Ruby Princess Cruise Ship Under Criminal Investigation

Princess Cruise Line’s Ruby Princess cruise ship is now being investigated for its handling of the COVID-19 outbreak during its March 2020 voyage. As of April 6, 2020, Australia has over 5,700 confirmed cases of the Coronavirus with36 deaths related to the virus, and the Ruby Princess is being blamed for much of that outbreak.

On March 8, 2020, the Ruby Princess docked in Sydney from New Zealand with over 150 sick passengers onboard. The Ruby Princess allowed all passengers to disembark into Australia.

Just hours later 2,700 new passengers boarded the Ruby Princess which set sail for New Zealand. During its 11 day voyage, numerous passengers onboard exhibited symptoms of the Coronavirus, including a cough, fever and other “influenza-like illness”. On March 19, 2020, the ship returned to Sydney where 2,700 passengers were allowed to disembark. Since that date, over 600 passengers and crew from the Ruby Princess have tested positive for COVID-19, with 11 deaths as a result of the virus. The Ruby Princess ship’s COVID-19 related deaths account for approximately 30% of Australia’s death toll at this time. Australia closed its borders to foreign travelers on March 20, 2020, just one day after hundreds of infected passengers flooded into the country from the Ruby Princess.

Ruby Princess is owned and operated by Princess Cruises. Princess Cruises also operates Coral Princess, Diamond Princess and Grand Princess, each of which have come under scrutiny for their management of COVID-19 outbreaks on their ships.