Why are there NO CRUISE SHIPS in Australia in 2020? Australia Unprecedented Cruise Ship Eviction!

With people across the globe in various forms of mandatory lock down, cruise ships are being laid up around the world, and popular cruise ports such as Miami, Fort Lauderdale and Southampton are now full of static cruise ships. But Australia’s ports are noticeably empty of cruise ships, following a nation-wide eviction of cruise vessels from Australian ports.In Mid-March, the Australian Government banned cruise ships across the nation. The ban was announced at the same time as Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison instructed all travellers arriving into Australia to enter into a mandatory 14-day isolation period. On 1 April the situation escalated when, in an unprecedented move, the New South Wales Police – who have jurisdiction over Sydney’s cruise ports – ordered P&O Australia’s Pacific Explorer to leave the harbour.In response, P&O Australia President released a video statement to express his disappointment and dismay, highlighting that P&O employs many Australians, and are the only line to have been permanently based in Australia. For those of you who are interested see the full video: https://youtu.be/Af1oWtHll6Y Pacific Explorer is by no means the only Australian based cruise ship to be caught in limbo. P&O’s Pacific Aria, which has been based in Australian waters since 2015, recently left Melbourne with her scheduled destination listed as Jakarta. Pacific Dawn is now slowly sailing up the east coast of Australia heading for the Bismark Sea near Papua New Guinea.Carnival Spirit has been at anchor off Gladstone in Queensland and is expected to leave local waters in the coming days. Cunard’s Queen Elizabeth was scheduled to commence a circumnavigation of Australia in April, the first time the ship would circle the continent. However at the conclusion of her 15 March Tasmanian voyage, Queen Elizabeth was temporarily withdrawn from service as Cunard entered a voluntary cruising pause.In the weeks since, the ship has spent much of her time at anchor off Gladstone, in the company of other Carnival Corp ships. In early April, the ship made a brief visit to Brisbane where she was refuelled before sailing northbound. While it is expected she will head towards Asia, her exact destination is not yet known. Queen Elizabeth is sailing with only her crew aboard and no one aboard has any medical concerns. Cruise ships have been a challenge for governments around the country. In New South Wales, the Ruby Princess is at the centre of a criminal investigation, while in Western Australia the cruise ship Artania has been a topic of controversy due to a number of unwell passengers and crew aboard the ship. The cruise industry has been an important part of the Australian economy, with the CLIA estimating that cruising added 5.2bn to the Australian economy supporting over 18,000 jobs, with 3.5m total passenger visits.With cruise ships being effectively evicted from Australian waters, it remains to be seen what long-term impact this will have on cruising in Australia once the current crisis passes. Image References: IMG [1] - Pacific Explorer \\ Ed Dundens \\ Wikimedia Commons \\ Creative Commons 2.0 \\ https://bit.ly/2TwBOrD IMG [2] - Pacific Explorer \\ Bahnfrend \\ Wikimedia Commons \\ Creative Commons 4.0 \\ https://bit.ly/2Zubdzo IMG [3] - Pacific Explorer \\ Bahnfrend \\ Wikimedia Commons \\ Creative Commons 4.0 \\ https://bit.ly/3e2gv9g IMG [4] - Artania \\ Kees Torn \\ Wikimedia Commons \\ Creative Commons 2.0 \\ https://bit.ly/3e8DGP3 Music: YouTube Audio Library