Timeline to tragedy aboard the cursed Ruby Princess cruise ship

The Ruby Princess cruise ship fiasco has led to at least 20 deaths and counting.

Contaminated cruise ship Ruby Princess berths in Port Kembla south of Sydney, NSW as the crew undergo investigation due to a coronavirus outbreak Wednesday, April 15, 2020. (The Australian/Simon Bullard)

When the Ruby Princess cruise liner arrived into Sydney Harbour in the early hours of March 19, a deadly outbreak of the novel coronavirus was already rapidly spreading throughout the ship and infecting nearly 4,000 people on board.

What happened in the days after shocked the nation, exposed a monumental failing in national biosecurity protocols, and sparked a criminal and special commission of inquiry.

Hundreds of infected passengers were permitted to disembark from the ship without standard health checks—and before COVID-19 testing on unwell passengers had been completed. These passengers took the contagion across the country to regional towns and communities. Some left on flights overseas, stopping in cafes and bars unaware that they were at risk of spreading the virus.

At least 20 passengers have since died after walking off the 19-deck liner, accounting for about a third of the national COVID-19 death toll. No state has been left untouched by the fiasco.

The police investigation, which will take months to complete, is expected to have profound consequences for how the cruise industry operates, and how Australia safeguards its maritime borders.

The questions that remain unanswered include how such a colossal bureaucratic disaster was able to occur, whether maritime safeguards were adequate to begin with, and most importantly, whether the deaths linked back to the Ruby Princess could have been prevented.

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Collision course: the Ruby Princess’s movements

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The victims

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How we covered the story

March 27

Coronavirus: Police called to keep cruise ships at bay

March 31

Cruise liner Ruby Princess coronavirus infection spreads to community

April 2

Coronavirus: COVID-19 military mission to end cruise drama

April 3

Coronavirus: NSW top cop in death ship probe as Ruby Princess toll jumps to 7

April 4

Revealed: Ruby Princess told officials of COVID-19 illnesses

April 6

Coronavirus: Ruby Princess docks at Port Kembla, 200 crew displaying symptoms

April 7

Coronavirus: Critics condemn 18-month delay for Ruby Princess case

Coronavirus: Criminal investigation begins as Ruby Princess death toll mounts

April 9

Coronavirus: Officers board to question Ruby Princess crew

April 14

Cruise line in frame for virus ship fallout

Ruby Princess kitchen ‘feeds a further fiasco’

April 15

Coronavirus Australia: Health fear for Ruby Princess’s Captain Corona

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