Information for the cruise industry - This fact sheet applies to all international voyages entering Australia.
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Novel coronavirus Coronavirus Disease
(COVID-19) (COVID-19)
Information for the cruise industry
This fact sheet applies to all international voyages entering Australia.
From 9 pm on 20 March 2020 Australia will deny entry to travellers from foreign
countries. Some exemptions to international maritime crew will apply.
Additional immigration, reporting requirements and isolation recommendations apply to
international cruise ships and their passengers and crew.
What are the symptoms of COVID-19?
Symptoms of COVID-19 include fever, cough, sore throat, fatigue and difficulty breathing.
Difficulty breathing is a sign of possible pneumonia that requires immediate medical
attention.
What is Australia doing?
From 9 pm on 20 March 2020 Australia denied entry to foreign travellers.
Exceptions include Australian citizens and permanent residents (and their immediate family)
and New Zealand citizens resident in Australia. International maritime crew will also have
some exemptions. More information on the ban and exemptions is available from Australian
Border Force.
On the 15 March 2020, the Australian Government announced a temporary ban on the entry
of cruise ships that have left a foreign port. The ban will last for an initial 30 days. Some
cruise ships are exempt from the ban and may apply to arrive at an Australian port. More
information on the ban and exemption is available from Australian Border Force.
From 16 March 2020, all travellers arriving in Australia are required to undertake a
precautionary self-isolation period of 14 days after entry into Australia but there are some
exceptions to the 14 day period. Travellers arriving in Australia will also be required to
complete an ‘Isolation Declaration Card’. For more information about isolation requirements
for travellers, read the ‘Information for Travellers’ and ‘Isolation guidance’ fact sheet. Go to
www.health.gov.au/covid19-travellers.
Travellers arriving from any country may also be subject to health screening on arrival in
Australia.
Information is being provided to travellers at international ports explaining the symptoms of
COVID-19 and encouraging them to report to biosecurity officers if they have symptoms
while in the port.
The Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment is in contact with international
vessels to ensure they understand the requirements and comply with pre-arrival reporting of
ill travellers.
Australia requires any cruise vessel arriving in Australia to deliver verbal announcements to
encourage self-reporting of ill health by travellers, and to inform travellers of their obligation
to declare whether they are experiencing specific symptoms.
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Information for the cruise industry – version 5 (15/03/2020)
Coronavirus disease (COVID-19)What happens to vessels subject to the COVID-19 ban on
cruise ships?
Information is available from Australian Border Force on vessel requirements and
exemptions under the ban, including eligibility to apply to dock at an Australian port during
the ban and the process for application.
Crew and passengers disembarking from cruise vessels during the ban are still subject to
self-isolation requirements.
What happens to people who are on cruises internationally
during the temporary ban period?
Australian Border Force is working with the cruise industry to bring everyone who was on a
cruise when the ban was announced safely back to port and on to their home destinations
either in Australia or overseas.
What are the isolation requirements for cruise ship passengers
and crew?
On arrival in Australia you will need to self-isolate as per the isolation recommendations for
cruise ship crew and passengers.
Passengers and crew disembarking from cruise ships that have entered Australian waters on
or after 16 March 2020 will need to self-isolate in their home or accommodation for up to 14
days. If there were no suspected or confirmed COVID-19 cases on-board the ship, the time
since leaving the last foreign port counts towards the 14 days, otherwise the 14 days starts
from the day of disembarkation from the ship. If 14 days has passed since leaving the
last foreign port and there are no suspected or confirmed COVID-19 cases on-board,
passengers and crew are not required to self-isolate on arrival in Australia.
Cruise ship passengers and crew will be advised how long they need to isolate for on
disembarkation.
Self-isolation requirements for cruise ship passengers can be found in the ‘Information for
travellers’ and ‘Isolation guidance’ fact sheets. Go to www.health.gov.au/covid19-travellers.
Self-isolation requirements for cruise ship crew are available from Australian Border Force.
There are no isolation requirements for cruise ships that have remained in Australian waters.
What is self-isolation?
Self-isolation means you should not attend public places, in particular work, school, childcare
or university.
Also, you should not have visitors to your residence or accommodation. Detailed information
can be found in the ‘Isolation guidance’ fact sheet. Go to www.health.gov.au/covid19-
travellers.
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Coronavirus disease (COVID-19)Can disembarking crew or passengers fly home within Australia
or take public transport if they are required to self-isolate?
Yes. Providing they have no signs or symptoms of COVID-19, people can fly domestically in
Australia to reach their home or accommodation, and can take public transport or taxis.
However, they must complete their required period of up to 14 days of isolation on reaching
their destination and follow other advice in the ‘Isolation guidance’ fact sheet.
Can disembarking crew and passengers fly out of Australia
before their isolation period has ended?
Yes. But they must self-isolate for the duration of their stay in Australia in their home or
accommodation or in the airport or seaport and follow guidance in the ‘Isolation guidance’
fact sheet. Go to www.health.gov.au/covid19-travellers
What is the cruise industry required to report?
As per the normal pre-arrival reporting requirements, all cruise vessels permitted to dock in
Australian territory are still legally required to report ill passengers and crew on the pre-arrival
report via the Maritime Arrivals Reporting System (MARS). The pre-arrival report has been
updated to include questions around travel history.
If an ill traveller is reported through MARS, a biosecurity officer will liaise with the vessel to
screen for COVID-19 and other serious infectious diseases. Biosecurity officers do this by
administering the ‘Traveller with Illness Checklist’ to the ill passenger or crew member, or by
discussing case diagnoses with the ship’s doctor. A biosecurity officer or human biosecurity
officer may then issue directions for the management of a suspected case of COVID-19
which are legally required to be followed.
All international cruise vessels are required to deliver on-board announcements to travellers
prior to the vessel docking at an Australian seaport to encourage self-reporting of ill health
Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment will provide internationally operating
cruise ships with pre-recorded messages for the on-board verbal announcement in a number
of languages.
What if someone requires medical attention?
As per the normal process, all ill passengers and crew should be referred to the ship’s doctor
for assessment. The ship’s doctor will be informed of the current status of
COVID-19 and will be able to assess the risk based on travel history and exposure.
For passengers or crew presenting with influenza-like illness:
Where point of care testing for influenza is available, two samples should be
collected using droplet precautions.
The point of care influenza test should be performed on one sample, and the second
sample (nasopharyngeal swab or sputum) should be placed in a sheath or tube (e.g.
with viral transport medium/dry rayon) and stored in a refrigerator, if able, for later
SARS-CoV-2 testing.
The second sample should be provided to state or territory health personnel on
arrival at the port of call in Australia for COVID-19 testing.
Clinical factsheets are also available to assist in the management of suspected cases of
COVID-19.
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Coronavirus disease (COVID-19)If a person is very ill and needs further medical attention, the operator of the vessel is
responsible for requesting medical or ambulance services. The operator should inform
medical or ambulance services if anyone on-board is a suspected COVID-19 case or been in
close contact with a confirmed case of COVID-19, and the travel history of the ill traveller and
the vessel over the past 14 days.
Notifying a biosecurity officer of an ill traveller(s) will not interfere with a vessel being met by
medical or ambulance services.
Is there information available for passengers and crew?
The Department of Health is providing additional communication material for travellers
(including passengers and crew) at Australian international airports and seaports. This
material informs travellers about COVID-19 and what to do if they have come from a risk
area and are ill. The information sheets are updated regularly and are available at
www.health.gov.au/covid19-travellers.
How can cruise providers reduce the risk to passengers and
crew?
Vessels should actively encourage passengers and crew to seek immediate medical
assessment for any respiratory illnesses.
Crew should be advised to continue to follow existing employer infection prevention work
instructions when in contact with ill passengers, including the use of personal protective
equipment (PPE) when recommended by employer work instructions.
Person to person spread of COVID-19 can occur, but it is not yet understood how easily this
happens. The following measures will help reduce the risk of illness on-board cruise vessels:
Crew and passengers should be encouraged to practise good hand hygiene and
good sneeze/cough hygiene:
o Wash hands often with soap and water, or use alcohol-based hand rub,
before and after eating as well as after going to the toilet; and
o Cough and sneeze into the elbow or a clean tissue, dispose of the tissue and
use alcohol based hand sanitiser.
Crew and passengers should be encouraged to avoid touching the face (mouth, eyes,
and nose) with unwashed or gloved hands.
Crew should use appropriate PPE if close contact with an ill passenger is required.
If PPE is used, it should be fitted and worn properly.
Cruise ships should ensure appropriate cleaning and disinfection activities are
undertaken.
Are crew required to wear PPE?
Vessel crew are not routinely required to wear any additional PPE while embarked.
If a crew member is required to assist a passenger (and their close personal contacts) who is
unwell, the crew member should:
wear a surgical mask, disposable full-length gown, gloves and eye protection;
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Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) remove any PPE carefully (without touching the front of mask, gown or outside of
gloves) to avoid self-contamination;
dispose of used PPE carefully in biohazard bags and use alcohol-based hand
sanitiser immediately after tying the bag tightly closed; and
wear clean gloves to clean and then disinfect surrounding surfaces with a broad
spectrum disinfectant which is effective against human norovirus.
When cleaning toilets used by unwell passengers or surfaces visibly contaminated with body
fluids, crew members should:
wear a surgical mask, disposable full-length gown, gloves and eye protection;
clean and then disinfect surrounding surfaces with a broad spectrum disinfectant
which has effectiveness against human norovirus;
remove any PPE carefully (without touching the front of mask, gown or outside of
gloves) to avoid self-contamination; and
dispose of used PPE carefully in biohazard bags and use alcohol-based hand rub
immediately after tying the bag tightly closed.
What cleaning and disinfection activities are appropriate?
Cruise ships should follow existing protocols for cleaning and disinfection.
In response to a suspected or confirmed case of COVID-19, cruise ships should follow
existing protocols for cleaning and disinfection for outbreaks of gastrointestinal
illness/gastroenteritis outbreaks. Protocols targeted at managing human norovirus outbreaks
are sufficient.
Baggage and packages:
No additional precautions are recommended for baggage and packages that
accompany ill travellers. Routine precautions are recommended.
Handling linen, dishes, cutlery:
No additional precautions are recommended. Routine practices and precautions for
handling potentially contaminated articles are sufficient.
Waste management:
No additional precautions are recommended for the handling of standard waste. All
personnel handling waste should use standard precautions and perform hand
hygiene after removing PPE.
Medical waste and PPE potentially contaminated with SARS-COV-2 should be
disposed of in a biohazard bag and tied tightly.
Waste disposal and destruction should be conducted according to standard protocols,
legislation and regulations.
Other information
The Department of Health is closely monitoring the situation in collaboration with the World
Health Organization and Australian states and territories.
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Coronavirus disease (COVID-19)Where can I get more information about COVID-19?
For questions about the temporary ban on international cruise ships:
Contact the Australian Border Force Border Operations Centre at +61 1300 368 126
For human biosecurity questions:
Contact the Maritime National Co-ordination Centre 1300 004 605 operating hours
6am-6pm Australian Central Standard Time, for urgent after hours enquiries call
+61 417 666 648.
For general COVID-19 questions:
Visit www.health.gov.au
Call the National Coronavirus Health Information Line on 1800 020 080. The line
operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
If you need to communicate with a non-English speaking person, contact the
Translating and Interpreting Service (TIS National). Telephone interpreters are
available immediately on 131 450.
This fact sheet is periodically updated. Please check Health’s website for the current version.
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