CRUISE Lines International Association (CLIA) said it looks forward to further details from the Government of New South Wales, after Premier Chris Minns (pictured) revealed to The Daily Telegraph the state’s outdated COVID-19 restrictions on cruise ships are set to be axed. Minns said the Government of NSW will be...
CRUISE Lines International Association (CLIA) said it looks forward to further details from the Government of New South Wales, after Premier Chris Minns (pictured) revealed to The Daily Telegraph the state’s outdated COVID-19 restrictions on cruise ships are set to be axed.
Minns said the Government of NSW will be removing restrictions such as being vaccinated against COVID to board a cruise ship, and wearing a mask while on board.
“We need to move on and get life back to normal,” he declared.
“Passengers should continue looking after their health before and during their cruise, including through vaccination…but Australia can’t remain the only country globally with these rules for cruising.
“These protocols were important at the time to get the cruising industry going again after COVID…they were never meant to remain forever.”
CLIA said in a statement the removal of COVID-19 vaccination and testing requirements for cruise ship passengers will bring Australia into line with other jurisdictions around the world.
“The revival of cruise operations in Australia has been carefully managed since the middle of last year and many hundreds of thousands of Australians have sailed successfully in local waters,” the statement said.
“As the current settings have become increasingly confusing for guests, CLIA and cruise lines have engaged with federal and state health authorities to seek a consistent approach in line with current community standards.
“As other countries have now removed COVID-19 measures relating to cruising, Australia is now the only significant cruise destination in the world with ongoing testing and vaccination mandates.”
