The Federal government has pledged to change the wording on its official website about cruise ship vaccinations after Cruise Passenger readers complained it was misleading.
Cruise Passenger pointed out the discrepancy after readers got in touch with us. They pointed out the Covid and Travel information page states vaccination is not required by the Federal Government to cruise.
What the page didn’t say was that state governments have their own mandates. Vaccinations are required to cruise along the Eastern seaboard.
The federal Department of Health acknowledged the complaints and has now agreed to review and change its website.
A spokesperson told Cruise Passenger:
“The Australian Government does not require people to be vaccinated to travel on cruise ships.
“State and territory government requirements for cruise lines operating in Australia are outlined in the cruise protocols.
“Noting the feedback that some travellers have found the information on the website confusing, we will review it and revise it to address this concern.”
The Australian Government’s Department of Health and Aged Care website currently states under their Covid-19 and travel page: “There is no Australian Government requirement for travellers to be vaccinated on board a cruise vessel”. It does suggest a check with cruise providers for up-to-date requirements.
However, those in the industry have encountered many cruisers reading the website and starting the process of booking a cruise.
But some have members of their party that don’t meet the vaccination requirements of the Eastern Seaboard Protocols. Full vaccination is still a requirement of cruising.
How has it affected cruisers?
Share Summerhayes, owner of Deluxe Cruise & Travel says she recently had a family who were prey to the misleading guidelines.
“I recently had a family wanting to book four cabins for a family celebration cruise aboard Royal Caribbean towards the end of this year. Excitedly, they contacted me to book their cruise after doing their research. They had looked up the Australian government rules which stated that no vaccination was required to cruise from Australia.”
Ms Summerhayes said she had to let down the family and inform them of the real requirements.
“I mentioned the current vaccination requirements in conversation and they said that I was wrong because they’d seen it on the Australian Government website. Basically, I had to let them down and advised that even though Australia doesn’t require it, the states do.”
Had the family not been booking via an agent, they would have spent their money. Not knowing that they wouldn’t actually be able to get on the ship together.
“It’s all very confusing for people and if they didn’t go to an agent, they may have booked online and had a hard fight to recover their costs.
“Unfortunately, they have a 13-year-old that they were not prepared to get vaccinated for the cruise. So they are forced to postpone their celebration until the rules change. I felt so bad hearing their excitement turn to disappointment.”
Ms Summerhayes says this has not been an isolated incident.
“I have quite a few stories like this where people are taking the Australian rules as gospel, not knowing the State rules actually trump the country rules. I would hate to think of the number of people that have booked not knowing.”
What have people said?
In a Facebook group for Royal Caribbean passengers, Ms Summerhayes posted a poll asking people their thoughts on vaccination mandates. So of around 200 respondents, 56 per cent said they wished to keep the mandates and 44 per cent voted to allow everyone to cruise, regardless of vaccination status.
Cruise Passenger comments are similarly divided.
Eris Jane wrote: “I am glad that these rules are still being enforced. They help to keep safe those of us who have taken precautions but are still wary of a virus that hasn’t gone away and can be very nasty. Vaccination is just sensible. Lots of vulnerable elderly people like to cruise.”
Jenni Tavinor wrote: “Yes, we wish to cruise but being unvaccinated restricts us. You can travel across borders, get on a plane, use all forms of public transport but still not cruise. Totally illogical!
“Consider opening up like the rest of the world. Our tourism needs the money too.”
Earlier this month, Cruise Passenger carried the story of Jasmine Tully, who wanted to take her 13-year-old granddaughter on a cruise but was refused because the teen wasn’t vaccinated.
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Absolutely outrageous. What company goes off a poll instead of science when deciding these things. We know that we were lied to about the vaccines capabilities. It’s idiotic to continue this discrimination. Let those who want to be jabbed/boosted believe what they want, but you need to stop appealing to the deluded and start living in reality.
Absolute joke.
All countries have dropped they draconian mandates to be vaccinated.
We recently cruised on NCL around Norway and Iceland and there was no requirement to be vaccinated. There were no issues on board and no mention of Covid.
The world has moved on. The Australia states still requiring vaccination need to wake up. It has been proven that the vaccines do not stop the spread of Covid and never did. So let’s not keep saying we need to be vaccinated to protect others, even Pfizer admitted to the European Parliament that transmission was never tested.
Time for CLASS ACTION- the mandate is clearly nothing less than discrimination- with the entire world and Aust Fed Gov lifting mandates, Australian States are a disgrace and must be held accountable for the draconian stance.
Wish they would look at the new guidelines in regards to exemptions.
My 12 yr old daughter is unable to get the 2nd dose due to being infected by Covid. No doctor will contemplate giving it to her. Yet having Covid is supposedly not a reason for not being fully vaccinated.
I hope the State Governments of Australia change the vaccination requirements to cruise from Australian ports. It is common sense that we now need to live with the Covid virus and return to a pre Covid normality. It is each individual’s responsibility to assess the risk to themselves when deciding to travel or not. It is time that the State Government vaccine mandates are dropped.
Recently I went on a long cruise from Australia where all passengers and crew were fully vaccinated. The passengers who became ill with Covid, were isolated and were well looked after and health protocols were followed.
Everyone I spoke to thoroughly enjoyed the cruise and the handling of Covid cases, including a couple who had Covid.
Just to correct the poll results – https://www.facebook.com/groups/Royalcaribbeanaustraliancruisers/posts/3427257287541652/
Its 65% saying open to all, and and 34% still holding to the believe that their original jabs is protecting from getting or passing on COVID…they may want to go look at the peer reviewed Cleveland study that found that the unvaccinated were the least likely to get COVID!
The EUA has been dropped in the U.S. Pyzer states is does not stop transmission. Also, it lasts for Three months unless you get the Boosters, which are causing problems. If it works Yes, follow the advice. Most of our advice has come from people who have retired or are retiring, but still seem to force regulations which are false or proven untrue.The Eastern States of Australia is a no go,while the rest of the world functions.
Totally illogical with zero basis in science. The requirement of “full vaccination” requires only 2 vaccinations that were given nearly two years ago! Not a single peer reviewed medical paper claims even remote immunity after this length of time. The only “person of danger” on these cruises are the ones who actually test positive for covid so, I assume they are testing everyone everyday? Don’t think so. Doesn’t give you much confidence in any decision that NSW Health or the Government passes has any real basis in science. Idiots.
Not strange that people are still getting covid while cruising vaccinated or not. Lots of people are cruising and their vaccination potency has run out. AstraZeneca has been banned due to Thrombosis with thrombocytopenia on the 21/03/202. Some people may be using fake vaccination certificates, so obviously cruise lines are not checking how up to date so called vaccinated people are. Even being so called vaccinated you can still spread and catch covid or the flu, so it really appears to be politically driven and just a way for cruise ships to cover their own arses. Eastern Seaboard cruise liners are still terrified of the repercussions that occurred with that ill fated Ruby Princess ship back in 2020. How can one explain that 800 people out of 4600 on the Magestic Princess got covid where all guests must have received their final dose of an authorized COVID-19 vaccine at least 14 days before the beginning of the cruise and provide proof of vaccination at terminal check-in. The Celebrity Eclipse had 5% of cruisers infected with covid and they had the same covid vax protocols until the 04/04/2023. So lets get on board with Celebrity and scrap these ridiculous biased rules that discriminate and make a joke of the cruising industry. By the way how can a cruise line charge an infected covid couple $21,000 to isolate, eat bad cold food and have IV therapy that may not have been essential for survival. Absolutely not justifiable and that cruise ship should be sued.
We travelled from Australia to Canada to do our ‘Bucket Trip’ Alaskan Cruise in Sep 2022, after having spent 90 minutes in the multi lanes of Emigration at Vancouver, where we were ‘housed’ with no where to go we finally arrived at an officer. Despite being tested the day prior, which was good & a requirement of embarkation, 3 days later we both succumbed to Covid & enforceably spent the next 10 days (Canadian Rules at the time) in our cabin with cold food delivered, checked every day by the Medical crew on board – so much for our Alaskan trip, thank goodness it was a cabin with a veranda. We were 4 x inoculated against Covid & wore masks all the time.
The vaccination does not prevent you from getting covid.
Neither does it prevent you from spreading it.
Neither does it guarantee the impacts of covid, will be any less.
Anyone still under the illusion it does, need to do some research.
We are the only remaining country in the world, who still mandate covid vaccination to travel.
This requirement is neither based on medical fact or science.
The mandates need to be dropped.
It’s time the vax mandates for cruising was lifted, how many people are getting covid on cruses that are filled with vaccinated people so who is giving them the virus certainly not the unvaxed. This id a ridiculous mandate which is all about control and Im sure cruse ships would love to see it gone.
I have had covid and have minor heart issues from that and the booster shot. Being vexed or unvaxed does not make any difference in getting covid. I believe cruising should be open for all as everything else is. If your sick, just lay low for a few days as the first few days are the most contagious.
This is totally discriminatory
You visit supermarkets fly on planes travel around the world even on cruises visit family see the dr dentist and you wouldn’t know if they are vaccinated or not
Let unvaccinated people choose to cruise stop punishing people who for whatever reason chose to pass on the vaccines
Most who are vaccinated wouldn’t get a booster anyway
Vaccination over 12 months ago is useless !!
We are only too aware that Covid is still rampant and many elderly folk are still dying (about 600/month in our state). Long Covid is a nightmare for some people. Being elderly and cruising with mainly Holland America and Princess we are concerned about travelling with unvaccinated people. We noted a lot of cruisers confined to cabin on our last cruise out of Melbourne.
Unvaccinated children is another issue completely.
I have been on 4 cruises since covid. May I say that even vaccinated people were still not washing their hands. SO what is the difference between vaccinated and un vaccinated!!!
You are allowed to travel anywhere on a plane.train etc all over the world.
My question is…
EVERY COUNTRY ALLOWS UNVACCINATED. WHY NOT
AUSTRALIA.??????
Open all cruises whether vaxed or not even in ships planes,or any other type of transport, shops or walking the streets how knows what any person we pass or sit next too got??
About time they opened up like the rest of the world.These state bureaucrats have too much power and should be held accountable.These people who are vaccinated should have nothing to worry about,or they just being bloody minded
I can fly to America board a cruise ship , cruise around the Hawaiian Islands and fly back to Australia. No problem BUT can’t board a cruise in Qld for a 7 day trip to the Barrier reef .
Crazy in my opinion. Australia is lagging behind all other countries with their tyranny rules . The vaccinated are the only ones allowed to cruise and still get Covid . That shows how ineffective their vaccines are .This is Common sense by now wake up to the fact.Stop the mandates.
I am fully vaccinated and boosted. My husband and I both got covid a couple months ago on RC out of Hawaii on a ship that originated in Australia. It doesn’t seem to matter if you are vaccinated so I don’t see the point in making it mandatory, especially when other countries do not require it. We sat with some people from the U.S.A. and were told their father and brother both got on the ship with covid. Not vaccinated…not tested.
The States Covid mandates for cruising is draconian. The WHO has officially ended the Pandemic & I have recently cruised from the UK to several countries that don’t restrict anybody from cruising or entering their country. It has been proven that these so-called vaccinations do not stop infection or transmission. The annual flu is far more serious but that vaccination is not required. We now live in nazi-like States. Who would have thought Australia would ever be so unAustralian! Ridiculous & totally pathetic! By the way I did get vaccinated but the rest of my family didn’t but never again will I be
The States Covid mandates for cruising is draconian. The WHO has officially ended the Pandemic & I have recently cruised from the UK to several countries that don’t restrict anybody from cruising or entering their country. It has been proven that these so-called vaccinations do not stop infection or transmission. The annual flu is far more serious but that vaccination is not required. We now live in nazi-like States. Who would have thought Australia would ever be so unAustralian! Ridiculous & totally pathetic! By the way I did get vaccinated but never again
Time to get in line with other countries and get rid of these ridiculous rules!
This vaccination policy it crazy, doesn’t exist anywhere else in the world. You can do everything else just not cruise, it’s crazy. I was in London recently and someone asked me about it, they couldn’t believe it, they said “but Covid doesn’t exist anymore”.
Even if vaccinated, you can contract and give Covid to others.
Total madness.
Once again beruecratic red is stopping people from taking holidays . The cruise lines continue to the right thing is you can catch the virus anywhere not just on cruise ships so lets stop this ridiculous mandate from State Governments
I recently (April 2023) took a 15 day cruise from New York to Barcelona and contracted COVID-19 after 3 days onboard.
The Cruise Line (NCL) did not want to even look at the Vaccination Certificates that my wife and I attempted to present to them at boarding the ship in New York.
We carried our own RAT kits and tested ourselves on the 3rd day at sea only to discover we were both positive, so notified the Medical Centre onboard and only then did they provide a member of the Medical Centre to come to our cabin and photograph our Certificates and results of the RAT tests we had taken.
We were then informed to attend the Medical Centre where we were diagnosed as having COVID-19 and further informed that we were to undergo treatment by the Medical Staff.
We undertook 3 days of treatment, which included 3 days of IV therapy which included an Antiviral drip, some tablet medication, and 6 days of cabin isolation at a cost of AU$21,000.00! It wasn’t nice, being delivered nothing more than cold food during that 6 days even though we ordered hot food as well, it came cold. Thank God we had COVID included in our Insurance, as the Cruise Line insisted we paid this outrageous account for 3 days of no more that 3 to 4 hrs a day for the 3 days of treatment, which I refused to pay and informed them that is not the way Insurance works. It is now one month later since we arrived back in Australia and I still don’t know if this has been settled by my Insurance company as they have had trouble contacting the Cruise Line in an attempt to do so. So, Cruisers be aware that these things do not come cheap onboard Cruise Ships!
Pointless having mandates for outdated 2021 Vaccination. Either require it to be ‘up to date’ or scrap it. I guarantee if hey require ‘uo to date’ the cruiselines would lose out though. State govts are simply keeping the bedwetters happy.
Next thing if you haven’t had flue vac you can’t cruise it’s time to drop all this nonsense and move on