In less than a week, Australian vacationers can fly overseas and travel on cruise, but ships are still banned in our waters.
Cruises resumed in other parts of the world months ago.
The Cruise Line International Association told 9News that more than three million people have safely cruised since then.
Australia is the only remaining country where cruises have not resumed. (Luise Kennerley)
Australia is the only remaining major market where cruises have not resumed.
“A lot of the cruise community have booked overseas cruises, they just want to go back to sea,” said Honida Beram of the Cruising With Honey blog.
Cruise ships have been banned in Australia since the Ruby Princess disaster in March 2020. This ban is due to expire on December 18.
Under a restart plan, Australia could begin domestic cruises before ships call at international destinations.
The federal government says on its website: “As of March 27, 2020, cruise ships flying a foreign flag have not been allowed to enter Australian waters (with a few exceptions).
“The Australian government has extended the ban on cruise lines until December 17, 2021, but that does not mean that the ban will be lifted at that time.”
Joel Katz of the Cruise Line International Association said, “The federal government is responsible for the borders and the state government is responsible for health, so we need to be able to sit down with the state governments to get the health teams to finalize these protocols that the industry is proposing Has.”
NSW Prime Minister Dominic Perrottet said the state government will “do everything it can” to get back on the cruise as safely and quickly as possible.
The cruise industry is very popular in Australia.
According to the NSW Port Authority, 1,240 cruise lines visited 47 Australian ports in 2019.
Passengers, crew members, and cruise lines spent $ 2.5 billion, with Sydney being the main port, but regional areas also benefited.
Cruise operators need confirmation of when they can resume as soon as possible.
It takes between 90 and 120 days to get your ships up and running. Many are currently in the northern hemisphere.
When cruises resume in our waters at some point, there will be a number of health measures.
All passengers and crew must be double vaccinated and tested negative before boarding.
Places around the world “untouched” by COVID-19
If someone tests positive for the virus during the cruise, rooms will be reserved for isolation and there will be medical facilities on the ships where staff will receive additional training in treating COVID-19.
Cruise enthusiasts hope that the industry will surely start again in Australia next year.
“I am absolutely confident that cruising will be a safe way to travel,” said Ms. Beram.
