This weekend, 28/29 March 2020 two cruise vessels will be calling in the port of Melbourne. The PACIFIC PRINCESS and SEABOURN SOJOURN are enroute to North America. Their last port of call was Fremantle. Both vessels will load provisions, ship stores and take on fuel (bunkering). No passengers or crew will be disembarking. No crew will be joining the vessels.
The details of the vessel calls are:
• PACIFIC PRINCESS ETA 28 Mar 20 (time alongside 09:00hr). In addition to her crew she has 115 passengers on-board. These passengers are enroute to North America because they are unable to travel by air for medical reasons. Of the 115 passengers all are US Citizens apart from three Australian Citizens that are US Permanent Residents. In addition, two US Citizens would be embarked to travel to North America.
• SEABOURN SOJOURN ETA 29 Mar 20 (time tbc). In addition to her crew she has two passengers on-board enroute to North America because they are unable to travel by air for medical reasons. They are both US Citizens.
The operations of vessels in the port of Melbourne are monitored by the Australian Border Force (ABF) and the Department of Agriculture, Water and Environment (DAWE). DAWE are responsible for biosecurity and together with the Victorian Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) are ensuring that the vessels comply with the applicable Commonwealth and Victorian Government legislation and regulations. In addition, the Master of each vessels has been instructed that no crew or passengers are permitted to disembark the vessel and there will be no gangway movement. Working crew will be permitted when they are required to undertake loading/bunkering and these crew will wear full PPE equipment
VPCM is complying with the normal Australian and Victorian Government legislation and regulations. In addition, the following directions are in place:
Biosecurity (Human Biosecurity Emergency) (Human Coronavirus with Pandemic Potential) (Emergency Requirements) Determination 2020 dated 18 March 2020 issued by the authority of the Minister for Health.
Cruise Ship Docking Direction from the Deputy Chief Health Officer (Communicable Diseases) in accordance with the emergency powers arising from declared state of emergency. Cruise Ship Docking. Public Health and Wellbeing Act 2008 (Vic) Section 200.