CLIA chief warns employment rules could affect Australian cruise deployment
The warning follows a union complaint against Carnival Cruise Line and comes as Australian cruise tourism records a year-over-year decline.
Cruise Lines International Association President and CEO Charles Bud Darr warned that imposing Australian employment standards on internationally crewed ships could affect where cruise lines deploy their vessels.
His comments follow a formal complaint by the Maritime Union of Australia against Carnival Cruise Line to the Australian Maritime Safety Authority. The union alleged that crew members on Carnival’s three locally based ships can earn as little as US$2.50 per hour.
The union has called for an International Transport Workers’ Federation collective agreement covering wages, time off, internet access and union representation. The Australian Maritime Safety Authority investigated and said it found nothing. Carnival previously maintained that it had nothing to conceal.
Australian cruise tourism generated $7.3 billion during the 2024–25 financial year, down $1.1 billion, or 13.2%, from the previous year. Australia remained the fourth-largest cruise source market, with approximately 1.45 million Australians cruising in the previous year.
Globally, 37.2 million people took an ocean cruise in 2025, compared with 34.6 million in 2024. Darr also said 86 cruise ships were on order, representing approximately US$96 billion in capital investment, with deliveries extending beyond 2036.