Carnival ruled negligent over cruise where 662 passengers got COVID-19 early in pandemic
A cruise operator that failed to cancel a voyage from Sydney that led to a COVID-19 outbreak has been ruled negligent in an Australian class-action case
A cruise operator that allowed the Ruby Princess ocean liner to set sail from Sydney in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to a major outbreak, has been found negligent in its duty of care to passengers, according to reports.
The Federal Court of Australia delivered its verdict, stating that British-American cruise operator Carnival and its subsidiary Princess Cruises, the ship's owner, failed in their duty to take reasonable care of passengers' health and safety in relation to COVID-19, an Associated Press report said.
The Ruby Princess embarked on what was supposed to be a 13-day cruise to New Zealand on March 8, 2020, with 2,671 passengers on board, the report said.
However, the cruise was cut short, returning to Sydney after just 11 days, as Australia's borders were closing due to the escalating pandemic. Tragically, COVID-19 spread among the passengers, infecting 663 individuals and claiming the lives of 28.
