Key takeaways:
- The Federal Court of Australia found that Carnival and its subsidiary Princess Cruises had been negligent in their duty of care to passengers.
- Justice Angus Stewart ruled that Carnival had been negligent as defined by Australian consumer law by allowing the cruise to depart in the early months of the pandemic.
- The ruling is a major victory for the passengers of the Ruby Princess cruise, and could set a precedent for other cases involving cruise operators and their duty of care to passengers.
CANBERRA, Australia (AP) – A class-action lawsuit against a cruise operator for failing to cancel a voyage from Sydney that led to a major COVID-19 outbreak has been ruled in favor of the passengers. On Wednesday, the Federal Court of Australia found that Carnival and its subsidiary Princess Cruises had been negligent in their duty of care to passengers.
The Ruby Princess ocean liner left Sydney on March 8, 2020, with 2,671 passengers aboard for a 13-day cruise to New Zealand. However, the ship returned in 11 days as Australia’s borders were closing due to the pandemic. Passenger Susan Karpik was the lead plaintiff in the case against the British-American cruise operator.
Justice Angus Stewart ruled that Carnival had been negligent as defined by Australian consumer law by allowing the cruise to depart in the early months of the pandemic. The ruling found that Carnival had failed to take appropriate steps to ensure the safety of passengers, and that the cruise operator had been aware of the risks posed by the pandemic.
The ruling is a major victory for the passengers of the Ruby Princess cruise, and could set a precedent for other cases involving cruise operators and their duty of care to passengers. The outcome of the case will be determined at a later date.
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