(Sydney) A cruise liner docked in Sydney Harbor on Monday for the first time in more than two years after a ban was lifted to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic.
Posted at 9:43 a.m.
the Pacific Explorerwhich was sporting a huge “We’re back home” banner, made a grand entrance in glorious sunshine, surrounded by tugboats spewing plumes of water.
Crowds gathered on the Sydney Harbor Bridge to witness the arrival of the ship, which traveled some 18,000 kilometers in almost a month to return to Australia.
International cruise ships were banned from Australian waters in March 2020 after an outbreak aboard the Ruby Princess, another cruise ship, has spread through Australian territory, with some passengers carrying the virus. This had resulted in hundreds of COVID-19 cases and the deaths of 28 people.
the Pacific Explorer and other P&O-owned cruise liners have been moored off Cyprus for much of the past year, awaiting a lifting of that ban.
Bookings for P&O cruises in Australia are now close to pre-pandemic levels, spokeswoman Lyndsey Gordon told AFP.
“We are now looking at an almost normal summer season in 2022-23,” she added.
Before the pandemic, some 350 cruise ships visited Australia, carrying more than 600,000 passengers. This industry is worth 5.2 billion Australian dollars (4.8 billion Canadian dollars) in Australia, according to the International Association of Cruise Lines.