Masks back on cruise ships
Cruise ships operating in Australia and New Zealand owned by Carnival Corporation will now require passengers to wear masks indoors amid concerns over Australia’s fourth Covid-19 wave.
The entire fleet owned by Carnival will implement the measures and the mandates will be enforced on ships in New Zealand waters.
Months after the mandate was scrapped for guests, cruise management said that ‘‘out of an abundance of caution’’ the health measure would return to ‘‘adapt to the evolving public health situation’’.
Carnival brands include: P&O Cruises Australia, Princess Cruises, Carnival
Cruise Line, Cunard, Holland America Line, Seabourn and P&O Cruises World Cruising.
Masks are now required on board in all public indoor spaces, outdoors when in large groups where physical distancing cannot be secured, and also during the entire embarkation and disembarkation process. They are not required when eating or drinking.
‘‘We can confirm that mask wearing is being applied on board all Carnival Corporation brand ships operating in Australia and the region as an additional safeguard in light of the current rate of Covid-19 in the general community,’’ a Carnival Australia spokesperson said.
‘‘The past two years have seen all industries, including ours, strengthen their health and safety protocols. At the same time, a majority of the population is now vaccinated.
‘‘At a time when Australia is faced with a rapid rise of Covid cases, it’s critical everyone plays their part in keeping the community safe, and we thank our guests for abiding by our requirements.’’
The news comes after weeks of skyrocketing Covid-19 cases in the midst of Australia’s ‘‘fourth wave’’.
‘‘In line with government protocols, until further notice, we will operate vaccinated cruises with our enhanced protocols. All our operations will follow these guidelines so we can maintain the confidence of the destinations we visit and deliver on our itineraries and guest experience,’’ a statement from Carnival Cruises said. ‘‘Out of an abundance of caution, for the time being, masks are required.’’
It is believed mandatory mask wearing was scrapped for guests in February and for staff last month.
Under the new requirements, 100% of crew and 95% of guests over the age of 12 must be vaccinated, and those with medical exemptions will only be accommodated within the 5% of unvaccinated passengers.
Passengers will also need to complete health screening declarations before boarding, and return a negative Covid test before boarding, among other new temporary protocols.
The announcement comes after Princess Cruises’ Majestic Princess cruise ship reported an estimated 800 of 3300 guests testing positive for Covid-19 as it docked in Sydney last weekend. The outbreak occurred during a 12-day cruise to New Zealand.