Carnival to reduce Australian fleet to two ships in 2028
Carnival Luminosa and Carnival Adventure are scheduled to leave the market in March 2028, while two other ships will remain.
Carnival Cruise Line plans to reduce its Australian fleet from four ships to two in March 2028. Carnival Splendor will continue sailing from Sydney, while Carnival Encounter will remain based in Brisbane.
Carnival attributed the changes to Australian regulatory uncertainty, competition between international cruise markets, and its broader fleet deployment and investment priorities. The company has not confirmed where Carnival Luminosa and Carnival Adventure will operate after leaving Australia.
Carnival confirmed that Luminosa’s final departure from Australia will be from Sydney on 15th March 2028. Its itinerary and next homeport remain unconfirmed. Adventure’s final Australian departure is scheduled from Sydney on 20th March 2028, although that sailing’s itinerary has not been released.
Passengers booked on Luminosa or Adventure before their scheduled withdrawal are not expected to see changes to already announced itineraries because of the fleet decision. The Australian Federal Government has extended existing arrangements allowing cruise ships to operate between Australian ports until the end of 2028, while a permanent licensing framework remains under development.
