With 10,598 cruise passengers arriving in Sydney in every bed was taken on Celebrity Eclipse, Quantum of the Seas, Pacific Adventure and Viking Orion, today should have been cause for celebration. The number of ships underscore that cruise is back.
However, false news reports once again made it a day of confusion for the cruise community, trying to point out that transmission on board is no worse than that on shore. Several news outlets reported that the Celebrity Eclipse arrived in Sydney with a suspected 1500 COVID cases on board. However, both Celebrity Cruises and the NSW government quickly confirmed these numbers were hugely exagerated.
Celebrity Cruises told Cruise Passenger that there are only around 100 COVID cases onboard, a number the cruise line feels shows the strength of its health regime given the spiking rates in community. The ship was even praised by the port’s biosecurity team for its protective measures.
The New South Wales Department of Premier and Cabinet said: “The Celebrity Eclipse arrived in Sydney on 9 December 2022. The number of positive COVID cases on board meant the ship was identified as Tier 2.
“A Tier 2 identification means there are between 30-99 positive COVID-19 cases per 1,000 people on board, and/or the vessel’s staffing or resources are moderately impacted but the ship can safely maintain critical services.”
While news outlets are now reporting more accurate numbers, there is still significant coverage of Celebrity Eclipse’s arrival, although few stories are sharing that the case numbers are as low as 100 cases and that passengers onboard are unbothered by the speculation.
Kerrie Gillard wrote on Cruise Passengers Facebook page: “We are on Celebrity Eclipse waiting to disembark. Only 100 have Covid not 1500 as reported on Channel Nine.”
Veronica McDonald wrote: “Typical tv station always exaggerating the numbers, they just want a big story. This happened on the 12th November when majestic princess was in dock in Sydney the number was exaggerated then too.”
Narelle McLachlan wrote: “Yes we just disembarked too. We didn’t know the final numbers but were told it was tier 2…bloody media beat up again!”
But Celebrity isn’t the only cruise line suffering from confusion.
Princess Cruises passengers on Majestic Princess were this week given a notice from the Senior Doctor onboard that they will need to take a rapid COVID test within 48 hours of disembarkation. The ship arrived in Sydney on Thursday.
The notice read: “We have been informed by the New South Wales Health Authorities that all passengers are required to be tested for COVID-19 within 48 hours of disembarkation. If you are currently in isolation or have tested positive during this cruise, it is not necessary for you to take a self-administered Rapid Antigen Test.
“Complimentary self-tests will be delivered to your stateroom in the morning when testing is required, which you must self-administer. We kindly ask that guests pay close attention to when the test must be completed.”
“If the test is negative you are able to disembark as normal once the result has been shown to your Stateroom Steward, if it is positive you need to contact Guest Services and you plus the other guests in your room must isolate until further instructions are given.
Princess Cruises would not reveal what was said in their communications with health authorities but supplied the following statement: “Ahead of our arrival to Sydney, all guests onboard the Majestic Princess will undergo Rapid Antigen Testing. This is part of our strict and robust health and safety measures that are in place on all Princess Cruises ships for the safety of our guests, crew and the communities in which we visit.
“We continue to work closely with the state government and respective health department ahead of her arrival.”
Majestic Princess is currently listed as a Tier 2 ship, which is described as COVID cases with a “moderate impact to vessel”, meaning 30-99 positive cases. It is unclear if the Tier 2 status of the ship is why the new testing policy was required.
Royal Caribbean confirmed Ovation of the Seas, which also arrived in Sydney earlier this week as a Tier 2 were not given the instructions to test all passengers before disembarkation. Celebrity had also not been asked to carry out RAT tests.
NSW Health has been contacted for comment.
Comments on a cruise forum regarding the new requirements are divisive.
One user Jim Schottel wrote: “As long as they keep testing everyone, they will keep getting positive results and negative publicity. The general population is not being tested frequently so there is no comparison to reality in the general population, but it sure makes the news media have a field day.”
Sue Cochrane wrote: “It seems that anyone can fly into this country and our states without having to test. Numbers are not reported. No masks and definitely no social distancing on a plane. Why are cruise lines treated differently. There are plenty of places to avoid crowds and if you can’t, put a mask on. Covid is here to stay and we must be able to get on with our lives. Do the right thing for everyone.”
However, the mostly highly voted comment simply read: “If it means cruising can continue I’m all for COVID testing.”
I just cruised on the Queen Elizabeth. Masks were required at all times unless sitting at a table eating or drinking or in your own stateroom. Everyone complied and if you forgot staff gently reminded you. Sanitiser was available all over the ship and people were using it constantly. Only 4 people were allowed in a lift at any one time unless they were a group travelling together. We were told by other passengers that they developed Covid after Airlie Beach. They were given ant-viral mediation, moved to a balcony cabin for their quarantine and not charged for medical care. Everyone did everything possible to stay safe. I felt safer on the ship than ashore where very few if any of the locals were wearing masks.
Got off Majestic Princess on Thursday 8th Dec. after 13 day cruise to New Zealand. There were some cases on board but did not bother us, ate in buffet most lunch times with no problems. Tested twice during cruise, wore masks inside ship and took them off on the pool deck where we sat at the bar every afternoon and had no problems, very enjoyable cruise. Disembarkation was a breeze.
I was on ovation of the seas. I got a psr before I got on and I was negative. Media has a lot to answer for. Yes there were some cases but l was fine. One woman said she’d had covid 5 days b4 but was coming regardless.that sucks. It’s ppl like her and the media that keeps it going.It has to stop. Be fair and think of others
Just been on the Quantum of the Seas, no Covid whatsoever !! Media crap !!
We wore masks on Ovation if the Seas but many didn’t. We had to wash our hands at the buffet and there was hand sanitizer everywhere.
The biggest problem was the arrivals hall at Sydney with suitcases trying to be claimed and people everywhere. Hardly anyone wore a mask (we did) and two days later we have Covid. So if we got it there will be many more. The overseas terminal needs an overhaul to make it safe and easy to access bags
Just go off P&O Pacific Adventure. Over 8 days no tests were completed. Passengers were told to wear masks inside but many didn’t. Handwriting or use of alcohol cleaner was nit encouraged. Tables and furniture not cleaned between use..
It worried me.
I went on Carnival Splendour for the Melbourne cup.
The only people wearing mask were my friend, some staff an me.
Other than to eat, I took my mask off just once, for a massage. And the regret I have for doing this will live with me forever.
The lady doing massage had covid. She gave it to me and it almost killed me.
I am so, so careful normally. I have avoided covid right up to the time of the cruise.
Reading comments on Face Book would belie the cruise company saying reports are false in the media. Almost every person posted about a family member with covid 3 to 4 days after the cruise.
I for one will not go cruising for a while, used to do one a year.
Catching covid may not kill you but it may kill someone you give it to, and lends itself to mutation.
The doomsday covid is not too far away.
The world has changed and accepting this is the first step towards surviving.
The difference is that planes have hepa filters which most cruise ships do not have in cabins with the exception of Norwegian,Viking and some smaller expensive cruise ships. Just as many politicians are hiding the covid numbers so do some cruise liners. This year has had the most deaths yet in the pandemic but many people are in denial. As many cruise passengers are in older age groups hepa filters are needed and not just in medical centres!
We arrived on the Pacific Adventure into Sydney on Monday 5th Dec. I was advised by the hazmat suited P&O employee taking my covid positive room mate and I down a lift to disembark after everyone else in a different area of White Bay Terminal that there were 53 cabins of covid positive passengers. There were well over 100 passengers standing like sheep in a shed to the side of the terminal who just left when their mode of transport arrived. There was no directive for other passengers to take RATs prior or after disembarking. Another member of my cabin tested positive by PCR taken on Tuesday. Luckily I am still neg.
Please lift vaccination mandate for cruises so every one can enjoy by all means continue to test but allow everyone the opportunity to cruise
It’s crazy that even with mandatory vax requirements that cruise passengers are treated so differently to other travellers. I want to go cruising again but with the mandates and testing policies I will have to wait until things are back to normal!
Last week one report a cruise liner couldn’t dock in Sydney, tried Newcastle but no go so was heading to Melbourne. Due to covid.
Wrong. Vessel left Melbourne on a cruise, was scheduled to transit in Newcastle but couldn’t due to Newcastle having insufficient facilities, so returned to Melbourne as planned. It was never scheduled to go to Sydney.
Another typical beat up, don’t let the truth get in the way of a good story.
I have family who just arrived back on this ship, and yes it’s more than 100 positive on board… Get ya head out of the sand.
After 2 and half years of waiting for cruising to come back my husband n i were so excited to be going cruising again on Majestic Princess thursday 8/12/22. Not once during the whole time of the pandemic did we catch Covid, always being careful n wearing masks,washing hands,especially in the last 6 months,n being vaccinated (x4).On the sunday before the cruise my husband caught Covid which meant we had to cancelled our long awaited holiday. You do all the right things, and still get kicked in the gut?????? THank god there is future cruise credit BUTis this going to be a never ending story!
We disembarked in Brisbane off Quantum of the seas in November .. we had heard there were cases on board but we were kept in the dark and no testing was required on disembarkation and a lot of people coughing getting off the ship down tight enclosed gangways. 5 out of 8 of our party tested positive. On board there were parties with no masks and definitely no social distancing.. not even the tables in the dining rooms had been separated.. we are a long line of cruise romancers.. right back to the 70s.. I will always sail.. but definitely a few tweaks in todays age of Covid need to be taken. A RAT test at the end of the cruise would have stopped all that were positive from mingling with negative passengers on disembarkation day.. an easy fix.. especially as we didn’t test positive until a few days off ship!! And in tight places like parties.. mask wearing should be mandatory.. I fully believe in keeping sail, but they can’t continue to act pre covid days… from a severely immunocompramised patient who was extremely careful and still caught it…
We have just travelled on the coral princess to New Guinea, 11 nights, asked to wear masks from day 1, not an issue for most people. Had the best relaxing cruise ever,no mention of Covid and we have booked our next cruise. As regular cruise passengers the crew have all been forever diligent on cruise boats as there are many other issues that can spread among passengers. Most of the cruise passengers are elite status (travelled forever on cruises) and trust the cruiselines. Thanks princess for your great service.
The main thing people are forgetting, especially the media, is that most cases found on board the ships, were actually as a result of non-tested people on land encountered during excursions, which the cruise lines have little to no control over! My wife and I got Covid on a Grand Princess cruise, but picked it up ON_SHORE in Queensland!
Get your positive and negative correct. Majestic Princess – positive disembark as normal / negative to contact Guest Services and ISOLATE.
GET THE DETAILS CORRECT.
“If the test is positive you are able to disembark as normal once the result has been shown to your Stateroom Steward, if is negative you need to contact Guest Services and you plus the other guests in your room must isolate until further instructions are given.
I hope this wasn’t the wording of the letter given to the passengers as I think the treatment of the positive and negative results is back the front.
The media has a lot to answer for.
So many lies & wrong information being spread to create fear.
It has destroyed so many lives & people’s livelihoods.
I am looking forward to the day when everyone wakes up & realizes we were all lied to, so that we can go back to doing the normal everyday things we used to do.
I’m ready to book a long cruise, as soon as the unfounded cruise restrictions are lifted for all those healthy people who chose not to be jabbed.
Please keep the news coming, as there are thousands of us who will be booking a cruise as soon as they lift the unnecessary, unrealistic & controlling mandates.
Confusing message attributed to Princess:
If test positive, you are Ok.
If test negative, you must isolate.
Shouldn’t that be the other way around?
Tier 2 is 33-99 per 1000 people.
Presumably that includes staff.
A full Eclipse is 4,000.
So Tier 2 means between 132 and 369 positives.
But Celebrity say 100?
Or don’t they count staff?
But for Princess it’s 33-99 per ship?
A full Majestic is about 6,000 people.
In the story it was stated that a positive test result allowed you to disembark. Sorry you got it wrong just like the media. if tests are positive you stay on the ship if negative you can leave the ship. As far as needing to test in 2 days not correct if you tested negative to the test at disembarkation there is no need to test again unless you show signs. How can the media get it correct if this publication can get it so wrong.
I say to help reduce the spread of Covid (as unfortunately some people will just not abide by the rules) is bring back served Buffets – people should not be allowed to touch ANY food on the food areas to help reduce the spread of germs.
People love to cruise but people’s health hygiene habits are far less than what we would expect – I’v witnessed it personally – just visit the ladies restrooms – some people wash their hands, but sadly most are just too busy (or don’t care) to wash their hands and these are the people that put the rest of the passengers at risk of getting sick.
Yes Covid is here to stay and we should learn to live with it – but also includes upping our hygiene levels not just when its critical. but all the time – did we all forget what our parents taught us as kid – “wash you hands Geoffrey – with the solvo Geoffrey” in other words just passing your hands under water is NOT enough – use soap its the only way to stop spreading any germs including Covid!
As a cruise passenger of over 40yrs I’ve seen it all and sadly its not getting any better….so sad for those of us who are doing the right thing. Everyone should have the right to feel safe when cruising.