cruise docked in Sydney on Thursday with positive cases followed by The Celebrity Eclipse on Friday. Both ships have been classified as tier 2, which means they both carried 30-99 COVID-19 positive cases per 1,000 people and their staff was impacted too. (file) Source: AAP / DEAN LEWINS/AAPIMAGE

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Going on a cruise in the Christmas holidays? Here’s what you need to know

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Covid-hit Coral Princess cruise ship docks in Sydney

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

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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.

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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.

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Cruise ship with covid-19 positive passengers docks in sydney.

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Cruise ship docks at port with 13-metre dead endangered whale caught on its bow

A grim discovery at the bow of a cruise ship was made after it docked at a port in the US. Investigators are now trying to determine what caused the tragedy.

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A cruise ship sailed into a New York City port with a 13m endangered whale lying dead across its bow.

A spokesperson for the cruise line, MSC Cruises, said the whale was on the MSC Meraviglia, which docked at the Port of Brooklyn, before sailing to its next destination.

“We can confirm with deep regret that on Saturday a whale was discovered on the bow of our ship as the vessel approached the port of New York, Sidney Sterling, director of media relations for MSC Cruises told Fox News Digital.

“We immediately notified the relevant authorities, who are now conducting an examination of the whale.”

The whale, identified as an endangered sei whale, was caught on the ship’s bow when it arrived in Brooklyn on Saturday, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration fisheries spokesperson Andrea Gomez said.

“Sei whales are endangered, and are typically observed in deeper waters far from the coastline. NOAA’s Office of Law Enforcement is investigating this incident,” Gomez said.

Gomez continued, saying that the whale was relocated and towed to shore at Sandy Hook, New Jersey, to allow for better access to heavy equipment and resources to conduct a necropsy examination, which is an autopsy for animals.

“The right flipper had broken bones, and there was evidence of tissue trauma along the right shoulder blade region,” Gomez said.

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Gomez said the tissue and bone samples collected during the examination will help biologists determine if the cruise ship hit the whale when it was still alive or if it was already dead.

We are deeply saddened by the loss of any marine life. We have comprehensive measures in place to help avoid collisions, such as training all our deck officers with the Ocean Research & Conservation Association (ORCA) and we follow regulations designed to protect whales and other marine life,” Sterling said. “This includes altering itineraries in certain regions to avoid whales and we will continue to evaluate and update our procedures with our partners and the authorities.”

This article originally appeared on Fox News and has been republished with permission

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Will a cruise ship wait for me if I'm running late at a port stop? Here's what a captain has to say.

People considering cruising might wonder what would happen if they were running late to the ship.

In a Q&A on board Royal Caribbean's Wonder of the Seas, Captain Rob Hempstead shared what to do.

Call the ship agent if you're running late so the captain can decide if they have time to wait.

On March 27, eight travelers on a Norwegian cruise in Africa were stranded on the island nation of São Tomé and Príncipe after their private excursion arrived back at the ship more than an hour after boarding closed. The cruisers chased the ship for almost a week before reboarding in Dakar, Senegal.

More recently, on May 13, a couple sailing in the Mediterranean with the same cruise line was left stranded in Motril, Spain, after their excursion (not organized by Norwegian) had an hour bus delay getting back to the ship due to rain,  CNN reported .

On any cruise, travelers have the freedom to experience multiple destinations on one trip with port stops where they can exit the ship and explore a new place.

But cruise ships run on a tight schedule, often only allotting passengers around seven or eight hours for a one-day stop, sometimes even less. This leaves many to wonder what happens if you're running late getting back to the ship : Will the crew wait up, or will you end up stranded, chasing the ship from stop to stop?

Will the captain wait for you?

The answer is maybe.

On an April 2022 cruise on board Royal Caribbean's Wonder of the Seas , Business Insider attended a Q&A with Captain Rob Hempstead, where he answered this very question.

Hampstead, who's been a Royal Caribbean captain for two decades, started his career in Alaska's fishing industry. After 14 years of fishing, he became a captain. Before Wonder of the Seas, Hampstead served as captain of seven other Royal Caribbean ships, including Oasis of the Seas and Symphony of the Seas .

The most stressful part of a cruise for the crew is getting out of the ports on time, he said, "Because the faster we go, the more fuel we have to burn."

Some people come late, and as a result, are left behind, he added.

However, this doesn't mean he won't wait for you — you just need to know what to do.

Two cruise ships docked at Royal Caribbean's private island in the Bahamas — Coco Cay. Joey Hadden/Insider

When will a cruise ship wait for passengers.

There are two instances in which the ship will wait. The first is if you're late returning from a cruise-line organized excursion. Since the excursion is supposed to only take place within the allotted port time, the ship will wait for passengers coming from a cruise line excursion that's running late.

However, if you've spent the day independently on your own, or with a private tour company, there are certain steps you must take to avoid being stranded.

If you're behind schedule, call the ship agent to alert the cruise that you're running late, he said. On Royal Caribbean cruises, this number can be found at the bottom of Cruise Compass, a daily flyer all passengers receive in their stateroom each day detailing the day's activities.

The agent may also be referred to as a port agent, according to a copy of Cruise Compass obtained by BI.

Whether the ship can wait for you, however, will depend on how late you'll be, he added.

"If I know you're 10 minutes away, I can make an educated decision about whether or not we can wait," Hampstead said. "We will wait if we can."

Of course, if that's you, you'll have to run up the dock to the ship with many passengers watching, wondering what is holding up the departure, as they quickly realize it was you. Instead, always plan your day with ample time to return to port, or better yet, book your excursions through the cruise line.

Read the original article on Business Insider

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Alaska cruise ship employee arrested, accused of stabbing 3 people aboard

May 8 (UPI) -- A Norwegian Cruise Line employee is in custody for allegedly stabbing multiple people with scissors during an Alaska cruise.

Agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation arrested Ntando Sogoni, 35, on Tuesday as the ship Norwegian Encore docked in Juneau, the U.S. Attorney's Office in the District of Alaska said in a statement .

The ship was traveling to Alaska from Seattle, with stops in British Columbia. The stabbings are reported to have taken place Monday in the waters west of Vancouver Island, B.C., after Sogoni -- a South African citizen -- had joined the ship earlier that day in Seattle.

According to court documents, ship employees saw Sogoni trying to deploy a lifeboat and called security to escort him to the ship's medical center for evaluation.

Inside an exam room, Sogoni "became irrational and attempted to leave," attacking a security guard and a nurse before grabbing a pair of medical scissors and stabbing a female patient "several times in the arm, hand and face," according to the affidavit. Witnesses said he also stabbed two security guards, in the head, back and shoulders, as they tried to detain him.

None of the injuries was considered life-threatening.

Sogoni was held in the ship's jail until the Encore docked in Juneau, where FBI agents arrested him Tuesday.

Sogoni is charged with assault with a dangerous weapon within maritime and territorial jurisdiction. If found guilty, he faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

Norwegian Cruise Line said it was "assisting the relevant authorities in the ongoing investigation" after a "newly employed crew member was observed exhibiting unusual and irrational behavior." The cruise line said senior company executives have traveled to Juneau to meet with and help the injured passenger, who is a 75-year-old U.S. citizen, according to a statement obtained by USA Today .

"We condemn violent behavior of this nature and are committed to the safety and security of all crew members and guests on our ships," a Norwegian Cruise Line spokesperson said. "We commend the onboard security team for their brave actions."

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‘new and shiny’ great lakes cruise ship industry expects further growth.

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — Travel leaders in Michigan expect another busy year as the 2024 cruise ship season kicks off.

Cruises the Great Lakes expects ships will make close to 600 port visits to Great Lakes cities this year, bringing with them more than 20,000 individual passengers. It is expected to have an economic impact of $200 million, a 50% increase over 2022.

In Michigan, seven port destinations, including Muskegon, are expected to welcome a total of 157 visits from a nine ships, Kelly Wolgamott with Travel Michigan said in a press conference on Mackinac Island Tuesday.

“We are just really excited to be launching the 2024 cruise season here on Mackinaw Island,” she said. “Taking a Great Lakes cruise throughout Pure Michigan allows travelers to discover a fresh perspective along our over 3,200 miles of a fresh water coastline, creating cherished moments that will last a lifetime.”

Cruises brought 2,500 people — and their money — to Muskegon in 2023

Wednesday’s press conference comes after the Great Lakes cruise ship industry broke records in 2023. In Muskegon alone , around 2,500 passengers stopped by last year, generating around $700,000 in economic impact.

Cruise the Great Lakes expects to continue to see steady, manageable growth over the next several years.

Victory Cruise Lines, previously under the flag of American Queen Voyages , is expected to return to the Great Lakes in 2025. Construction on a number of cruise ships is underway, and Bay City is working to become a port that can accept cruise ships, leaders said during the press conference.

“We have a number of ports and destinations that are currently in various stages of infrastructure enhancements, shore excursion development,” said Anna Tanski, the tourism director of Cruise the Great Lakes. “We are the new and shiny option for cruising. Even though we do have a rich history dating back … 150 years, we are viewed now as this new experience for people who want to immerse themselves into our communities, to learn more about the rich history that the Great Lakes brings, the unique scenic beauty.”

The demographics that are interested in a Great Lakes cruise continues to diversify, leaders said. In partnership with Great Lakes USA , the team is working to bring more international tourists into the area, especially from the United Kingdom and German-speaking markets.

“There definitely is an international component,” Tanski said. “The targeted demographic of these passengers, they’re well-seasoned, well-traveled, they’ve gone on the Alaskan cruises, the Caribbean cruises. … We are providing a fresh, new experience and an opportunity to explore a region that is mostly undiscovered to many visitors.”

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WOODTV.com.

Body found in search for passenger overboard on Pacific Adventure cruise ship due to arrive in Sydney

A body has been found in a large search operation off the coast of Sydney after a man was reported missing off a cruise ship early Monday.

About 10:30am, officers from the Police Marine Area Command retrieved a body from the water. 

The alarm was raised on the P&O vessel Pacific Adventure about 4am when it was about 10 nautical miles, or 18 kilometres, off Sydney Heads.

The ship was due to dock at White Bay Terminal a few hours later but that was delayed as the search was underway.

NSW Police Marine Commander Joseph McNulty earlier said police were hopeful because one of three emergency life rings that had been deployed had not been retrieved, fuelling hope the man may have latched onto it. 

Swells of 4 to 5 metres hindered efforts of rescue teams, which searched a 60-square-nautical-mile area and used infrared technology to search for the man's heat signature. 

A second cruise ship which was in the area has also joined the search. 

Both ships tried to lower life boats in to the water but had to abort due to the rough conditions. 

Family being cared for onboard

At least three police vessels and a number of tug boats were deployed in the search, alongside the Toll rescue helicopter. 

In a statement, P&O said there were more than 2,600 guests still on board the ship, which has now been cleared to return to port in Sydney. 

"Pacific Adventure's next voyage due to depart White Bay this afternoon has been delayed, with the ship expected to leave later tonight on a four-night voyage to Queensland," it said. 

"We thank guests for their care, understanding and patience on what's been a distressing day for guests and crew.

"Our thoughts are with the family of the guest at this difficult time."

Police have launched an investigation into the death and will prepare a report for the coroner. 

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