Ruby Princess arrival yesterday IMPORTANT

[megsie]

Another 3 crew were evacuated overnight and taken to hospital from Ruby. 

The cruiseships are certainly still making the news here in Aus. With sadly 2 deaths from corona and 1 in 7 positive cases nationally are linked to cruiseships. You could check out the Australia-New Zealand cruisers’ forum on cruise critic.

[Aus Traveller]

35 minutes ago, megsie said:

Another 3 crew were evacuated overnight and taken to hospital from Ruby. 

The cruiseships are certainly still making the news here in Aus. With sadly 2 deaths from corona and 1 in 7 positive cases nationally are linked to cruiseships. You could check out the Australia-New Zealand cruisers’ forum on cruise critic.

I knew that three crew were evacuated from the Ruby Princess. You say "Another 3 crew". I cannot find any other reference to three additional crew being taken off.

[megsie]

10 minutes ago, Aus Traveller said:

I knew that three crew were evacuated from the Ruby Princess. You say "Another 3 crew". I cannot find any other reference to three additional crew being taken off.

 

If you check ABC news online, it was reported 5 hours ago.

Edited March 31, 2020 by megsie

[Aus Traveller]

1 hour ago, megsie said:

 

If you check ABC news online, it was reported 5 hours ago.

Yes. I see that report.

[Pushka]

ACT has had a death from Ruby Princess over the weekend and the second death in ACT was a passenger from Ruby. Three more positives from Ruby in Adelaide today. 

[megsie]

Update - Sadly 5 deaths now from the Ruby Princess which is  more than a quarter of all the corona deaths in Australia.  Deaths here  also from Voyager of the Seas, Celebrity Solstice and Diamond Princess. 8 in total which more than 40% of all corona deaths in Australia.

In our state alone Ruby Princess has 211 positive cases, Ovation of the Seas has 79 cases, Voyager of the seas 30 and Celebrity Solstice 4.

As an elite cruiser with Princess and in December having one of the best ever family cruises on Majestic Princess it is so sad for all the passengers and crew affected on all cruiselines.

The NSW Police Commissioner has ordered all cruiseships (9 now off the coast of NSW, was 13) to return to their bases overseas. No passengers onboard. This summer season there were around 30+ cruiseships here, 6 being from Princess. 

Edited March 31, 2020 by megsie

[Aus Traveller]

29 minutes ago, megsie said:

The NSW Police Commissioner has ordered all cruiseships (9 now off the coast of NSW, was 13) to return to their bases overseas. No passengers onboard. This summer season there were around 30+ cruiseships here, 6 being from Princess. 

I would not have thought the NSW Police Commissioner had the authority to order cruiseships to leave our waters. That would be up to the Federal government.

[megsie]

16 minutes ago, Aus Traveller said:

I would not have thought the NSW Police Commissioner had the authority to order cruiseships to leave our waters. That would be up to the Federal government.

 

You are really challenging Aus Traveller, I am self isolating along with most others with not a great deal to do today except read or watch tv. All the headlines are there and confronting. 

From Sky News this evening.

[megsie]

Here’s another article, I’ve read today. Very interesting. Ruby is/was due to sail her Alaska season in May and is not returning next season to Australia.

 

Edited March 31, 2020 by megsie

[Roberto256]

7 hours ago, megsie said:

Another 3 crew were evacuated overnight and taken to hospital from Ruby. 

The cruiseships are certainly still making the news here in Aus. With sadly 2 deaths from corona and 1 in 7 positive cases nationally are linked to cruiseships. You could check out the Australia-New Zealand cruisers’ forum on cruise critic.

 

Thank you for posting.  I think what I had seen was the first three, and now the three more that you mention.

 

 

[megsie]

Correct, Aus Traveller,  the NSW Police Commisioner has the right to order the ships out of the coastal area and deny them berthing. He has asked for assistance from Aus Gov to direct the ships outside of the coastal zone and to return home. It can’t be good for the crew with this virus onboard but they have not been observing any isolation procedures by the look of the helicopter filmed views. 

[megsie]

I think Ruby Princess, Border Patrol and NSW health have responsibilities in this debacle. It still doesn’t alter the fact that these ill passengers and crew would still have come down with this virus whether still on the ship or not. Hopefully most have isolated as directed and there will be only a small number of contacts who may get it.

For repatriation of the crew by air, for whoever pays, would be a logistical dilemma. So many crew from all around the world. With our borders and a lot of overseas countries closed and  with only a minimum number of flights, it would be difficult to arrange even if charter flights had to be arranged. That could be 10 to 15 thousand crew on the 9 ships just off NSW. Sad story for all.

 

 

[Roberto256]

7 hours ago, megsie said:

So many crew from all around the world. With our borders and a lot of overseas countries closed and  with only a minimum number of flights, it would be difficult to arrange even if charter flights had to be arranged. That could be 10 to 15 thousand crew on the 9 ships just off NSW. Sad story for all.

 

What worked for Diamond, was that there was a critical mass of passengers from individual countries.

So, countries like Canada, USA, UK, etc. send charters to re-patriate their citizens.

 

With crew, there is no critical mass.   There are a small number of people from each of many countries.

And many of the countries don't have the means to re-patriate their citizens.    And in some cases,

like Ukraine, all travel in and out of the country is restricted.

 

I think what Princess will have to do ... once travel is a little more possible ... send the ships to

a secure facility, like a navy base, and put the crew on charters to heathrow, and onward.

Which would 'save' the crew, with only a minimal risk to the transited country.

[HappyInVan]

????

 

One quarter of the Aussie pax infected...

 

"As of 30 March, at least 440 passengers (211 in New South Wales, 71 in South Australia, 70 in Queensland, 43 in Western Australia, 22 in the Australian Capital Territory, 18 in Victoria, three in Tasmania and two in the Northern Territory) had tested positive for the virus.^[15] As of 31 March 2020, five of them had died, one in the Australian Capital Territory, two in Tasmania, one in New South Wales and one in Queenland"

[Aus Traveller]

32 minutes ago, HappyInVan said:

????

 

One quarter of the Aussie pax infected...

 

"As of 30 March, at least 440 passengers (211 in New South Wales, 71 in South Australia, 70 in Queensland, 43 in Western Australia, 22 in the Australian Capital Territory, 18 in Victoria, three in Tasmania and two in the Northern Territory) had tested positive for the virus.^[15] As of 31 March 2020, five of them had died, one in the Australian Capital Territory, two in Tasmania, one in New South Wales and one in Queenland"

440 covid infections out of 2,700 passengers - around 16%. Not all are Aussies.

[HappyInVan]

The 400 infected Aussies are a quarter of the Aussie passengers (63% of the total pax = 1670).

[Aus Traveller]

38 minutes ago, HappyInVan said:

The 400 infected Aussies are a quarter of the Aussie passengers (63% of the total pax = 1670).

OK. You have a figure for the total number of Aussies on board. I haven't seen that figure publicly available.🙂

[megsie]

I think maybe they might have meant a quarter of the deaths that have occurred in Australia. 5 deaths of Ruby Princess passengers as today of a total 20 deaths nationwide.

3 other cruiseship passengers one from Diamond Princess, one from Celebrity Solstice and one from Voyager of the Seas have lost their lives as well. Totalling 8 out of the total 20 deaths nationwide. i.e. 40% are from cruiseship passengers, sadly.

Edited April 1, 2020 by megsie

[Aus Traveller]

3 hours ago, megsie said:

I think maybe they might have meant a quarter of the deaths that have occurred in Australia. 5 deaths of Ruby Princess passengers as today of a total 20 deaths nationwide.

3 other cruiseship passengers one from Diamond Princess, one from Celebrity Solstice and one from Voyager of the Seas have lost their lives as well. Totalling 8 out of the total 20 deaths nationwide. i.e. 40% are from cruiseship passengers, sadly.

HappyInVan referred to the infections on the Ruby Princess being one-quarter of the Aussies on board. These are his/her figures.

[megsie]

52 minutes ago, Aus Traveller said:

HappyInVan referred to the infections on the Ruby Princess being one-quarter of the Aussies on board. These are his/her figures.

I noticed that post was done about the same time as mine. Thanks for pointing it out though. I think HappyInVan would be about right with the figures just posted. 

[NSWP]

Another 3 pax who disembarked Ruby in Sydney on 19 March have died, total now 10.  Getting worse.

[Aus Traveller]

56 minutes ago, NSWP said:

Another 3 pax who disembarked Ruby in Sydney on 19 March have died, total now 10.  Getting worse.

Tragic. Words fail me. ☹️

[Pushka]

24 minutes ago, Aus Traveller said:

Tragic. Words fail me. ☹️

As the 14 day mark has passed we can only hope there will be no more new positives, and those already positive recover in full. 

[sewgood]

Heard on the news tonight that the Ruby is going to be used as a hospital ship but not in Sydney.

They said perhaps in Port Kembla or Newscastle.

[dougypk]

From ABC News Australia:

 

NSW Police homicide squad launches criminal investigation into Ruby Princess coronavirus deaths.

 

Police have launched a criminal investigation into whether the operator of the Ruby Princess downplayed potential coronavirus cases before thousands of passengers disembarked in Sydney last month.

Edited April 5, 2020 by dougypk
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