Even if you’ve wiped the COVID years from your memory, it’s hard to forget the Ruby Princess – the cruise ship that disembarked in Sydney and was responsible for the first big wave of disease in Australia. The spread of the virus on the ship also left 28 people dead in the early days of the pandemic. Yesterday, passengers from the cruise in question won a class action against operator Carnival Australia – the Federal Court ruled that it was negligent and in breach of its duty of care towards passengers. The plaintiffs’ lawyer, Vicky Antzoulatos, said was was “the first successful cruise ship class action in the world” and that other operators “will be paying attention to this case”. As for Carnival, it said it’s considering the findings. “The pandemic was a difficult time in Australia’s history, and we understand how heartbreaking it was for those affected.”