Carnival Cruise Found Negligent in Handling of Covid-19 Outbreak, Australian Court Rules

Cruise company and subsidiary accused of breaching duty of care towards passengers during early days of pandemic, leading to hundreds of Covid-19 infections and 28 deaths; decision suggests more passengers may claim damages.

Carnival and its subsidiary, Princess Cruise Lines, have been found negligent by an Australian court due to their handling of a Covid-19 outbreak on the Ruby Princess cruise ship in March 2020. Around 660 people onboard contracted the virus, resulting in 28 deaths.
The court case was presented as a class-action lawsuit led by Susan Karpik. Ms. Karpik and her husband both contracted Covid-19 during the voyage, with her husband's symptoms being severe and resulting in nearly two months in hospital.
Justice Angus Stewart of the Federal Court of Australia noted that Carnival was aware of the heightened risk of Covid-19 infection due to previous outbreaks on their other ships. Despite this, they failed to properly screen passengers and crew for the virus.
The judgment paves the way for other passengers to potentially claim damages. Each will need to prove individual damage unless Carnival decides to settle all claims.
While Ms. Karpik sought damages totaling about $227,000, she was awarded approximately $2,790 for her out-of-pocket medical expenses. The cruise company had already refunded all passengers for the cost of the cruise.