The Australian government has announced that it will allow international cruise ships to enter and leave the country starting in mid-April, after a two-year closure of its ports to protect itself from the COVID-19 pandemic. The lifting of the ban, effective April 17, will permit international cruises carrying passengers who have received two doses of the COVID-19 vaccine and who meet a series of health and safety requirements and protocols.
In the spring of 2020, Australia first suspended cruises and then ordered them to leave the country's waters. The federal government has not yet approved a resumption plan. Europe and North America reopened to cruise operations in 2021.
In Australia, indications suggest that New South Wales, Victoria, and Queensland will be the first to resume cruises in April 2022. This would include the major ports of Sydney, Brisbane, and Melbourne as likely to be the first to welcome cruise ships.
The sector could also be delayed in starting operations because ships have been repositioned to other parts of the world, and many international cruise lines have already announced provisional schedules for their cruises to return to Australia a little later, at the end of 2022, for the next summer season.
