Tag Archives: sydney

Ruby Princess

Ruby Princess: Passengers with COVID-19 Mistakenly Allowed to Disembark

Posted: August 5, 2022

Australia, Health & Safety, ,

Fever, dry cough, tiredness. Symptoms of COVID-19 can easily be confused with the common flu, but what happens when a simple mistake affects more than 700 lives?

An Australian senior Border Force officer who inspected the Ruby Princess mistakenly thought passengers with flu-like symptoms had tested negative to COVID-19, when in fact they had only tested negative for the flu.

Documents obtained by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation show that the error made by the senior officer allowed 2,700 people to disembark the Ruby Princess to enter Sydney on March 19, 2020. This new evidence challenges Border Force Commissioner Michael Outram’s assertion in March that NSW Health was responsible for allowing passengers to disembark.

Sadly, the mistake wasn’t noticed until more than 30 hours after the passengers — including 13 who had been fighting fevers while isolated in their cabins — left the ship, according to the documents obtained by the ABC.

The officer, who has been identified by the ABC as “Officer O”, was given the task to inspect all passengers on the Ruby Princess, which resulted in at least 22 deaths and over 650 infected cases that were linked to the Ruby Princess cluster.

The day before disembarking, the New South Wales Ministry of Health granted “practical” permission for passengers to get off the ship, despite formal approval not being granted. On March 8, a NSW Health assessment team boarded the ship to collect COVID-19 swabs and perform temperature checks on passengers and crew members who had been part of the previous Ruby Princess cruise.

The NSW Health assessment team didn’t repeat the same process on March 19 as its panel deemed the ship “low risk” — hence why Officer O was asked to investigate the sick passengers on board.

A crew member of the Ruby Princess then asked whether the ship had clearance to disembark and the senior officer “responded yes” but he misinterpreted a document that indicated 13 passengers had tested negative for the flu as them being testing negative for COVID-19.

Within just a few hours, all the ship’s 2,700 passengers had gotten off the Ruby Princess, including 13 passengers who were previously in isolation that had been tested for influenza.

In a statement released last Thursday, the Australian Border Force didn’t deny an officer misinterpreted the results — but placed the blame firmly on the NSW Ministry of Health, SBS News reports.

“Any misinterpretation by ABF officers of test results did not make a difference as to whether passengers were cleared to disembark the Ruby Princess,” the statement read. “Human health is not the responsibility of the ABF.”

ABF chief Michael Outram has said NSW health authorities and federal agriculture officials were responsible for allowing the passengers to disembark, including those who were ill.

New South Wales Ministry of Health officials are reportedly expected to release a report on the ship on August 14.

PO Cruises' Pacific Dawn

P&O Cruises’ Releases Its 2019 Program

Posted: December 19, 2022

Australia, Press Release, ,

P&O Cruises’ has released its 2019 cruise program, with Pacific Explorer proceeding to cruise year-round from her homeport of Sydney between May and October 2019, the program likewise features some 43 cruises leaving from either Sydney or Brisbane to destinations, such as, the Conflict Islands.

President of P&O Cruises’ and Carnival Australia, Sture Myrmell, said the 2019 winter program continued the cruise line’s commitment to being the most ideal way to cruise the South Pacific.

“P&O Cruises’ have been pioneering cruising to the South Pacific for 85 years since we first began cruising to the area in 1932, and today, we continue to help our guests uncover some of the most extraordinary places on Earth, which are virtually impossible to access by land,” Myrmell said.  

P&O have likewise uncovered cruises that coordinated up to significant dates on the Australian calendar.

A six-night Dark Mofo cruise onboard Pacific Explorer will leave Sydney in June, with two nights in Hobart to appreciate everything on offer.

The Melbourne Cup journey has three sailings in 2019, taking 6,000 guests to the race that stops the nation with two Sydney departures and one from Brisbane.

The Pacific Aria will cruise with her sister Pacific Dawn year-round from Brisbane, with the two ships offering the seven-night Pacific Island Hopper or Barrier Reef Discovery cruises departing on either a Friday or Saturday.

“The 2019 winter program has been assembled with this in mind, delivering itineraries and destinations that give our guests access to the very best of the South Pacific in effortless fashion, combined with the convenience of more home ports than any other cruise line.” Said Myrmell   

There are additionally the popular weekend “Ocean Break” cruises, with an amazing 51 cruises on the schedule, running from two to four-night sailings, including 17 four-night Moreton Island cruises from Sydney and 27 three-night round-trip Sea Break travels from Sydney or Brisbane.Pacific Eden will join Pacific Explorer sailing from Sydney between April and October 2019.

 

Sydney Harbour

Millions At Stake As Sydney’s Cruise Ship Capacity Hits Crisis Point

Posted: May 15, 2022

Australia, Press Release, ,

Cruise ship capacity restrictions threaten to break 12-years growth in the booming cruise sector, Cruise Lines International Association Australasia Managing Director Joel Katz cautioned if something wasn’t done to allow more ships into Sydney, millions of dollars could be lost from local economies.

Along with CLIA Chairman Steve Odell, Mr Katz urged the New South Wales Government to address the capacity crisis in Sydney.

Mr Odell told News Limited that cruise ships were pulling out of Australia and going overseas because they couldn’t get into the harbour city.

“We’re supportive of all initiatives to develop ports (elsewhere) but at the end of the day, you’ve got to have a port where you can do turnarounds, where there’s a decent airport and great hotels,” said Mr Odell.

“You need infrastructure in the city where you can load food and fuel and that’s Sydney for us, and it always comes back to that.”

Mr Katz said that applied whether the passengers were international or domestic.

“You cannot attract international customers to the secondary ports like Brisbane or Melbourne. It has to be Sydney for the international customers,” he said.



Brisbane’s Port Authority is currently in the process of developing a new Luggage Point terminal a cost of $100 million, and plans are with the Federal Government for a Gold Coast terminal.

Among those ships now lost to the Australian market, are Royal Caribbean’s mega-liner Voyager of the Seas which has relocated to China and Singapore waters.

Mr Odell, who is also the Australasia senior vice president of Norwegian Cruise Lines, told News Limited they had struggled to get “optimum itineraries” for their first ship to be based Down Under.

“We want to expand the season (for Norwegian Star) but we also want to bring more ships and right now we can’t do that. We need Sydney as a hallmark port,” said Mr Odell.

“We’ve had to put our plans on hold.”

A spokeswoman for the New South Wales Port Authority said the issue was very much on their radar, a number of initiatives were currently being considered to address cruise capacity.

“One of the short to medium term initiatives being explored by the Port Authority is a proposal to introduce a secondary timeslot, that is double turnarounds, at the Overseas Passenger Terminal and have two ships turn around in a day — thereby providing more capacity at the terminal outside of traditional hours and turnaround times,” she said.

“The NSW Government is developing a 25 year Cruise Plan to consider cruise infrastructure capacity east of the Harbour Bridge.”

In March, executive chairman of Carnival Australia, Ann Sherry said they are pushing the federal government for access to the navy’s Garden Island dock facilities in Sydney.

Ms Sherry said port congestion was now having an impact on Carnival Australia’s operation in Sydney with more cruise ships expected to be diverted to Melbourne next year.

She said the Defence Department’s proposed $213 million revamp of its Garden Island naval base should also include the possibility of hosting cruise ships at its facilities.

Majestic Princess email

Majestic Princess Heading To Australia Over The 2018-19 Summer

Posted: April 12, 2022

Australia, New Cruise Ship, Press Release, ,

In a major development that is set to send waves in the local cruise industry, Princess Cruises has announced that its latest ship, the spectacular Majestic Princess, will be based in Sydney over the 2018-19 summer season.

Carrying 3560 guests, the 143,000-tonne Majestic Princess will be the largest Princess ship ever to sail in Australian waters, with her deployment confirming the cruise line’s popularity amongst Australian and New Zealand cruisers.

The luxurious flagship of Princess Cruises’ 18-ship fleet, the newly-launched Majestic Princess sailed on her maiden voyage in Italy last week (April 4).

Dine with friends and family in La Mer

She will offer cruises in Europe and China before heading south to Sydney where she will be homeported from September 2018 through to March 2019, when she will return to China.

During her inaugural Australian season, Majestic Princess will sail on 16 cruises to destinations including Fiji, New Zealand and Tasmania as well as two Asia voyages between Shanghai and Sydney, and Sydney and Hong Kong.

The ultimate in premium cruising, Majestic Princess features 13 dining options including two restaurants with menus designed by Michelin star chefs – Harmony by Chef Richard Chen and La Mer by Chef Emmanuel Renaut – as well as more than 1000 square metres of designer shopping, the cruise line’s largest ever thermal suite and a dramatic over-the-ocean glass walkway, the SeaWalk.

 

Take a dip in the Hollywood Pool

Guests can enjoy a wide range of high-end accommodation including suites, Club Class mini-suites and new deluxe balcony rooms, with more than 80 per cent of the ship’s 1780 staterooms offering private balconies.

Majestic Princess’ deployment is a highlight of Princess Cruises’ new 2018-19 Australia and New Zealand program which will go on sale at 9am on Thursday April 27, 2017.

The program features four Princess ships – Majestic Princess, Golden Princess, Sun Princess and Sea Princess – which will together offer almost 100 cruises from Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, Adelaide, Fremantle and Auckland over a seven-month period.

 

Relax after a fun filled day in your Deluxe Balcony Stateroom

Unveiling the program, Princess Cruises Vice President Australia & New Zealand Stuart Allison said the deployment of Majestic Princess was testament to Australians’ love of cruising and the popularity of Princess Cruises in the region.

“From her gourmet restaurants to her stunning onboard features, Majestic Princess is nothing short of magnificent. We’re thrilled to be welcoming our newest, most stylish and most luxurious flagship to our shores – having just experienced her preview voyage I know Australian cruisers will love all that she has to offer,” Mr Allison said.

Majestic Princess has already attracted enthusiastic reviews from media and travel agents. Cruise Critic Editor in Chief Carolyn Spencer Brown said: “It’s as if Majestic has pulled together the best of cruise worlds, old and new.” Meanwhile Australian travel agent Janette Wall from Cruiseabout said: “Majestic Princess has certainly raised the bar for the 21st century cruiser.”

Princess’ latest program also reinforces the cruise line’s role as the destination experts, revealing two new ports of call for the cruise line – the stunning and remote Conflict Islands in Papua New Guinea and Queensland’s exciting Moreton Island, famous for its great marine life and fun adventure activities. In total the program covers cruises to 72 different ports in 18 countries.

Meanwhile, the 2018-19 summer will see Princess deliver its biggest ever New Zealand season, with a record 39 cruises to Australia’s transTasman neighbour. Majestic Princess alone will sail on 14 New Zealand cruises, including six one-way cruises between Sydney and Auckland.

Cruises available in the new program include:

  • Majestic Princess’ first roundtrip cruise from Sydney – a 12-night cruise to Fiji and New Caledonia departing September 15, 2018.
  • A 13-night roundtrip cruise from Melbourne to New Zealand’s North and South Islands on Golden Princess, departing Melbourne on November 8, 2018.
  • An 18-night roundtrip cruise to New Zealand and southern Australia from Adelaide on Golden Princess, departing January 7, 2019.
  • A four-night roundtrip Sun Princess cruise from Sydney on January 5, 2019, making the cruise line’s maiden call to Moreton Island.
  • An 11-night roundtrip cruise from Brisbane to Papua New Guinea on Sea Princess, making the cruise line’s first call to the Conflict Islands.
Cunard Comp

WIN: Capture Cunard Queens to Win a Queen Mary 2 Cruise

Posted: February 20, 2022

Australia, Press Release, ,

Luxury cruise line Cunard is offering an experience of a lifetime. All you need to do is attend this weekend’s Royal Rendezvous of two of the world’s most famous ships in Sydney – Queen Mary 2 and Queen Elizabeth and capture the best image.

So if you’re an early bird and like to win competition, especially free cruises, Make sure you get the best vantage point on Saturday February 25, as you experience the magnificent Queens creating an magnificent sight in Sydney throughout the day, with the 2700-guest Queen Mary 2 berthed at Circular Quay and the 2000-guest Queen Elizabeth anchored at Athol Buoy near Taronga Zoo.

The 90,900-tonne Queen Elizabeth will cruise into the Harbour first, arriving at the Heads around 5am before anchoring at Athol Buoy near Taronga Zoo at 5.30am. 

The 149,215-tonne Queen Mary 2 will follow, arriving at the Heads at 5.30am and sailing up the Harbour to pass Queen Elizabeth at 5.50am before berthing at the Overseas Passenger Terminal at Circular Quay at 7am.  

Queen Mary 2 will set sail for Tasmania at 11.30pm when Queen Elizabeth will then sail across the Harbour to berth at Circular Quay overnight before departing Sydney on Sunday at 6pm.

Cunard’s meeting in Sydney in 2007

The Royal Rendezvous marks almost 10 years to the day when Queen Mary 2 paid her first visit to Sydney on February 20, 2007, bringing the city to a standstill as spectators lined the foreshore to see the meeting of the Cunard flagship and the legendary QE2.

To celebrate the 10th anniversary of Queen Mary 2’s first Sydney visit as well as her recent AU$145 million remastering, Cunard is inviting spectators to post an image of one or both of the Queens in Sydney over the weekend (Saturday February 25 and Sunday February 26) on their personal Instagram or Twitter account, using the hashtag #CunardinSydney to enter the competition*.

The person who takes the best image, judged on creativity and originality, will win a two-night Queen Mary 2 cruise for two people from Melbourne to Sydney in a balcony stateroom on February 22, 2018, as well as a $600 Visa card towards flight costs.

Images of either or both ships taken from any vantage point around the harbour are eligible. To help create a Cunard moment, a Queen Mary 2 bell boy will be at East Circular Quay (adjacent to Portobello restaurant), opposite Queen Mary 2, between 10am and 4pm on Saturday. 

Carnival Australia Executive Chairman Ann Sherry said the competition would be a wonderful way to capture a special day in Sydney’s cruise history.

“Ten years ago when Queen Mary 2 first visited Sydney, social media didn’t exist. Now, a decade on, Instagram and Twitter seem the perfect way to record a very special visit by two of the world’s most photographed ships,” Ms Sherry said.