Carnival-Adventure

The 'Carnival Adventure', operated by the US company Carnival Cruise Line, was approached by SafeWork NSW and Maritime Union of Australia (MUA) officials, a division of the Construction, Forestry, Maritime, Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU), which represents more than 100,000 members across Australia, on the morning of March 9, 2026, following allegations of misconduct against crew members, at the NSW Government-owned passenger wharf in Circular Quay in Sydney. Upon arrival, the group were met by security guards wearing vests and senior officers of the ship, who revealed they were told not to let anyone on board. Another cruise worker then approached the group, reiterating he will not allow authorities to board. The confrontation came just weeks after the MUA received reports from a whistleblower working on board the 'Carnival Encounter', docked in Darwin. The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) shad looked into a number of claims of seafarer health and safety issues, following MUA allegations that workers were being forced to live in overcrowded conditions below deck with no safe free drinking water, earning as little as $2.50 an hour. MUA has accused the cruise ship company of using loopholes to employ foreign crew members excluded from Australian employment laws. A Carnival Cruise spokesperson said they “won’t be threatened by the CFMEU”. They have no authority to board our ship, bully our crew or violate security protocols that create risks for our guest. The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) is the proper regulator for protecting seafarers’ working and living conditions, and they are always welcome on-board. SafeWork NSW had written to us on Sunday saying they not be seeking to board the ship, which had been communicated to our crew. We were certainly surprised by SafeWork’s about-face and the pressure applied to our crew.” Following a meeting with SafeWork NSW on March 10, a Carnival spokesperson also labelled claims that access was refused to the government agency as “false”: “SafeWorkNSW confirmed their officer was present in a dispute resolution capacity, and was not seeking to access the vessel.” In Australia, union officials or employees are able to obtain a WHS entry permit to exercise the right of entry to a workplace. Permit holders do not need to provide notice to the business prior to their arrival. Refusing entry to a WHS permit holder is not a technicality. It is a breach of NSW safety laws. Section 121 of the Act exists to protect workers from exactly this kind of corporate behaviour. Changes to the laws in NSW this month now allow worker safety organisations like MUA to launch proceedings against companies who refuse to follow workplace health and safety law. The maximum penalty for refusing, delaying or obstructing the entry of a WHS permit holder is $74,849 per incident. Report with photos: https://nypost.com/2026/03/11/world-news/officials-denied-boarding-of-major-cruise-ship-in-sydney/?utm_campaign=nypost&utm_medium=referral

The Bribie Island unit of Marine Rescue Queensland performed a medical evacuation from the 'Carnival Adventure', which wasanchored off Tangalooma in Moreton Bay. The operation involved three injured people: two passengers and one crew member. One passenger required stretcher transport, another was using a wheelchair, and the crew member sustained injuries requiring care on land. Two family members accompanied the passengers during the transfer to provide support. The alert was received by Bribie Island radio operator Denny Freeman, who accepted a request from the Queensland Ambulance Service to transport two ambulance officers to the ship and transfer several patients to land. The 'Bribie 1' departed in calm seas, with two ambulance officers on board. Upon arrival at the 'Carnival Adventure' the ambulance services boarded the ship to assess and triage. Patients, family members, and luggage were then talken aboard the 'Bribie 1'. The rescue vessel arrived at the MRQ Bribie headquarters, where two ambulances were waiting to transport the patients to medical facilities. After disembarking, the MRQ crew refueled, replenished equipment, cleaned the ship, and departed at approximately 3:45 p.m. At the time of the incident, the ship was on a four-day cruise from Tangalooma to Moreton Island, roundtrip from Sydney.

The legal firm Carter Capner Law is considering a lawsuit that alleges P&O incentivised guests to gamble regardless of their capacity to repay their debts and plied them with free alcohol following the death of a man who jumped overboard the 'Pacifi cAdventure' off Sydney Heads. The firm was investigating a possible suit over “unethical practises” preying on vulnerable passengers in ship casinos in the wake of the incident on May 6, 2024, at 4 a.m. The father-of-three Shane Dixon, 45, fell to his death after amassing a $9,000 casino debt. His body was retrieved by NSW Police Marine Area Command about 10.30 a.m. The man had reportedly lost thousands of dollars over two nights in the ship’s casino. P&O was now accused of incentivising guests to gamble by offering credit regardless of their bank balance and capacity to repay their debts. Despite modifications following the death and subsequent publicity, more still needed to be done. P&O Cruises said they had “Responsible Conduct of Gaming Policies in place on all P&O ships and take those policies seriously”. Carter Capner Law was on the verge of launching a class action against P&O owner Carnival Cruises for the both the recovery of financial losses incurred by former passengers and for “damages for unlawful imprisonment”. The firm alleged that upon arrival back in Sydney the man was held on-board for three hours over his casino debt before threatening to jump overboard and swim to shore, while his partner and three young children waited outside for him. In another alleged case cited by Carter Capner Law, a man claimed he was offered a free cruise with unlimited drinks and a credit limit of $5000 per day despite Carnival Cruises being aware of his previous problems gambling and unpaid debts.

A passenger on the 'PAcific Adventure' fell into the water on the night of May 6, 2024, at 4 a.m. LT almost 20 kilometers off Sydney at the headlands of Sydney Heads for reasons that were still unclear. Numerous emergency services searched for the missing man using boats and a helicopter for more than six hours. His body was finally discovered at 10.30 a.m. The ship was returning to Sydney after a three-day to Moreton on Queensland's southeast coast with 2,600 passengers on board. The relatives of the casualty were looked after by the staff on board. Many of the other passengers observed the large-scale nighttime search operation. Another cruise on the ship that was scheduled to depart in the afternoon has been postponed. The police launched an investigation.

A P&O cruise around New Zealand was completely changed during the actual voyage of the 'Pacific Adventure', which had left Sydney on Nov 20, 2023, for a 13-night "Kiwi Adventure" cruise. The ship was denied entry to New Zealand waters under the country's biohazard rules as its hull had not been cleaned and was now on its way to Tasmania instead. In a statement, P&O Cruises Australia said guests were notified before embarking on their 13-day Kiwi Adventure voyage that there could be significant changes to the itinerary. "Due to New Zealand's strict biosecurity requirements, the ship left Sydney on Monday for hull cleaning off the Bay of Plenty, however the weather did not allow this to happen, so we apologise that the itinerary had to be amended." The operator did attempt to clean the hull and specifically the areas of concern in recent days, however, abandoned cleaning due to bad weather and chose to cancel the New Zealand leg of the journey.