Cruise Passenger is monitoring all COVID-19 developments that affect the cruise industry. If you have any new information, news or images, please email us at [email protected].

[divider]3 April 2020 at 10:01[/divider]

Aussies on the Zaandam and Rotterdam get to come home

Marise Payne said 131 Aussies who have been on two of Holland America’s ship will be repatriated in the next 24 to 48 hours. Read more.

[divider]30 March 2020 at 18:14[/divider]

Carnival Corporation pleads with NSW to repatriate Ruby Princess crew

The boss of Carnival Australia was today forced to appeal “on compassionate and humanitarian grounds” to the NSW Government to allow the crew of the Ruby Princess to land and fly home. Read more.

Ruby Princess crew disembarked with influenza like symptoms
Ruby Princess crew disembarked with influenza like symptoms

[divider]30 March 2020 at 15:14[/divider]

ACT woman from Ruby Princess dies

A woman in her 80s has become the fifth person from the Ruby Princess die. Read more.

[divider]28 March 2020 at 16:50[/divider]

P&O Australia moves sailings suspensions out to June 15 – others will follow

P&O Australia has been forced to cancel all cruises until June 15 under government restrictions – but is hoping to get back to sailing on June 16.

“We are naturally disappointed on your behalf that we must now cancel more cruises to adhere to the extended pause in operations but P&O must continue to support the authorities in their efforts to protect the community’s health and wellbeing,” said the line’s President Sture Myrmell.

Other lines are expected to follow, demonstrating their initial response to the crisis was optimistic. Many lines, including Princess, Carnival and Royal Caribbean, had stated they hoped to resume sailings mid-May.

The Government is expected to change its advice on the resumption of cruising shortly.

[divider]28 March 2020 at 16:50[/divider]

New cases onboard the Ruby Princess brings total to 162

There are ow 162 confirmed COVID-19 cases from the Ruby Princess. According to The Daily Telegraph, there are now a total of 41 cases linked to Royal Caribbean’s Ovation of the SeasRead more.

[divider]27 March 2020 at 15:24[/divider]

Rescue deal made to fly Artania cruise passengers to Germany

German, Swiss and Austrian passengers will be able to fly out of WA to Frankfurt, after the German and Australian governments came to an agreement to evacuate passengers from Phoenix Reisen’s Artania. Read more.

Phoenix Reisen Artania
Phoenix Reisen Artania

[divider]27 March 2020 at 10:30[/divider]

More than 100 Aussie doctors and dentists from the Roald Amundsen are on their way home

Hurtigruten passengers are on their way home after the Roald Amundsen managed to dock at the Falkland Islands. They are on a chartered flight home.  Read more.

[divider]26 March 2020 at 10:06[/divider]

Norwegian Jewel’s guests lands in Sydney as 3,000 Australians remain on cruise ships at sea

The Norwegian Jewel’s 287 Australian passengers landed in Sydney on a Qantas charter flight from Honolulu, Hawaii this morning. The charter flight departed Honolulu on Wednesday afternoon after more than a day’s delay.

Meanwhile, people with flu-like symptoms on board Holland America Line’s Zaandam climbs to 77 as they are still finalising plans for disembarkation. Read more.

[divider]25 March 2020 at 21:07[/divider]

Royal Caribbean passenger dies from COVID-19

A 68-year-old Queensland man has died from COVID-19 after he disembarked Royal Caribbean’s Ovation of the Seas last week.

[divider]25 March 2020 at 17:44[/divider]

Shock as CMV passengers find out about quarantine from news reports

Passengers on Cruise & Maritime Voyages’ Vasco da Gama found out through media reports that they would have to enter into a 14-day quarantine period after Premier Mark McGowan failed to tell the line. Read more.

Vasco da Gama
Vasco da Gama

[divider]25 March 2020 at 14:29[/divider]

Explorer Dream will not return this year

Dream Cruises has announced it would not be bringing back the Explorer Dream for the 2020/21 wave season. Read more.

 

[divider]25 March 2020 at 13:49[/divider]

Carnival and P&O reveal they will also be extending sailings

Carnival and P&O announced they would be halting cruises for an additional 30 days. Read more.

[divider]25 March 2020 at 10:47[/divider]

Royal Caribbean extends sailings suspension

One of the largest cruise lines in the world has announced it would be extending the suspension of its sailings until May 12. Read more.

[divider]24 March 2020 at 17:04[/divider]

Norwegian Jewel passengers on their way home

Australians are being flown home from Hawaii from the Norwegian Jewel as DFAT tries to evacuate around 3,000 from around the world. Read more.

Mark Merton Photography www.sydneyimages.com.au

[divider]24 March 2020 at 14:04[/divider]

Passenger on board Ruby Princess passes away from COVID-19

Health authorities in NSW have confirmed that an eighth person has died from COVID-19. The woman, who was in her 70s was one of the passengers aboard the Ruby Princess. Read more.

[divider]24 March 2020 at 10:46[/divider]

Home is in sight for Aussies stuck on cruise ships

Over 370 Aussies will get to come home after their ships were allowed to disembark in various ports around the world. Read more.

[divider]23 March 2020 at 14:25[/divider]

MSC Magnifica on her way to Dubai

MSC Cruises has denied any passengers on the MSC Magnifica have ‘respiratory illnesses’ after WA Premier Mark McGowan claimed 250 guests were ill. The ship had never intended to disembark passengers. Read more.

[divider]19 March 2020 at 14:12[/divider]

Ruby Princess guests test positive to coronavirus after 2,700 disembark in Sydney

Forty-eght people on Princess Cruises Ruby Princess have tested positive for coronavirus following its return to Sydney from new Zealand on Thursday. Read more.

Ruby Princess in Australia
Ruby Princess in Australia

[divider]19 March 2020 at 10:24[/divider]

Carnival Australia offers ships as hospitals during coronavirus pandemic

Australian patients displaced from hospitals because of the coronavirus pandemic may be treated in cruise ship sick bays and recover on board, if an offer from Carnival Corporation is taken up. Read more.

[divider]20 March 2020[/divider]

Operation disembark: How the cruise industry docked almost 90,000 passengers and achieved a miracle

In a bold and heart-warming move to get their passengers home, British line Cruise & Maritime Voyages’ Vasco da Gama and Columbus made a switch of passengers. Read more.

[divider]19 March 2020 at 13:16[/divider]

VIDEO: Aussies coming home after CMV makes bold passenger switch

In the history of seismic maritime events, the past week will be remembered as one of the biggest. Even the Spanish Armada pales beside these numbers. Yet it was handled with hardly any fuss and few complaints. You may be forgiven for hardly noticing… Read more.

[divider]19 March 2020 at 10:28[/divider]

Aussies stuck on ships around the world, but are still in good spirits

As cruise lines the world are working hard to get remaining passengers back home, there are tales of great resilience emerging. Read more.

Roald Amundsen
Around 350 passengers are currently onboard Hurtigruten’s Roald Amundsen, which is floating off the coast of Chile

[divider]18 March 2020 at 16:18[/divider]

Ships to return to Australia after affected and shortened itineraries

Many ships sailing in our region are scrambling to decide their next steps as Australia and New Zealand close their ports to international cruise ships. Read more.

[divider]17 March 2020 at 17:41[/divider]

Cunard and Ponant halt operations

Lines like Cunard and Ponant have announced that they will halt operations and offer their guests compensation. Cunard has suspended new cruises on its ships until April 11. Ponant has also stopped the operations of its entire fleet. The line expects their itineraries to be cancelled until April 19. Read more.

[divider]17 March 2020 at 17:17[/divider]

Found: the cruises you can still take in Australian waters

The big ships may have been “paused”, but you can still cruise in Australian waters. But you’ll have to hurry. Read more.

[divider]14 March 2020 at 18:48[/divider]

Australia and New Zealand cancel cruise calls as Aussie lines stop sailings

Australia has banned international cruise ships for 30 days, while the New Zealand government has banned cruise vessels from its territorial waters for more than three months in a weekend of tough moves to halt the global coronavirus pandemic. Read more.

[divider]14 March 2020 at 15:26[/divider]

P&O and Carnival halt cruising for 30 days – P&O offers 200% refund to passengers

P&O Cruises Australia has today followed a long list of lines in pausing its cruise itineraries for 30 days “following advice from the country’s public officials that mass gatherings should be limited to no more than 500 people”. Read more.

Pacific Explorer

[divider]14 March 2020 at 08:596[/divider]

Royal Caribbean halts all Australian cruises for 30 days

Royal Caribbean has halted sailings in Australia and worldwide for 30 days due to COVID-19 concerns. The line had announced the voluntary halt in America on Friday but said it would continue sailings in Australia until the end of its current season. Read more.

[divider]13 March 2020 at 09:22[/divider]

Here’s why cruise ships will be back despite coronavirus

Cruise Passenger Editor-in-Cheif Peter Lynch on why cruise ships will be back despite coronavirus. He cites three extraordinary examples of courageous corporate leadership from cruise companies. Read more.

[divider]13 March 2020 at 00:15[/divider]

Princess Cruises voluntarily suspends all operations of its fleet until May 10

Princess Cruises has halted global operations of its 18 ships for 60 days in a pre-emptive move over the COVID-19 virus, its website announced last night.

Sky Princess reviewThe move comes only hours after Viking stopped all sailings of its ocean and river fleets, and also comes as cruise lines await the results of negotiations with White House officials in America over their new health and safety proposals. Read more.

[divider]12 March 2020 at 15:04[/divider]

Viking suspends river and ocean cruises until April over coronavirus spread

Viking has announced it will be suspending river and ocean cruise operations until April 30, 2020 in response to the coronavirus COVID-19 and President Trump’s travel ban on Europe. Read more.