Cruise family files $1.6m suit
Princess Cruises has been accused of knowing about coronavirus outbreaks during the past two voyages of the Ruby Princess and ‘‘recklessly’’ putting lives at risk by continuing ‘‘business as usual’’, according to a lawsuit filed in the United States.
The complaint, obtained by Nine, has been filed by the family of Ruby Princess passenger and Los Angeles resident Chung Chen, who died on April 4 as a result of Covid-19. Chen’s widow, Juishan Hsu, and daughter, Vivian, who were also on board the ship and fell ill with the virus, are seeking damages in excess of US$1 million (NZ$1.6m) in the District Court of California.
The Ruby Princess is at the centre of Australia’s coronavirus outbreak, having been linked to the deaths of 19 Australians and more than 600 cases of coronavirus since passengers were allowed to disembark in Sydney without health checks on March 19. It is also linked to a Covid-19 cluster in Hawke’s Bay after a Napier visit on March 15. There were 56 New Zealanders on board.
Nine can reveal that crew members, who are currently stranded on the ship near Port Kembla, fear they could be sent ‘‘to their deaths’’ if they fall ill after it is forced to depart for the Philippines in coming days.
The overseas lawsuit, filed on Wednesday, sensationally accuses the corporate office of Princess Cruises of being aware of coronavirus outbreaks not only during the now infamous voyage from March 8 to 19 – when the ship visited Wellington as well as Napier – but also the voyage beforehand, from February 24 to March 8.
The company had placed ‘‘profits over the safety of its passengers’’ and was grossly negligent when it allowed passengers including Chen to join the ‘‘infected’’ ship on March 8, the complaint says.
Passengers boarded without proper screening alongside crew who had already been exposed to the virus and some of whom had ‘‘[come] down with the symptoms’’, it alleges.
Soon, coronavirus was ‘‘running rampant’’ on the second voyage, around New Zealand, and when Princess Cruises became aware, it added ‘‘insult to injury’’ by failing to quarantine passengers.
‘‘They didn’t even bother to notify the passengers that there was an actual outbreak, allowing the sailing to continue as if it were a normal cruise, up until the time it returned to Australia three days early,’’ the complaint says.
Princess Cruises, which is owned by Carnival Corporation, has denied all of the allegations.
‘‘As this is the subject of active litigation in another country, we do not wish to add further comment at this time,’’ a spokesman said.
It has been reported that the ship was deemed ‘‘medium risk’’ by NSW Health because of 158 sick passengers on board when it docked on March 8.
However, according to a statement issued by Princess Cruises, there was no reason for the second voyage to be cancelled, because swabs taken by NSW Health from people on board had tested negative for Covid-19.
In response to questions about what cleaning was carried out on March 8, a Princess Cruises spokesman said the ship was disinfected ‘‘over and above already high standards based on the best international public health advice’’ using a disinfectant that is ‘‘known to kill coronaviruses in 30 seconds’’.
Revelations of the US lawsuit came on the same day NSW Police sharpened their focus on the earlier of the two voyages as part of a criminal investigation into the embattled ship.
State Crime Commander and Assistant Commissioner Stuart Smith said passengers who travelled on an earlier voyage were being called on for the first time to assist with inquiries.
It means more than 5000 passengers, as well as crew members on both voyages, have now been asked to complete an online survey that includes questions related to health practices and any other information gleaned while on board.
The ship is now marooned off the NSW coast with over 1000 crew members on board, but will soon depart for the Philippines.
Two of the hundreds of crew members told Nine their biggest fear was falling ill and needing a ventilator during their 14-day journey to Manila.
The crew members, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said they feared being further isolated on the ship if their names were published.
‘‘Essentially they are sending people to their deaths if they are sick when we are out at sea,’’ one said.
‘‘We have a very small number of medical staff, roughly about seven, and no ventilators that I am aware of. If we get sick, we can’t get a helicopter to medically evacuate anyone because we will be in the middle of the sea and too far away.’’ Nine