Unscheduled Albany stop for Majestic Princess to carry out medical evacuation

The Majestic Princess cruise ship made an unscheduled stop in King George Sound last week so that two passengers could be brought ashore. The ship arrived in the sound about 4pm on Thursday after it had contacted the Australian Maritime Safety Authority response centre regarding an ill passenger about 9.30am. An AMSA spokesman said the ship’s agent made arrangements for the transfer of the passenger. An Albany pilot ship travelled out to the ship where it was anchored off Point King, but the two passengers were carried to the Albany Waterfront Marina jetty by one of the ship’s tender boats. St John WA met the passengers at the jetty just before 5pm and transferred the female passenger to the ambulance on a gurney. The male passenger made his way down the jetty without extra assistance. The ship was on day 16 of a 21-day cruise from Sydney to Adelaide, due to finish on March 28. After leaving Fremantle the day prior on March 22, the ship was not scheduled to make its next stop until it reached Port Lincoln on Sunday, March 26.