Major operators exempt, small operators drowning: Australia’s cruise ship confusion

Eighteen months after the Ruby Princess Covid-19 outbreak there are still no pathways to return to cruising, tourism industry says, leaving SA operators adrift.

The federal government put a stop to cruising in March 2020, not long after the Covid-19 pandemic began in earnest.

The immediate ban on all cruise ship operations and tours began after patrons disembarked a Covid-19 infected cruise liner in NSW.

The Ruby Princess incident triggered a major outbreak, resulting in 28 deaths when the ship‘s crew of 2700 people were released into the community.

The ban has left a $6bn hole in the nation‘s economy, 18,000 cruise-related workers jobless and thousands of tour operators near walking the plank, if not already to close.

Eighteen months on, the sting of the ban can still be felt by some operators, like Port Lincoln-based, Swagabout Tours owner and sole-trader Peter Crettenden.

SA tourist company operator Peter Crettenden of Swagabout Tours. Picture: Supplied

Mr Crettenden is missing out on the statewide tourism ‘boom’ since the initiation of the cruise ban slashed his revenue by 45 per cent.

The restrictions were declared in line with the emergency amendment to the human biosecurity act at the beginning of the pandemic and were initially in place until June 17.

Cruise liners with a capacity of 100+ guests were refused to enter Australian waters and those capable of carrying less than 100 required federal exemption, with feasible reasoning and evidence of economical benefit to Australia.

The cruise ship ban has since been extended until September 17, leaving operators like Mr Crettenden out to sea while the rest of the South Australian tourism industry is back in action.

“The number of sole traders who are just one person operations right across the country are the heart and soul of the tourism industry, really,” Mr Crettenden said.

“They count us in their numbers (statistics) but when it comes to the crunch, you know, we‘re essentially unemployed.”

Mr Crettenden quit his government job for a career in tourism and runs his business entirely on his own.

He says he feels forgotten when it comes to government assistance and support payments.

“Last year I didn‘t qualify for any of the state government grants because I ran a home office and I didn’t employ anybody and I wasn’t considered to be employed,” he said.

“This year I got one $1000 payment, but even that, I mean, if you‘re paying off a vehicle, that’s one month’s payment.”

Mr Crettenden saw the potential for tours in Port Lincoln, where cruises and ships, pre-Covid, would dock for the day, bringing business to the region’s retailers and restaurants.

The step-on tour guide is now seeking answers as the industry approaches nearly 18 months out of operation.

Sture Myrmell, President of Carnival Australia and P&O Cruises Australia, said Mr Crettenden’s business one of many that revolve around cruising.

“Businesses benefit from the economic activity generated by cruising but the flow has now been cut off for more than a year with no indication of when the tap might be turned on again,” he said.

“This loss of business opportunity for so many underlines why it is so important for federal and state governments to engage and agree on a pathway for the resumption of domestic cruising, knowing that it will be months before any cruise ship can return to Australia.”

Despite the international ban for cruising luxury tour company the APT Travel Group were granted an exemption to resume sail in April, and in June hosted Australia’s first domestic cruise since the beginning of the pandemic.

APT cruise ship MS Caledonian Sky. Picture: APT Travel Group

“After many months of negotiations, APT received the official notification that it had met all the conditions required to enter Australia and was granted permission by the Australian Federal Government, including Australian Border Force, for the MS Caledonian Sky to return to Australian waters,” APT managing director Chris Hall said.

The company have been sailing around Western Australia in a small-capacity vessel MS Caledonian Sky, focusing tours on intrastate itineraries intended to reduce conflict with fluctuating border closures.

“These new cruises include intrastate cruising options that have been specifically designed to meet the needs of our current climate, providing a remarkable opportunity for passengers to explore their home states in a new way while also supporting local businesses in the areas we operate,” Mr Hall said.

With a 99 passenger capacity to comply with their federal arrangement, the company’s 2021 season across WA has sold out, with tickets for seasons 2022 and 2023 already proving popular across other states.

CEO of Tourism Industry Council South Australia Shaun de Bruyn. Picture: TiCSA

Both Mr Crettenden and Tourism Industry Council SA (TICSA) CEO Shaun DeBruyn are clueless about the what is required to resume cruising in SA, and speculated the national 80 per cent vaccination target may be the ticket.

“That’s what we believe based on Scott Morrison’s plan for getting out of the pandemic” Mr DeBruyn said.

“From the industry association point of view it‘s incredibly important that these restrictions are lifted.”

While South Australia’s government offers tourism grants and funding to businesses in honour of a successful year, Mr Crettenden is left anticipating the resumption of cruises just to keep business afloat.

“We understand the restrictions are there to deliver a health outcome that we are all desperate to see but we also have an economic and mental health costs being encountered at the moment,” Mr DeBruyn said.