Excluded Ruby Princess guests take Covid cruise legal fight to High Court

Wednesday, 06 Aug, 2023 0

A group of cruise guests on the infamous Ruby Princess Covid-affected cruise in 2020 have taken their legal fight to the High Court.

They were excluded from joining a class cation lawsuit as they booked under US conditions of carriage.

That excludes class actions.

The March 2020 cruise saw over 600 infected with Covid and 28 died.

The class action was heard in Sydney last year.

Although mot part of the class action, the group can still separately sue for damages.

Their lawyers told the High Court the waiver is not enforceable under Australian consumer law.

By doing business in Australia, the cruise line accepts it is governed by Australian laws and voiding class action status is unfair, lawyer Justin Gleeson argued.

The action claims Princess Cruises and owner Carnival Corp failed to ensure reasonable duty of care to passengers during the Covid cruise.

“It is perfectly acceptable to Princess to allow a class action claim from 1,700 [Australian] passengers,” he said.

“What did Princess do to prove a legitimate interest to accept they could exclude 700 other people from that action? They did nothing.”

“The contract is being forced by one party onto another.”

Read Full Story

below social share icons

TravelMole Editorial Team

Editor for TravelMole North America and Asia pacific regions. Ray is a highly experienced (15+ years) skilled journalist and editor predominantly in travel, hospitality and lifestyle working with a huge number of major market-leading brands. He has also cover in-depth news, interviews and features in general business, finance, tech and geopolitical issues for a select few major news outlets and publishers.

Discover Punta Gorda/Englewood Beach, also known as the Charlotte Harbor Gulf Island Coast. This natural wonderland is nestled in the...

From the beginning, ATI’s philosophy has been “innovation, not duplication.“ Developing specialized technology solutions to connect over 30,000 accommodation, attracti...

Virtuoso is the leading global network of agencies specializing in luxury and experiential travel, with more than 20,000 advisors. We...

Classic Collection is where travel expertise and personal service combine to create the perfect luxury holiday. Our travel agent partners...

Centara Hotels & Resorts is Thailand’s leading hotel operator. Its 93 properties span all major Thai destinations plus the Maldives,...

We are the UK’s leading Canada travel experts Canadian Affair Company Information Founded in 1995, Canadian Affair offers an...

ECOMMPAY is an international payment service provider and direct bank card acquirer, engineering bespoke payment solutions for clients worldwide. Our...

Intrepid Travel is a world leader in sustainable experience-rich travel that has been taking travellers to discover the world’s most amazing places...

We are a small-group adventure travel operator offering more than 750 tours in 100 countries, on all seven continents. Our...

Celebrating its 30-year anniversary in 2022, Regent Seven Seas Cruises® offers guests An Unrivaled Experience® with every luxury included. Carrying...