Cruise Passenger readers – Australia’s biggest cruise community – have given their verdict on the report into the Ruby Princess debacle.
An overwhelming 82.6 per cent believe not enough has been done to deal with the situation, and that heads should roll over the failings of the NSW Department of Health.
Two heads in particular are called for: Health Minster Brad Hazzard and Premier Gladys Berejiklian.
We polled 10,000 cruise passengers last week after the Special Commission report was revealed and Premier Glady Berejiklian apologised for the mistakes that led to up to 26 deaths and hundreds of cases of COVID-19. She also said no action would be taken over those Department of Health officials singled out in the report
Of those who responded, over 82 per cent said the Premier should have ordered disciplinary action, and only 17 per cent thought she had got it right.
The Commission report into how the ship docked last March and discharged 2,700 passengers before the results of COVID-19 checks were known lambasted NSW Health, saying they made “serious”, “inexplicable” and “basic” errors.
Cruise Passenger’s view and a full story on the report can be found here.
We believe so many disastrous decisions deserve sanction, and promising to enact the reports recommendations without spelling out what is being done is not good enough.
Cruise Passenger contacted the Premier’s office twice last week to ask for the list of changes which will be mandated as a result of the report. No comment was forthcoming.
This week, a Senate committee in Canberra heard the secretary of the Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment, Andrew Metcalfe, agreed his officers did not follow national protocols during the Ruby Princess debacle.
The Walker inquiry made no criticism of Australian Border Force officers. But Mr Metcalfe acknowledged there was some adverse commentary about the role played by his officials.
The federal departmental head acknowledged the inquiry had found, “and we fully accept, there are some areas for improved action”. The Walker inquiry found that federal officers charged with biosecurity responsibilities did not conduct a traveller illness checklist after NSW health officials had assessed that the vessel was “low risk”.
The Australian reported no changes will be made to the expert panel process and no disciplinary action will be taken against the four physicians who were ultimately blamed for the “serious failures” resulting in the ship being designated a “low risk” for COVID-19.
Cruise Passengers readers have some pretty strong views – many believe Princess Cruises deserves an apology after being vilified in the media for weeks, subjected to a police inquiry – and now cleared of blame by Commissioner Bret Walker.
Here are just some of your views:
Jane Lincoln We knew the cruise line was not responsible…we were on the previous cruise where the hygiene levels were sky-high. Everyone with a sniffle was checked before disembarking and along with the day to day instructions of hand-washing etc. there was little chance of them being held accountable.
Adam Vance I think trolls, tabloid media and some in the government and police expected the blame to fall more towards Princess and its been a bit of a shock that 90% of the accountability has dropped onto NSW health. The Police Commissioner says a criminal investigation will still proceed even though the report states no crimes have been committed. You’d think that we would respect the “ref’s call” but I’m afraid that those that are unhappy with the reports findings will push in other directions.
Lee Bonarius What about Mr Health Hazzard, Ms Binchicken has apologised, where’s his resignation.
Carlos Azevedo Now an apology to Princess and for A current Affair to also offer an apology to Princess on the story they had run blaming Princess.
Paul Thomas Carnival and Princess are not off the hook. They have some responsibility for the poor outcome due to their inaction and not implementing the measures required. They did not inform a anyone onboard of the suspected COVID-19 passengers and continued all activities as normal they did not isolate suspected passengers in their cabins or isolate sick crew. The outcome would be vastly different if they had done what they should have. The assessment by NSW health may also have been different if the Ship had treated the ill passengers in line with the new requirements. This is an extract for the report:
2.15 Carnival should have ensured that Dr von Watzdorf was made aware of the change to the CDNA “suspect case” definition on 10 March 2020. They should also have ensured that passengers and crew aboard the Ruby Princess were informed that there were suspect cases of COVID-19 on board. Those persons meeting the definition of a suspect case should have been required to isolate in their cabins.
Toshy Roy Mistakes that cost people their life and all they can say is we will learn. No apologies to the Victims and none held accountable, just installs by the lack of caring for the actions
Kev Lamb Barb Duggan I believe there was no rigid process in place and that all parties concerned should get together and form a process rather than conducting a non productive witch hunt.
John Harlow No as it was mostly a breakdown with the inadequate procedures within NSW Health at the time. However I believe the Health Minister to be grossly incompetent, not only in the handling of the Ruby Princess stuff up but also in most things. Therefore I think he should go.
Princess Cruises declined to comment on this report. After the findings were released, president Jan Swartz said:
“The Commission’s report confirms that none of our people — the Captain, the ship’s doctor, or members of our shore side port agency team — misled public authorities involved in Ruby Princess being permitted to disembark guests on March 19.
“This finding is of great importance to us because it goes to the integrity of our people. In our more than 20 years in Australia, we have always sought to cooperate honestly and professionally with officials in accordance with the regulatory environment.
“We acknowledge the Commission’s specific comments about Carnival and we will consider these comments to the fullest possible extent.
“Princess Cruises also welcomes the Commission’s attention to improving information sharing and coordination among government agencies in the future. In our submission to the inquiry, we agreed that this area deserved consideration. We look forward to collaborating with government agencies and industry peers to improve these systems.”
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The Ruby Princess inquiry, while finding that Princess Cruises complied with all legal requirements, indicates that Princess Cruises could have done more to protect passengers. There are issues that need to be adressed, before recommencement of cruising from Australian ports should be appoved by the Australian Government. Also procedures onboard cruise ship need to be improved to adress Covid_19 risks.
It is all very well to go nuts after the fact. Hindsight is a wonderful thing, but only if we can learn from it. No one has ever experienced anything like this before, it was a learning curve for all of us and that includes the government, state or federal. Demanding sackings etc., is not going to bring back those people who passed away, or take away the grief of the loved ones, it is not going to help anyone. All we can do is try to do better if there ever is a next time.
Hindsight is an amazing thing. At the time Ruby Princess docked in Sydney, there were a grand total of 77 cases in Australia. Swabs and tests were limited with supply and it was taking between 10 and 14 days to get results. New information was being uncovered regarding the virus on a daily basis which is why protocols were also changing.
Also, we still don’t know how the virus got onboard the ship in the first place. Was it a passenger, and had they lied on their health form about symptoms at the time of boarding (or were they asymptomatic)? Shouldn’t the passengers in general take some responsibility? Did all passengers wash their hands or sanitize when entering a venue on board, especially dining areas. I have cruised many times and have seen many people enter a buffet area or dining room and walk straight past the hand washing and sanitizing stations.
It is very easy to point the finger at someone else, but did all the passengers infected follow simple hygiene procedures that have been in place for years on ships, to simply protect themselves against covid or other possible infections?
As for Princess Cruises sharing with all passengers on board that there were potential cases on board, the number of cases that presented to the ship’s doctor fell well short of “outbreak” under normal virus definitions, therefore it is unreasonable to expect them to share this information with all passengers on board, but it is reasonable to expect those that presented with symptoms to isolate in their cabins.
This has been a learning experience for many involved, but you can’t fairly judge anyone now based on information that simply wasn’t available at the time that the ship docked in Sydney.
Princess cruises overall do a great job and offer fantastic value for fine dining and entertainment at a bargain basement cost.
My only negative observation is the lines attitude to passengers who get infected with various ongoing infections of which they are well aware and circulated through the ships through the airconditioning system and the crews.
The medical costs are outrageous and the company needs to take more ownership of this problem.
On one cruise around Australia my friends were infected with the Parvo virus and the medical bills threatened to bankrupt them.
These bills were later waived as nearly 1000 passengers appealed to the Pursers office and refused to pay.
Very much an emotive tabloid write up. Yes People in NSW Health Need to be held to account, that is what the Police investigation is looking into. However Carnival / Princess are also in the pop for not providing the Ruby with the correct information. If they had we would be in a very different place. If you had read the report that would be obvious.
You can’t blame the Premier for the Ruby Princess disaster but you can blame her for not sacking those involved.
We were on this Ship Late November/early December last year doing a NZ Tour from Sydney, and we couldn’t fault the ship.
You couldn’t get any food anywhere without having to disinfect your hands, and it was spotless throughout. Bear in mind this was BEFORE COVID19 reared it’s head, so very good hygiene protocols were already in place.
What’s apparent now is that a crew member who was asymptomatic clearly was a spreader, most likely in the food serving staff. Which was just the “Perfect storm” for this to let loose. When people as me I say if this were a Hospital with an asymptomatic staff member in the food delivery area, the outcome would be at least as bad, if not worse.
Some things are just terrible luck. But were the Cruise company negligent? Not in our view, as this was an unforeseeable event and they already had good practices in place. But there has been a rush of media armchair critics, conspiracy theorists and “ambulance chasing” law firms that are hoping that if they whip up a frenzy people will overlook no clear case of negligence by Princess cruises. Some minor mistakes no doubt but one really has to wonder why the Federal Government wouldn’t allow the Border force or the other Federal agencies who really should shoulder the blame to appear at the inquiry. So when hanging it all on Princess has failed miserably the Federal Government has done some butt covering and left NSW to carry the can!
However, the inquiry was only half completed. With Peter Dutton MP declining to allow his officers to be questioned by Commissioner Walker we have only received half the story. As it is the ABF has the responsibility of who comes into this country to place the blame on NSW Health entirely without examing the role that ABF played means that this inquiry did not fulfil its mission. Ok to make a scapegoat out of NSW Health but not when the ABF gets off scot-free. It was and is a farce as the complete truth has not been established.
Without prjudice
You think that Ruby princess was sky high clean? than i would hate eat at you place
Hygiene is not a greeting its a way to keep people healthy
Steward use the same rag the same brush & gloves in each cabin
blankets are never cleaned ?
Carpet never have a steam clean , & a vacuum is a dash & run job
The ships waste pipes have never had a chemical clean & the ships on entry smel of poo
Cafe staff carving service food on a pasengers returned plate
People use the same mug to get another fill up
As bottle water is $3 people take there own bottle & fill it at the ice water units
Restaurant staff are unable to serve a plate of food without there thumb being in the plate
Cutlery not clean , condrmets used by all should be single serve packs
Pastry comes around with no clear cover over them people spit as they talk abut the one they should have
No toilets near the pools so its in the pool
Baby’s in spar with nappy on
Bar staff collect glasses then serve drinks never wash hands
Never never go near the ice cream unit
Seat ing around deck & pool never get a scrub down
staff with colds & flue still work in public areas
Hand wasing on entry to a restaurant not policed
Hand wash units around the ship some time empty
No self opening doors to Public rest rooms
Ship living pass reused & never cleaned
Balcony furniture & deck not cleaned
Temperature on ship to high should be 20 deg mag
Straws put in glass with unwashed hands
and you say they a clean what a joke
Plus Princess Bug ship line still have not retuned our money that they have had for a year now
Never ever would I go on a large cruse ship again the time to clean getting the passengers off & getting a new lot on is to short to do a good cleaning job also I have never seen a temperature taken of a passenger when getting on the ships
I do feel that the Management of the Ruby Princess do have to share some of the responsibility for the debacle that took place in Sydney. Many passengers have stated that there were huge delays at embarkation & they could clearly see staff frantically cleaning & sterilising many surfaces. When asked what was wrong they were not told the facts about concerns about the virus. Some were in fact told that there was nothing wrong. Clearly management knew about the pandemic (how could they not? ) & yet had made no arrangements for the supply of plenty of suitable swabs for the Covid -19 Virus. It also seems that the medical staff were not given up to date training, nor were any passengers who became ill tested or restricted to their cabins. To say that there was a mix up with flu is beyond belief when anyone who presented ill should have been closely monitored. No mention was made to the passengers of the possibility of catching the virus & the need for them to take care & self isolate should they feel unwell. I heard that some passengers felt that at disembarkation they were rushed off. No doubt they were seen as “hot potatoes”. There were certainly mistakes made by Government Authorities too but Princess Cruises should be shouldering some of the responsibility.