Coronavirus: Australia’s pandemic-era ban on cruise ships comes to an end after two years
- Ban on foreign cruise ships was imposed in March 2020 after a Covid outbreak aboard the Ruby Princess spilled into Sydney once the vessel docked
- A cruise line trade association estimates the Australian economy lost more than US$7.4 billion due to the ban
Australia’s ban on cruise ships entering the country’s waters ended on Sunday after more than two years.
Last month, the government of Prime Minister Scott Morrison said it decided not to renew the ban.
The ban on foreign cruise ships – was imposed in March 2020 after a Covid-19 outbreak aboard the Ruby Princess spilled into Sydney once the vessel docked – cost the Australian economy more than A$10 billion (US$7.4 billion), the Cruise Lines International Association estimates.
Operators “are preparing for a carefully managed resumption of operations in a sector that previously supported more than 18,000 Australian jobs,” the association said in a statement ahead of the ban’s expiry.
The states of New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland outlined additional security measures for passengers and crew in preparation for the ships to return, news agency AAP reported.
Western Australia and Northern Territory will allow smaller vessels to visit their ports while Tasmania and South Australia were still to announce their plans, broadcaster ABC reported.
P&O Australia’s Pacific Explorer was expected to sail into Sydney Harbour on Monday morning from Singapore, becoming the first international cruise ship to arrive in the country, according to AAP. The ship was set to officially return to service from May 31.
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Before the Covid-19 pandemic, Australia welcomed more than 600,000 cruise ship passengers across the border from almost 350 vessels, according to government figures.
Australia reopened its borders to fully vaccinated international travellers on February 21, after nearly two years.
The country closed its borders to all but citizens and permanent residents, with few exceptions, in March 2020.
A staggered border reopening started last year, with international students, working visa holders and backpackers welcomed back in stages.
Tourism industry bodies say there’s significant pent-up demand for cruises but it remains unclear if the fear of the disease will permanently affect the sector. Travel shares globally have yet to recover the ground lost due to the pandemic and have trailed global equities significantly since the start of 2020.
Australia has relaxed border restrictions this year, relying on high vaccination rates under a strategy of learning to live with the coronavirus.
Additional reporting by Bloomberg
