Cruise vessel infection reporting
In Victoria, outbreaks of acute respiratory infections (ARI) and acute gastroenteritis (AGE) on cruise vessels should be reported to the Local Public Health Unit. All domestic and international cruise vessels operating in Victorian waters should follow advice on infection monitoring, testing and reporting in conjunction with the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee (AHPPC) Statement – Advice to support .
Symptom monitoring and testing
All passengers and crew should monitor for symptoms of COVID-19, influenza and other respiratory viruses throughout their cruise. If symptoms develop, people should be tested for COVID-19, influenza and other acute respiratory infections.
All passengers and crew should also monitor for symptoms of gastroenteritis and be tested accordingly.
Passengers, crew and others on board who are unwell or test positive
It is strongly recommended that passengers, crew and others on board who have symptoms of acute respiratory infection or gastroenteritis or who have tested positive for COVID-19, influenza or other respiratory viruses or gastroenteritis:
- stay in their cabin until they are well
- wear a mask, practice good hand hygiene and avoid crowded spaces if they need to leave their cabin while unwell.
People who are unwell or test positive may spread their infection to others. They should be given information on protecting themselves and others, which are available on the Better Health Channel webpages on , influenza ), and gastroenteritis ).
Reporting outbreaks
All domestic and international cruise vessels travelling to a Victorian port should follow the national approach to cruise ship outbreak reporting by completing the excel table below.
Cruise vessel operators should routinely maintain an accurate manifest that includes personal contact details (such as email addresses and phone numbers) for contacting all passengers and disembarking crew after the cruise if necessary.
Cruise vessel operators should retain this manifest for a minimum of 30 days. Upon request, operators should provide this information to the requesting Local Public Health unit within 4 hours.
Refer to the Local Public Health Unit's contact details.
For outbreaks of acute respiratory infections and gastroenteritis on board cruise vessels, cruise operators should email the relevant Local Public Health Unit using the “Cruise Vessel Routine Reporting Table” as soon as possible when the following occur:
- 12-24 hours prior to end of voyage.
- On transition to ‘Level 2’ as defined in Table 1 in the Excel template
- On entering Victorian waters where a ‘Level 2’ activity level was reported in the previous jurisdiction and maintained on entering Victoria.
Please note: Cruise vessels arriving in Victoria from an international port must also complete the required Australian Government within the indicated timeframes.
After receiving the completed “Cruise Vessel Routine Reporting Table”, the Local Public Health Unit may contact the shipping agent, master of the vessel or the ship’s doctor for further information. This may include a request to complete the additional line list reporting of cases using the “Expanded Cruise Vessel Reporting Template for Acute Respiratory and Gastrointestinal Infections”. This information should be provided within 4 hours of request.
The Local Public Health Unit may recommend further risk mitigation measures in addition to those introduced by the vessel. This depends on the status of the outbreak and whether there is a new or emerging public health or clinical risk.
Cruise vessel operators can contact the relevant Local Public Health Unit for queries, concerns and advice regarding infectious diseases (such as outbreaks of illness of unknown cause, high rates of severe disease, requirements for medical evacuation and/or operational disruptions due to illness in crew).
Outbreak thresholds for acute gastroenteritis (AGE) and COVID-19, influenza or other acute respiratory infections (ARI) for reporting purposes
All reporting times are in Australian Eastern Daylight-saving Time (AEDT).
These are in addition to mandatory reporting through the Biosecurity .
| Activity level | Threshold | Reporting |
|---|---|---|
| Level 1 | 0.0% to <3%1 of acute respiratory infections2 or acute gastroenteritis | Complete the cruise reporting template within 12 to 24 hours prior to end of voyage (includes if 0 cases). |
| Level 2 | ≥3% of acute respiratory infections or acute gastroenteritis For smaller vessels of fewer than 150 people on board, reporting should occur if increasing numbers of people are being affected. | Upon reaching threshold of 3% as soon as practicable |
[1] This percentage refers to the cumulative attack rate over the last 21 days or voyage duration (whichever is shorter) of passengers and/or crew with any of COVID-19, influenza, acute respiratory infection (ARI) or acute gastroenteritis (AGE) individually, out of the total people on board the vessel.
[2] Acute respiratory infection (ARI) refers to the presence of respiratory illness symptoms (such as runny nose, cough, sore throat or fever) irrespective of any test result.
Safety policies and procedures
Cruise vessels operating in Victorian waters should have safety policies and procedures in place to address all elements of the passenger and crew experience.
These should include but are not limited to:
- Encouragement of influenza and COVID-19 vaccination of passengers and crew according to current Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) recommendations
- Access to infectious diseases testing (including for COVID-19, influenza and other respiratory viruses) for passengers and crew
- Self-isolation and precautions for passengers and crew with infectious diseases while on board the vessel
- Management of embarkation, disembarkation and shore excursions to minimise the risk of transmission of infectious diseases
- Clinical assessment, support and evacuation procedures for passengers and crews with infectious diseases
- Accurate record keeping of symptomatic passengers and crew, and of any confirmed infectious diseases diagnoses.
Reviewed 09 October 2025