Hundreds of COVID-19 positive passengers disembark Majestic Princess after cruise ship docks in Sydney

Hundreds of COVID-19 positive travellers are disembarking a cruise ship docked in Sydney this morning, with passengers advised not to catch public transport home. 

The Majestic Princess carried 3,300 guests and 1,300 crew on a 12-day cruise to New Zealand, with at least 20 per cent of passengers contracting COVID-19.

Speaking in Circular Quay where the vessel docked on Saturday morning, Carnival Australia president Marguerite Fitzgerald confirmed 800 COVID cases had been recorded, and the majority of infections were among passengers. 

“We have been proactively preparing for and managing incidences of COVID-19 and working with NSW Health,” she told reporters.

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“We started to see elevated cases about half way through this voyage.”

Ms Fitzgerald said most infected guests had mild symptoms or were asymptomatic and had been isolating in their cabins. 

Passengers who tested negative for the virus were allowed to disembark the cruise ship first, those who tested positive exited on a deck-by-deck basis through a separate door. 

Ms Fitzgerald said COVID positive passengers were advised not to use public transport when they disembark. 

“To help all our guests return home, we are working with all guests who have tested positive for COVID-19 to assist them with accessing private transport and accommodation to complete their isolation period,” she said.

“As they are getting off, they have advised how they will be returning home.”

NSW Health on Friday night ranked the Majestic Princess as a tier three COVID risk level, which indicates a high level of transmission.

All guests onboard were advised to wear masks and were required to take a rapid antigen test in the last 24 hours to determine how they would disembark.

Uninfected guests disembarking the Majestic Princess on Saturday morning told the Daily Telegraph they were satisfied with the precautions taken by the cruise line. 

“We felt safe most of the time … they were cleaning the whole time,” passenger Sharon Leslie told the publication.

Sharon Kluger said the cruise line kept passengers informed as the outbreak worsened. 

“We weren’t worried about COVID, we were just doing our own thing and wearing our masks,” she said.

It comes as Chief Health Officer Kerry Chant warned New South Wales had entered its fourth COVID-19 wave. 

There are currently 974 COVID-19 patients in NSW hospitals including 32 in ICU, while this week cases jumped from 12,450 to 19,800.