Covid-hit cruise ship Coral Princess disembarks passengers in Australia

A Princess Cruises ship is offering refunds to passengers sailing out of Brisbane as authorities deal with a major outbreak of Covid 19 among crew and guests.

The outbreak among passengers and crew aboard the Coral Princess was reported during a 12-day itinerary out of Queensland. Their ship is currently being held at port in Sydney allowing passengers to disembark.

She berthed at Circular Quay in Sydney just before dawn on Wednesday with 2,300 people onboard, where it remain for a day before returning home port in Brisbane.

The Financial Review first reported the story on Monday that around 100 people had been infected on a sailing from Port Douglas to Brisbane. Passengers were offered the option to disembark this weekend following the outbreak, however it continued sailing for New South Wales on Monday with cases isolating onboard.

The Coral Princess docks at Circular Quay, Sydney. The Coral Princess is currently experiencing a Covid-19 outbreak. Photo / Getty Images

"We are adhering to comprehensive protocols that were agreed in conjunction with federal and state authorities and we are confident that they are working effectively," a spokesperson for the cruise told press agency AAP.

There were also a port call in Eden on Monday, allowing a further 800 passengers to disembark after testing for Covid.

The cruise line said that all crew were vaccinated and being tested regularly.

This week passengers and crew who had tested positive were isolating in their quarters to minimise contact with other guests.

On Tuesday the company told AFP that passengers were informed that there were positive cases onboard detected while screening crewmembers.

"As guests look forward to their cruise holidays, we want them to be confident in knowing that everything possible is being done to ensure they do so in an environment that is as safe as it can be," said Princess Cruises.

The Queensland Health Minister Yvette D'Ath said that protocols were in place to manage Covid-19 long before news of the outbreak.

Guests who testing positive for the disease after disembarking in Brisbane were now isolating at home or in provided accommodation, while crew with positive cases remained in isolation onboard.

With 114 positive cases connected to the cluster, the Guardian reported it is Australia's largest outbreak since the Ruby Princess, which saw over 800 cases in March 2020.

Princess resisted comparisons to the Ruby cluster, saying that the handling and testing of cases was far more comprehensive than it was during early 2020.

"We have worked collaboratively with NSW health authorities on arrangements and have agreed that any guests going ashore will again first need to obtain a negative RAT result," said a statement from the cruise line on Tuesday.

The Ruby Princes cluster was investigated by New Zealand and Australian health authorities which reported "serious errors" in the handling of the outbreak, early in the pandemic.

It was found that 2,700 passengers were allowed to disembark from the Ruby Princess in March 2020 without sufficient screening.

Cruise ships resumed operations in Australia in April after a two-year hiatus. New Zealand has only just lifted their Maritime Border Order - dubbed the 'cruise ban' - to allow for the return of international pleasure cruisers this month.

The Coral Princess is due to arrive in Auckland on December 5 for a 14 day round trip of New Zealand.