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Ruby Princess March 8 New Zealand Cruise Review


patrickmoran
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It's likely that an infected passenger boarded the Ruby Princess (8th March), but it is also possible that one or more passengers contracted the virus while on a shore tour in Napier NZ. The guide who took them later tested positive, but I haven't heard an official comment on whether the passengers passed the virus to the guide, or vice versa. Whichever way it was, once there was at least one passenger with the virus, it spread.

 

BTW, Ruby Princess called at several ports in NZ. In Wellington on 14th March, five passengers who had flu-like symptoms were tested for covid-19 and tested 'negative'. The next day (15th) they were in Napier. The ill passengers never left the ship. The cruise was then cut short with the ship returning to Sydney on 18th March. These negative tests were one of the reasons the NSW Health Department cleared the ship for passengers to disembark. However, swabs taken on several people when the ship arrived in Sydney on 18th March showed four 'positive' results.☹️

Edited by Aus Traveller
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A bus driver in Napier has been tested positive also connected to Ruby Princess in Napier. He was driving cruisers around Napier and the test was returned as positive 13 days after the ship visited. This was a bus company not associated with the tour guide who is connected to the 3 cases in the Nursing home there.

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And I understand more crew members just been taken ashore. Without proof it's likely a passenger from US brought this onboard or possibly it had been amongst the crew from the previous cruise although I don't think any reports have come from that cruise. Not sure it matters anymore. 

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Suggest that the original poster gets tested for the virus as a female passenger aged 62 died today. This takes the death toll from this cruise to 13 souls and 600 are sick. Ruby Princess is still in NSW and is getting pretty treatment for sick crew members.

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28 minutes ago, sydgal said:

Should have read priority treatment for the sick crew members. Auto correct bites again

Thanks for the correction. I wondered what "pretty" treatment was an thought that maybe a word was left out (thinking too fast for your fingers!)

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There is now a criminal (homicide) enquiry into this sailing. There was a programme in Australia on 7 News on Sunday, which I haven’t been able to find online (my sister sent me the link but it doesn’t work here in Europe). She, her husband and kids were very close to their neighbour who died. She’s been talking about how tough it is trying to comfort his widow from a safe distance (so near, yet so far). A heartbreaking situation

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16 minutes ago, Belgian fry said:

There is now a criminal (homicide) enquiry into this sailing. There was a programme in Australia on 7 News on Sunday, which I haven’t been able to find online (my sister sent me the link but it doesn’t work here in Europe). She, her husband and kids were very close to their neighbour who died. She’s been talking about how tough it is trying to comfort his widow from a safe distance (so near, yet so far). A heartbreaking situation

If you have a look at the Aust and NZ Cruisers section of Cruise Critic you will see quite a discussion about the programme. Obviously it is in the thread that relates to the Ruby Princess. Just go back a couple of pages - not too far. I posted a detailed item about the show because Brandee from USA was on the Ruby Princess cruise and she wasn't going to be able to see it.

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There have been 15 deaths of passengers onboard that last Ruby cruise. The lady who died yesterday was just 62 and had no major health issues, just those minor ones associated with age. And over 600 positives not including crew who may number in the 100's including a few who are being treated in hospital and two in acute care.  Goodness knows how many travellers went back home overseas and have been unwell or sadly died. 

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14 minutes ago, Pushka said:

There have been 15 deaths of passengers onboard that last Ruby cruise. The lady who died yesterday was just 62 and had no major health issues, just those minor ones associated with age. And over 600 positives not including crew who may number in the 100's including a few who are being treated in hospital and two in acute care.  Goodness knows how many travellers went back home overseas and have been unwell or sadly died. 

The numbers for the Ruby are completely inaccurate.  Those numbers only reflect Aussies..There is no count for the other 40 % of the passengers who were not Australian citizens.  True numbers will never be known..and does it matter??  Just like the one traveller from Iran who brought it to JFK on Feb 28.    Zero to 5,479 death in a snap.

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16 minutes ago, BRANDEE said:

The numbers for the Ruby are completely inaccurate.  Those numbers only reflect Aussies..There is no count for the other 40 % of the passengers who were not Australian citizens.  True numbers will never be known..and does it matter??  Just like the one traveller from Iran who brought it to JFK on Feb 28.    Zero to 5,479 death in a snap.


Agree. Only Australian statistic.  And yes. It does matter where the virus is being contracted.  It matters - a lot - because in Australia and particularly in my state of South Australia, the absolute key to success in controlling this beast is tracking. Tracking where it came from then tracking all those victims contacts. Early days for us yet but other than Ruby Princess and a group of Tourists who impacted the Barossa Valley, and a large group of Baggage Handlers, with a lot of luck, we are starting to control this beast here. 

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56 minutes ago, Pushka said:


Agree. Only Australian statistic.  And yes. It does matter where the virus is being contracted.  It matters - a lot - because in Australia and particularly in my state of South Australia, the absolute key to success in controlling this beast is tracking. Tracking where it came from then tracking all those victims contacts. Early days for us yet but other than Ruby Princess and a group of Tourists who impacted the Barossa Valley, and a large group of Baggage Handlers, with a lot of luck, we are starting to control this beast here. 

I am very happy to hear you have it under control and not wasting time pointing fingers.  Every moment used to count numbers here and there and not fighting it and keeping residents aware that it is here..doesn't make a difference where it came from it is here..NOW  is time lost to save people. I have read that quite a few australian residents who think that only cruise areas are the hot spots are not self isolating.  It is everywhere and false impression that it is not all over your country will spread it to an uncontrolable number.  NY is living it.  We still have morons who think..not here..not me

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20 minutes ago, BRANDEE said:

I am very happy to hear you have it under control and not wasting time pointing fingers.  Every moment used to count numbers here and there and not fighting it and keeping residents aware that it is here..doesn't make a difference where it came from it is here..NOW  is time lost to save people. I have read that quite a few australian residents who think that only cruise areas are the hot spots are not self isolating.  It is everywhere and false impression that it is not all over your country will spread it to an uncontrolable number.  NY is living it.  We still have morons who think..not here..not me


What is happening in NY is unbelievable. We hear about it a lot in Australia. It's unimaginable that the city the world loves is going through this. We are on the way to controlling this beast but we have been under strict lockdown country wide for a few weeks now. Most people are doing the right thing but every country has its own idiots. 
 

I hope you both continue to recover and then stay well. 

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58 minutes ago, BRANDEE said:

I am very happy to hear you have it under control and not wasting time pointing fingers.  Every moment used to count numbers here and there and not fighting it and keeping residents aware that it is here..doesn't make a difference where it came from it is here..NOW  is time lost to save people. I have read that quite a few australian residents who think that only cruise areas are the hot spots are not self isolating.  It is everywhere and false impression that it is not all over your country will spread it to an uncontrolable number.  NY is living it.  We still have morons who think..not here..not me

I agree with 'Pushka' that (with our fairly low number of infections) it is very valuable for the authorities to track the people who have the virus. They are required to supply all their contacts so these people can be tested. This is an important tool here to restrict the spread.

 

I haven't heard the comment here that it is only the cruise areas that are the hot spots. There are infections even in country towns, some unfortunately resulting from the Ruby Princess debacle.

 

The government shut down a lot of the community from 13th March, and have imposed stricter and stricter regulations every week. Most people are following the rules. We have had problems with young (overseas) backpackers who ignored the initial restrictions, causing major beaches to be closed. Some of them boasted that they were young so weren't at risk. They partied in large groups contrary to the restrictions. Sadly, one party resulted in more than 20 infections.

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