Editorial: Cruise ships return to Australia post Covid - are they safe?

The Carnival Sunshine in Charleston. US federal officials in March dropped a health warning that had been attached to sailing on cruise ships since the pandemic began. Photo / AP

EDITORIAL:

Cruise ships are returning to Australasia after a hard two years laid up by Covid-19.

The hugely popular form of tourism has a fair bit to prove after the early stages of the pandemic. Voyages, in which passengers caught Covid on board during outbreaks, received a lot of attention.

Even before those waves which scuppered sailings, the industry was controversial for its impact on beauty spots, bringing crowds, emissions, and pollution to quiet areas.

Cruise sailing got off to a rocky start in Australia last month when 12 out of 91 people on a voyage from Darwin to Broome tested positive aboard the Coral Discoverer. Coral Expeditions said all passengers were triple-vaccinated, in line with Western Australia's requirements. New South Wales, Victoria, and Queensland have also outlined testing and vaccination measures for passengers and crew.

The New Zealand Government has said it is likely cruise ships will be boarding here this summer.

Even with precautions there's risk involved, as there is in any indoor situation with crowds of people.

Some ships have had their air filter systems updated and firms have their own safety plans.

In mid-March, federal officials in the US dropped a health warning attached to cruises since the start of the pandemic. The US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention says it is now up to tourists to decide whether they feel safe getting on a ship.

However, the CDC is investigating a ship, the Ruby Princess, after a spate of infections on several sailings.

It's worth remembering specific voyages may make headlines but there are hundreds of cruise ships sailing in different regions at any time especially Europe entering summer. Some cruise travel took place in the Northern Hemisphere last year.

There are options that influence levels of risk. Some firms run huge vessels of 2000 to 3000 passengers, catering to younger and middle-aged people including family groups. Others specialise in smaller ships from about 800 to 2000 passengers and are geared towards older adults.

On any voyage, there are shore excursions and areas on the vessel where people can be in the open air. It's also up to the individual how much contact they have with others, and good-quality masks are crucial.

The Cruise Lines International Association said pre-pandemic 106,300 Kiwis went on an ocean cruise in 2019. It says about 280 ships will be sailing globally by July.

Once Europe and North America have successfully sailed through summer, it will be clearer if it's still worth it.