Carnival to move two Australia-based ships to North America
Carnival Adventure and Carnival Luminosa will leave the Australian market in 2028, while two other ships remain on year-round schedules.
Carnival Cruise Line plans to permanently redeploy two of the four ships currently serving Australia to North America, reducing its capacity in the country amid rising operating costs and regulatory uncertainty.
Under the revised deployment, Carnival Adventure will begin seven-day Alaska cruises from Seattle in May 2028 and will not return to Australia. Carnival has listed Carnival Luminosa’s final departure from Brisbane for March 15, 2028, while also stating that the ship will make its final voyage from Sydney on the same date. Luminosa has operated seasonally from Brisbane since cruising resumed in 2022.
Carnival Splendor and Carnival Encounter will remain in Australia for now, continuing year-round departures from Sydney and Brisbane.
Carnival Country Manager Peter Little said the company is more exposed to shifts in Australian operating and market conditions because it is the only cruise line dedicating ships to the country throughout the year. He said Carnival would continue working with the Federal Government on future arrangements for cruise operations.
Federal Transport Minister Catherine King said in October that an exemption from Australia’s cabotage legislation, currently extended through the end of 2028, would not be renewed again.
