The Majestic Princess cruise ship docked in Sydney, Australia on Nov. 11 carrying about 800 COVID-19 positive passengers, out of a total 4,600 passengers and crew, a chilling reminder of the Ruby Princess’ arrival in March 2020, ultimately linked to 28 deaths and more than 600 infections, according to a report in the Guardian. Both ships have scheduled departures from Los Angeles in the next two years.
Marguerite Fitzgerald, president of Carnival Australia, offered assurances. “We’ve learnt how to keep our vulnerable people safe and it is no different in the cruise industry,” she said. Passengers who tested positive were isolated, and others were masked.
Australia had much stricter lockdowns than America, and has achieved much higher vaccination rates — 96% of those 16 or older — but the state of New South Wales, where Sydney is located, has entered a new wave of the pandemic. Combined with the state of Victoria, infections more than doubled from 22,676 the week before Majestic Princess docked to 48,267 the week after, when Carnival announced a tightening of its protocols: “Mask-wearing is being applied on board all Carnival Corporation brand ships operating in Australia.” In addition, Carnival is requiring 100% of crew and 95% of passengers over 12 to be fully vaccinated, with the final 5% requiring proof of a medical condition preventing their vaccination. But no changes have been made for Carnival cruise lines elsewhere in the world.