City provides reassurance around Fremantle cruise ship arrivals

The City of Fremantle is taking measures to reassure the community that there is little to no risk associated with cruise ship arrivals into Fremantle.

The City has sought advice from the relevant authorities responsible for cruise ship arrivals, including Fremantle Ports and Tourism Western Australia, amid growing community concern relating to cruise ships and COVID-19.

Fremantle Ports has advised that it is fully complying with Australian Government restrictions as part of the nation’s response to COVID-19, which are an elevation of already stringent ship-entry controls:

No cruise ships leaving a foreign port, with the exception those en-route and which have already declared their destination as Australia, may arrive in Australia. All ships, including cruise ships, must provide a mandatory declaration about the health of all persons aboard, before arriving in Fremantle. The pilot seeks a second report direct from the ship’s Master when boarding the ship off the Perth coast. If there is any doubt about the health of those on board, the ship is put to anchor and not permitted to enter the harbour until further checks are made at sea.

There were three cruise ships docked in Fremantle as of this morning.

None of these ships came from international ports within the last 14 days and all have been cruising in Australian waters. Each of these ships has undergone the screening process.

Fremantle Ports and Tourism Western Australia have provided the following specific advice with respect to protocols for the ships that were or are still in port and also any future cruise ship visits scheduled for Fremantle.

This includes strict entry protocols before the ships arrive in port.

‘The World’ cruise ship arrived in Fremantle on Friday 13 March with an estimated 140 passengers on board. Its previous port of call was Adelaide. They are currently in the process of disembarking from the ship to return home. Fremantle Port is yet to confirm a date for the ship and crew to depart. This ship has undergone the standard screening process. The ‘Queen Mary 2’ cruise ship has been sailing Australian waters for well over a month, circumnavigating Australia and visiting numerous local ports. Passengers are currently in the process of disembarking from the ship to return home. The ship is scheduled to depart at 1900 hrs on 16 March bound for Southampton. This ship has undergone the standard screening process. The ‘Costa Deliziosa’ cruise ship arrived from Albany and left this afternoon. It was previously in Adelaide with Mauritius scheduled as the next port. It is part of a world cruise that originated in Italy on the 6 January prior to the COVID-19 outbreak in that country.  Approximately 100 people disembarked from the ship today to return home, and the remainder of the guests and crew were not permitted to disembark. This ship has undergone the standard screening process. Passengers that are disembarking ships will be going to the airport to take a flight home, or in the case of WA passengers, returning home.

The Federal government has advised that all international cruise ships have been banned from sailing into Australian ports for 30 days, with this decision subject to review after that time.

Fremantle Mayor Brad Pettitt said that the strict measures put in place by Fremantle Ports and the Federal Government will ensure that there is little to no risk associated with cruise ships visiting Fremantle.

“COVID-19 is understandably creating some uncertainty around cruise ships, however given the strong measures being taken by relevant authorities the community should rest assured there is no impact to Fremantle,” Mayor Pettitt said.

“Whilst the City of Fremantle is not responsible for cruise ship arrivals, we have every confidence in the way that Fremantle Ports and the State and Federal Governments are managing the arrivals and we are working closely with them to ensure we receive accurate and up to date information.”

The Cruise Line Industry of Australia (CLIA) has also put measures in place to ensure cruise ships remain low risk for COVID -19 and have provided the following information:

The majority of more than 270 cruise ships globally continue to sail unaffected by the virus, including within Australasia – but with strict precautions in place. CLIA ocean cruise lines have introduced stringent measures including pre-screening processes to determine a person’s travel and contact history. They will deny boarding to anyone who may present an increased risk. Ships have medical facilities and medical professionals available around the clock to provide care in the event of illness and to prevent disease transmission. Cruise lines are in close consultation with health authorities globally, including the World Health Organization, regional Departments of Health, and state health authorities. No cruise ships have travelled directly from China to this region recently. Many of the vessels operating in this region have been in Australasian waters or on World Cruises for some time. No passengers or crew are permitted to board if they have come from or visited South Korea, Iran, China (including Hong Kong and Macau) and any municipality in Italy subject to lockdown measures by the Italian Govt, in the 14 days before embarkation. Cruise lines have extensive experience providing for a clean and sanitized environment, with daily procedures as well as enhanced efforts under Outbreak Prevention and Response Plans. Reporting procedures are in place to ensure regional authorities are aware of any relevant illness prior to a ship’s arrival.

There is a variety of resources available for those seeking further information about cruise ships and measures being put in place across Australian ports. These include: