No entry to WA for South Aussies aboard the Vasco da Gama

The passengers of the Vasco da Gama have heard they will float adrift on their cruise ship for at least the weekend, after it was denied entry to Fremantle.

CMV’s Vasco da Gama cruise ship transferring passengers last week in the Indian Ocean.

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Confusion surrounds the immediate fate of 44 South Australians who have heard they will spend the weekend looping aimlessly around the Indian Ocean on a cruise ship after they were refused permission to disembark in Australia on Friday.

Dean Brazier, the managing director of Adelaide’s Cruise & Maritime Voyages (CMV) which owns the Vasco da Gama, said he heard second hand on Thursday that the passengers would be unable to get off the ship in Fremantle on March 27 (nine days after it was agreed) via an announcement by the Premier of Western Australia, Mark McGowan.

The cruise ship has 798 Australians and 108 New Zealanders on board and was on an around the world trip when it was recalled after leaving Singapore earlier this month when a passenger was suspected, wrongly, of being COVID-19 positive.

“We are doing everything we can to gather the facts of this situation to advise our guests, agents and community,” said a frustrated Mr Brazier, a former senior executive with Phil Hoffman Travel.

“Unfortunately we cannot confirm all details until the WA Premier’s office consults with us. We understand that all Western Australians will be transferred to Rottnest Island to spend 14 days in self-isolation before being allowed to continue with their onwards journey.”

Mr Brazier is waiting to hear from the WA government what plans were in place for all other passengers who will no longer be permitted to self-isolate on Rottnest Island as was announced on Wednesday this week.

Contrary to the Premier’s statement, neither Cruise & Maritime Voyages nor the captain of the Vasco da Gama were formally advised entry to Fremantle would be delayed before the Premier told the media on Thursday afternoon, Mr Brazier said.

All New Zealanders on board will stay on the ship until they can travel directly to New Zealand.

There are no recorded no health issues with any guests or crew members on board Vasco da Gama, Mr Brazier said.

By Saturday, the passengers will have been at sea for 15 days without disembarking the ship or being in contact with anyone not a guest or crew member, placing them outside the 14-day incubation period for COVID-19. No crew members are from South Australia.

The ship originally left Fremantle on February 12 to Britain before the trip was cancelled on March 13 and five days later all non-Australian and New Zealand nationals and residents were transferred to a sister ship Columbus.

There was some good news for CMV staff on a day of mass job losses elsewhere, with CMV Australia confirming it will not be making any staff cuts because of COVID-19.