Majestic Princess cruise ship docks with 800 positive Covid cases onboard

A huge cruise ship with hundreds of positive cases on-board is set to disembark in Sydney early this morning.

A cruise ship with around 800 cases of Covid-19 on board has docked in Sydney on Saturday morning just as the state declares a fourth wave of the virus.

The Majestic Princess pulled into Sydney’s international cruise ship passenger terminal at Circular Quay at around 6am on Saturday.

Video posted to social media captured the moment it pulled into the harbour with passengers clinging to their balcony.

Sharon and Stephen Leslie after disembarking the Princess Cruises Majestic Princess. Picture: Tim Hunter.

Almost one in four guests on board have now been diagnosed with Covid-19 after a 12-day trip around New Zealand.

Passengers Stephen and Sharon Leslie said while they felt safe onboard the cruise, they were disappointed another outbreak had occurred.

“It’s just disappointing for the cruise industry … and towards the end it did spoil things a bit,” Mrs Leslie told the Daily Telegraph.

The Majestic Princess cruise ship has been hit by an outbreak of Covid-19. Picture: Julian Andrews

Danielle Whitney-Smart was forced to spend the last few days of her first-cruise experience stuck in her cabin.

“It was great but definitely strange by the end,” Ms Smart told the Daily Telegraph.

She said she “couldn’t fault” the cruise company who ramped up cleaning protocols to manage the spread of rising cases.

Ambulance crews were standing by at the overseas passenger terminal as people prepared to disembark the ship.

A Princess Cruises spokesperson confirmed the outbreak and said positive cases were isolating in their rooms this morning.

There are 800 passengers on-board with COVID-19. Picture: Julian Andrews

“These guests are mildly symptomatic or asymptomatic and are isolating in their staterooms. All unimpacted guests are wearing masks and this will continue when they disembark in Sydney on 12 November,” the spokesperson said in a statement.

“Reflective of the increase in community transmission, we too have seen more guests test positive for Covid-19 on the current voyage of Majestic Princess.”

The #MajesticPrincess is pulling into Sydney Harbour right now. May it not be a giant superspreader in this stunning city. pic.twitter.com/LWXIv0JvyJ

— David Wild (@Wildaboutmusic) November 11, 2022

The outbreak is the single biggest case of cruise ship infections in Australia since the Ruby Princess docked in 2020.

There were 900 covid cases on board that ship and 28 people died during the subsequent outbreak.

NSW Health is liaising with the cruise operator in the wake of the outbreak to “monitor the health of its passengers and crew members”.

“NSW Health’s assessment is that the Covid-19 risk level for the Majestic Princess is now Tier 3, which indicates a high level of transmission,” a spokesman said in a statement.

Private transport has been arranged for guests who have tested positive to travel to isolation.

The Covic-19 risk level is now Tier 3. Picture: Julian Andrews

There are a total of 4600 people on board including 1300 crew. Picture: Julian Andrews

“Carnival has advised NSW Health that passengers disembarking from the ship have undertaken a rapid antigen test in the 24 hours leading up to disembarkation,” a NSW Health spokesman said.

“Carnival has advised NSW Health that they are assisting passengers with Covid-19 to make safe onward travel arrangements.”

There are currently 4600 people on-board the Majestic Princess – 3300 guests and 1300 crew.

It comes as a fourth wave of Covid has been declared in most eastern states. Picture: Julian Andrews

Ambulance crews were waiting for passengers to disembark. Picture: Julian Andrews

The outbreak comes as its announced that NSW has entered a fourth wave of Covid-19, with chief health officer Dr Kerry Chant saying that current omicron variants circulating in the community are able to escape immunity.

“The wave is taking off with some trajectory, it will be quite a steep wave and hopefully the decline will be equally as steep,” she told ABC.

It is the latest in a string of cruise ship Covid outbreaks after the infamous Ruby Princess in 2020. Picture: Julian Andrews

“That’s why it’s important the community takes these protective measures now and I can’t stress the urgency — if you’re going to get vaccinated do it immediately.”