Ruby Princess passengers win class action lawsuit against Carnival Australia over COVID outbreak on ill-fated voyage

Carnival Australia was negligent and engaged in misleading representations over the Ruby Princess voyage in 2020, the Federal Court has found. Key points: Justice Angus Stewart rules the cruise operator knew its screening process would not catch all infections There had been two previous COVID-19 outbreaks on cruises held a month prior The lead plaintiff sued for $360,000 but was only awarded medical costs Some 2,600 passengers were on board an ill-fated trip from Sydney in March that year, before an outbreak of COVID-19 forced the vessel to turn around. He also found the company made misleading representations in pre-holiday communications with passengers, including by suggesting it was "reasonably safe" to take the cruise. "I have found that before the embarkation of passengers on the Ruby Princess for the cruise in question, the respondents knew or ought to have known about the heightened risk of coronavirus infection on the vessel, and its potentially lethal consequences," the judge said. Mrs Karpik's husband would have a "substantial claim" given his catastrophic injury, Mrs Antzoulatos said, and that would also apply to several others.