Mask mandates return on cruise ships in New Zealand and Australia

Masks will again be mandatory on cruise ships in New Zealand and Australia, if they are owned by Carnival Corporation.

Carnival Cruises reintroduced a mask mandate for passengers following Australia’s fourth wave of Covid-19.

People will have to wear masks while indoors during the cruises, regardless of whether they are in Australian or New Zealand waters. In addition, passengers will be required to complete a health declaration and return a negative Covid test right before boarding.

This is months after the mandate was dropped for guests but has been brought back “out of an abundance of caution” according to cruise management. The measure was framed as an adaptation to “the evolving public health situation”

Several well-known cruise brands are owned by Carnival Corporation including P&O Cruises Australia, Princess Cruises, Carnival Cruise Line, Cunard, Holland America Line, Seabourn and P&O Cruises World Cruising.

Passengers on board these cruise ships will be required to wear a mask when embarking and debarking, in public indoor spaces and in crowded outdoor spaces where physical distancing is not possible.

A Carnival Australia spokesperson confirmed this measure was in response to Covid-19.

“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,” they said.

Covid-19 cases have recently surged in Australia across recent weeks. The increase has been dubbed Australia’s ‘fourth wave’.

Just last weekend, Princess Cruise’s Majestic Princess cruise ship had approximately 800 guests test positive for Covid-19 when it docked in Sydney.

The ship had taken passengers on a 12-day cruise around New Zealand. During the journey, a Princess Cruises spokesperson said people were infected with mild symptoms or no symptoms at all.

Guests who tested positive for Covid had to isolate during the cruise, then be taken to a destiantion of their choice by private transport organised by the cruise company.

Canrival Cruises said they would continue to operate vaccinated cruises that followed governmetn protocols and “enhanced protocols”, until further notice.

Herald understands guests have not been mandated to wear masks since February, while staff mask mandates were dropped last month.

New requirements mean all crew and 95 per cent of guests over the age of 12 must be vaccinated. Only those with a medical exemption can make up the remaining 5 per cent of passengers.