cruise ships stuck off Fremantle

[Aus Traveller]

The Artania with 800 passengers and 500 crew, issued the plea at 2am on Wednesday morning and by 8.30am WA Health Department clinicians had boarded the liner to test the sick passengers for coronavirus. It had previously carried a passenger who tested positive.

 

The Artania is anchored off Fremantle and the WA government has called for help from the Commonwealth for possible military involvement.

 

The MSC Magnifica cruise ship that left Fremantle on Tuesday night turned back after it was informed it could not berth at Dubai. Although they insist there are no sick passengers on board, the WA government has ordered that they anchor at sea.

 

The CMV ship, Vasco da Gama, is due in Fremantle on Friday, with 798 Australians and 109 New Zealanders on board after a transfer at sea off Phuket from a CMV sister ship. Australians will be transferred to Rottnest Island, where they will be made to spend 14 days in quarantine. The NZers will be able to transfer directly to the Perth airport for a flight home.

Edited March 26, 2020 by Aus Traveller

[Docker123]

Now 7 confirmed cases on Artania

 

https://www.theage.com.au/national/western-australia/seven-confirmed-virus-cases-aboard-cruise-ship-off-fremantle-20200326-p54e2g.html

[Aus Traveller]

17 minutes ago, Docker123 said:

Now 7 confirmed cases on Artania

 

https://www.theage.com.au/national/western-australia/seven-confirmed-virus-cases-aboard-cruise-ship-off-fremantle-20200326-p54e2g.html

No-one will want them, but the ship would not have the facilities to care for covid cases if they become serious and need ventilators. The average age on the ship is probably fairly high.

[BulldustHHH]

Bear in mind only 10 passengers have been tested so far (presumably those with symptoms). Also be aware that depending on the test type, the accuracy may be as low as 70%. It was discussed on the live stream on the following page, but the stream is now over:

 

https://www.watoday.com.au/national/western-australia/wa-coronavirus-live-australia-s-death-toll-rises-as-ama-calls-to-broaden-testing-in-wa-20200325-p54dxr.html

Edited March 26, 2020 by BulldustHHH

[NSWP]

Surely on humanitarian grounds the reported 7 cases could be taken off Artania and quarantined somewhere and get some medical care, maybe even Rottnest with the Aussies.  I think we are being a little callous.  The SAS barracks is in Perth they could look after the lot on Rottnest, make sure no ones escapes, like they tried on Alacatraz.

 

Standby for incoming from the Sandgropers !!

Edited March 26, 2020 by NSWP

[dizzy1948]

This is so cute

Crew aboard the Seabourn Encore took a unique love heart-shaped route off the WA coast. Credit: Marine Traffic

Remaining crew on the ship appear to have killed some time since leaving the port by taking it on a short love heart-shaped trip west of Rottnest Island as documented on the Marine Traffic website.

[Kiwi Kruzer]

9 minutes ago, dizzy1948 said:

This is so cute

Crew aboard the Seabourn Encore took a unique love heart-shaped route off the WA coast. Credit: Marine Traffic

Remaining crew on the ship appear to have killed some time since leaving the port by taking it on a short love heart-shaped trip west of Rottnest Island as documented on the Marine Traffic website.

Cute

[SeaDog-46]

MSC Magnifica & Seabourn Enchor are currently anchored in Cockburn Sound off Kwinana WA.

Seabourn Enchor is bunkering & no doubt MSC Magnifica will take bunkers next.

The World is still at anchor in Gage Roads off Fremantle.

[dizzy1948]

On 3/26/2020 at 12:21 PM, NSWP said:

Surely on humanitarian grounds the reported 7 cases could be taken off Artania and quarantined somewhere and get some medical care, maybe even Rottnest with the Aussies.  I think we are being a little callous.  The SAS barracks is in Perth they could look after the lot on Rottnest, make sure no ones escapes, like they tried on Alacatraz.

 

Standby for incoming from the Sandgropers !!

Here is an update on the passengers on Aratania  as at 5.26pm Perth time today 28/03/2020

 

Almost 50 foreigners from a coronavirus-infected cruise ship docked in Fremantle have shown signs of the disease, with plans to treat anyone who tests positive for COVID-19 at two private hospitals in Perth.

The Artania docked at Fremantle Port yesterday with 800 passengers and 500 crew on board after originally being told by the WA Government that it would not be allowed to do so.

Nine passengers and crew from the vessel have already been taken to a Perth hospital for assessment and treatment for coronavirus, with all of them testing positive.The State Government has now revealed a total of 46 people from the ship are showing virus-type symptoms.WA Premier Mark McGowan said they were undergoing tests for COVID-19 and any infected passengers would be treated at Bethesda and Hollywood private hospitals in Perth, at the behest of the Federal Government.

Edited March 28, 2020 by dizzy1948

[MMDown Under]

9 hours ago, dizzy1948 said:

Here is an update on the passengers on Aratania  as at 5.26pm Perth time today 28/03/2020

 

Almost 50 foreigners from a coronavirus-infected cruise ship docked in Fremantle have shown signs of the disease, with plans to treat anyone who tests positive for COVID-19 at two private hospitals in Perth.

The Artania docked at Fremantle Port yesterday with 800 passengers and 500 crew on board after originally being told by the WA Government that it would not be allowed to do so.

Nine passengers and crew from the vessel have already been taken to a Perth hospital for assessment and treatment for coronavirus, with all of them testing positive.The State Government has now revealed a total of 46 people from the ship are showing virus-type symptoms.WA Premier Mark McGowan said they were undergoing tests for COVID-19 and any infected passengers would be treated at Bethesda and Hollywood private hospitals in Perth, at the behest of the Federal Government.

This is what WA Premier was worrying about as he tries to protect the local population.  I was just listening to DW on SBS and they said the repatriation of German passengers from Artania had been delayed because 70 passengers have the virus.  (I haven't checked this.)

Edited March 28, 2020 by MMDown Under

[MicCanberra]

Good to see some action happening and the situation being resolved.

[SeaDog-46]

Seabourn Encore has departed Kawana WA & is bound for Colombo.

[nnps]

12 hours ago, dizzy1948 said:

Here is an update on the passengers on Aratania  as at 5.26pm Perth time today 28/03/2020

 

Almost 50 foreigners from a coronavirus-infected cruise ship docked in Fremantle have shown signs of the disease, with plans to treat anyone who tests positive for COVID-19 at two private hospitals in Perth.

The Artania docked at Fremantle Port yesterday with 800 passengers and 500 crew on board after originally being told by the WA Government that it would not be allowed to do so.

Nine passengers and crew from the vessel have already been taken to a Perth hospital for assessment and treatment for coronavirus, with all of them testing positive.The State Government has now revealed a total of 46 people from the ship are showing virus-type symptoms.WA Premier Mark McGowan said they were undergoing tests for COVID-19 and any infected passengers would be treated at Bethesda and Hollywood private hospitals in Perth, at the behest of the Federal Government.

I am a bit confused. It occurs to me that this sort of treatment and the costs involved was always one of the big arguments for travel insurance (I know that whether one would be covered for this disease is problematic). I accept that we are beholden to provide care, but I also feel that we should not be liable for the costs.

[Pushka]

18 minutes ago, SeaDog-46 said:

Seabourn Encore has departed Kawana WA & is bound for Colombo.

Are those passengers well? Because Sri Lanka as a country simply does not have medical facilities to deal with their population at the best of times, let alone during a pandemic, let alone an influx of passengers. 

[SeaDog-46]

I think Seabourn Encore off loaded passengers in Fremantle.

[Aus Traveller]

1 hour ago, nnps said:

I am a bit confused. It occurs to me that this sort of treatment and the costs involved was always one of the big arguments for travel insurance (I know that whether one would be covered for this disease is problematic). I accept that we are beholden to provide care, but I also feel that we should not be liable for the costs.

Agreed. We are obliged to provide care, but should not be liable for the costs. Apparently the German cruise company is paying for a chartered plane to transport their people home. In other cases, the German government is chartering Lufthansa planes to collect their people for various countries.

 

Medical care - I don't think in the normal cases, that visitors (except NZers) get free hospital care. It would be up to the cruise company or the individual passenger's travel insurance.

[Kiwi Kruzer]

In some instances the Govt steps in and initiates the necessary requirements for a flight to take place. The Govt Guarantees payment to the airline and then sends a bill to the passengers once they have returned .

Yesterday we had 2 charter flights out of NZ to repatriate travellers ,one to Germany, arranged by the German Govt via Lufthansa , and one back to Australia via Virgin Airlines .

[Aus Traveller]

3 minutes ago, Kiwi Kruzer said:

In some instances the Govt steps in and initiates the necessary requirements for a flight to take place. The Govt Guarantees payment to the airline and then sends a bill to the passengers once they have returned .

Yesterday we had 2 charter flights out of NZ to repatriate travellers ,one to Germany, arranged by the German Govt via Lufthansa , and one back to Australia via Virgin Airlines .

I did read how many millions of dollars (Euros) the German government has allocated to pay for the repatriation of its citizens.

[MicCanberra]

Considerable amounts for sure.

[The_Big_M]

2 hours ago, nnps said:

I am a bit confused. It occurs to me that this sort of treatment and the costs involved was always one of the big arguments for travel insurance (I know that whether one would be covered for this disease is problematic). I accept that we are beholden to provide care, but I also feel that we should not be liable for the costs.

 

That's just the way things work related to the sea. Like with the rescue costs for sailors with yachts breaking down or missing in the ocean, or plane crashes/missing, the nearest nation is up for them. Humanity > costs.

 

As said earlier though, cruise companies have been willing to help out with specific costs in this situation. They have enough bad press as it is.

[nnps]

18 minutes ago, The_Big_M said:

 

That's just the way things work related to the sea. Like with the rescue costs for sailors with yachts breaking down or missing in the ocean, or plane crashes/missing, the nearest nation is up for them. Humanity > costs.

 

As said earlier though, cruise companies have been willing to help out with specific costs in this situation. They have enough bad press as it is.

Yes I am aware of those issues and how much the search for the missing Malaysian Airlines plane and the rescue of various crazy "adventurers" has cost us. But I also remember the warnings, re not having travel insurance, just how much an airlift from a liner at sea or a spell in a hospital in a strange country could cost and that YOU, the traveller would be up for them.

 

With regards to the "Humanity > costs"  I am not suggesting that we don't treat the people (as I believe would often be the case in some American hospitals where proof of ability to pay is a prerequisite before treatment is provided). It simply irks me that we are expected to foot the costs. I had similar feelings for that Tony Bullimore who was rescued after so stupidly putting his life at risk.

[Aus Traveller]

15 minutes ago, nnps said:

 It simply irks me that we are expected to foot the costs. I had similar feelings for that Tony Bullimore who was rescued after so stupidly putting his life at risk.

We don't know if we are expected to foot the costs. We are not paying for repatriation of the German passengers off the Artania, and there have been no announcements on payment of medical costs. Normally, overseas visitors would not be treated free of charge, and there is no indication that this would be treated differently.

[nnps]

3 minutes ago, Aus Traveller said:

We don't know if we are expected to foot the costs. We are not paying for repatriation of the German passengers off the Artania, and there have been no announcements on payment of medical costs. Normally, overseas visitors would not be treated free of charge, and there is no indication that this would be treated differently.

Agreed, we don't actually know if we are footing the cause but the quote report above states:

 

"WA Premier Mark McGowan said they were undergoing tests for COVID-19 and any infected passengers would be treated at Bethesda and Hollywood private hospitals in Perth, at the behest of the Federal Government."

 

"At the behest of the Federal Government" indicates to me that they (and thus us) are picking up the tab.

[Aus Traveller]

Just now, nnps said:

Agreed, we don't actually know if we are footing the cause but the quote report above states:

 

"WA Premier Mark McGowan said they were undergoing tests for COVID-19 and any infected passengers would be treated at Bethesda and Hollywood private hospitals in Perth, at the behest of the Federal Government."

 

"At the behest of the Federal Government" indicates to me that they (and thus us) are picking up the tab.

I would not think that "At the behest of the Federal Government" necessarily means that Australia will be picking up the tab. The WA Premier might have said that to explain why he had to change his previous stance of not allowing any passengers to come ashore. If it goes wrong later, he can say "It wasn't my fault. The Federal Government insisted!"

[NSWP]

45 minutes ago, Aus Traveller said:

We don't know if we are expected to foot the costs. We are not paying for repatriation of the German passengers off the Artania, and there have been no announcements on payment of medical costs. Normally, overseas visitors would not be treated free of charge, and there is no indication that this would be treated differently.

Free of charge if reciprocal arrangement exists between the 2 countries.  But to my knowledge there is not with Germany.