Carnival to Pull Two Ships From Australia in 2028, Likely Heading to North American Waters

For more than a decade, Carnival Cruise Line has been the go-to cruise line for Australians looking to sail close to home.  They currently offer more sailings than any other cruise brand from the region.

But a recent announcement is changing things a bit. Carnival just revealed that two ships will be leaving Australia in March 2028. 

It seems like Australian cruisers can’t catch a break lately. Even after Cruise Fever just reported that Crown Princess will be homeporting in Melbourne, Australia in 2028, another two ships under the Carnival Corp. umbrella will be heading northward.

And it’s not the first time a cruise line has pulled ships from these waters.

In recent seasons, cruise lines like Virgin Voyages (Resilient Lady), Disney Cruise Line (Disney Wonder), and Princess Cruises (which previously cut Grand Princess) have all scaled back their fleet presence, claiming it was part of a “deployment strategy”.

Through all of those changes, Carnival remained the one cruise line that stayed down under year-round. So that’s why this news is a big deal.

While the cruise line says they are still committed to offering year-round cruises from Australia, the company announced that Carnival Luminosa and Carnival Adventure will leave Australian waters in March 2028 as part of its long-term global fleet planning.

• Carnival Luminosa, which has sailed seasonally from Brisbane since the industry restarted in 2022, will make her final voyage from Sydney on 15 March 2028.
• Carnival Adventure will depart Sydney on 20 March 2028 to begin her previously announced 2028 Alaska season out of Seattle but will no longer return to Australia as originally planned.

Both vessels are widely expected to shift to North American deployments, where they previously spent seasonal runs.

Carnival Splendor and Carnival Encounter will stay put for now, continuing year-round sailings from Sydney and Brisbane.

Why the Change Now

Carnival said the decision came down to several factors but noted the “importance of long-term certainty and globally competitive operating conditions” in a recent press release.

And since Carnival has for many years been the cruise line with the most ships in the region, it’s most heavily impacted by challenging conditions in Australia.

The country has notoriously high local port charges, pilot fees, and other berthing and fueling costs that could have played a role as well.

On top of that, government-imposed levies like Australia’s Passenger Movement Charge, adds upfront expense to every single passenger, and that doesn’t exactly help the bottom line.

In a nutshell, other regions of the world are becoming more attractive and offer more certainty for a cruise line trying to balance great itineraries with a viable business.

Carnival Country Manager Peter Little called the extension “a welcome but interim step while the long-term operating framework for the Australian cruise sector is developed over the next two years.”

He added: “As the only cruise line with ships dedicated year-round to Australia, Carnival has greater exposure to changes in local market and operating conditions than cruise lines with a seasonal or more limited presence. We will continue to work constructively with the Federal Government as it develops the future arrangements for cruise ships operating in the Australian market.”

Carnival in Australia

Carnival’s own brand first entered the Australian market in 2012. The cruise line positioned its first large ship, Carnival Splendor, there in 2019. After the pandemic pause, Carnival Luminosa arrived in 2022 to sail from Brisbane, which helped restart cruising in the area, and later split time with North American seasons.

The bigger change came in March 2025. Carnival absorbed P&O Cruises Australia.

Two of P&O’s ships, Pacific Adventure and Pacific Encounter, were rebranded and refitted as Carnival Adventure and Carnival Encounter. That move gave Carnival four ships and made it the clear year-round leader in the market.

Carnival Adventure had originally been expected to split seasons between Australia and North America starting in 2028, with a planned return. That return is now off the table.

What Guests Can Still Book

Little encouraged people to sail over the next 18 months and the two remaining Australian summers. “Carnival Luminosa and Carnival Adventure have both played an important role in our Australian story, and many guests have enjoyed sailing on them to destinations across the South Pacific, including Vanuatu, New Caledonia and Papua New Guinea. There is still plenty of time to experience everything these ships have to offer.”

He also mentioned some great sailings still to come: “There will be more opportunity for great value cruise holidays on Carnival Splendor and Carnival Encounter when the 2028/29 program is released in the coming weeks.”

The two remaining ships will keep offering the mix of short getaways, Great Barrier Reef trips, and South Pacific voyages.

Carnival did not tell us where Carnival Luminosa and Carnival Adventure will be going after their time in Australia is up, but Cruise Fever will be sure to report the news as soon as we see it.