Cruise Ship Returns To Australia

A cruise ship docked in Sydney Harbor for the first time in more than two years, after a 2020 ban sparked by a mass COVID-19 outbreak was lifted.

On a bright morning, the Pacific Explorer made a dramatic entrance, flanked by tugboats spraying plumes of water and with a large banner that read “We’re Home” draped across its bow.

Crowds gathered at the base of the Sydney Harboor Bridge to watch the arrival of the ship, which began its 18,000-kilometer journey back to Australia nearly a month ago.

Before the pandemic, some 350 cruise ships travelled to Australia carrying more than 600,000 passengers – making the industry worth 5.2 billion Australian dollars to the national economy, according to the Cruise Lines International Association.