Tropical Cyclone Alfred is wreaking havoc along the eastern coast of Australia, and it’s starting to impact cruise traffic. The Category 2 storm, has forced the cancellation of sailings for two cruise ships, disrupting travel plans for at least 7,000 passengers.
Carnival Cruise Line and Royal Caribbean have both confirmed cancellations due to the severe weather and port closures in Brisbane, Australia. And because the port will remain closed for the near future, these ships will have to remain at sea for a while longer.
Carnival Luminosa
Carnival Cruise Line announced the cancellation of Carnival Luminosa’s 3-day cruise, which was scheduled to depart from Brisbane on March 6th. The cruise line cited the storm’s projected impact and the closure of the Port of Brisbane as the primary reasons for the decision.
Carnival emphasized that the safety of passengers and crew was their main priority. Affected passengers will receive full refunds for their cruise fares and any pre-purchased add-ons. The ship’s current voyage was also impacted, resulting in a delayed return to Brisbane.
Carnival made this statement regarding the cancellation:
“Our Fleet Operations Center continues to keep a close eye on Tropical Cyclone Alfred. Given its current track, the storm is expected to directly impact the Brisbane area in the coming days and the port is now closed as it prepares. Once the storm passes, officials must conduct a post-storm assessment before we can be cleared to safely return to port. We are anticipating that this process will take some time to complete, the earliest being Saturday, 8 March. Regrettably, we have no alternative but to cancel your voyage.”
While plans are still up in the air, the Carnival vessel is currently scheduled to depart from Brisbane on a 4-day sailing on March 9, if no other alterations are made.
On April 3, 2025, Carnival Luminosa will set off on a 28-day sailing from Brisbane to Seattle, from which port the ship will offer 7-day Alaskan cruises for the season before coming back to Australia.
Quantum of the Seas
Royal Caribbean also canceled a Quantum of the Seas’ scheduled 3-night sailing, which was set to depart on March 7th, 2025. The company explained that the storm’s forecast and port closure prevented the ship from returning to Brisbane as scheduled.
Royal Caribbean is providing affected passengers with full refunds for their cruise fares, deposits, and pre-paid extras, as well as future cruise credits.
The next scheduled sailing after the cancelled cruise is currently set for March 14, and it’s a 14-day sailing around New Zealand. In early May the ship will reposition to Seattle for the Alaskan cruise season.
Both cruise lines mentioned the unpredictable nature of severe weather and the necessity of ensuring safety for their passengers, even when it means canceling sailings.
Other cruise ships have been impacted as well, as we reported yesterday with Norwegian Sun and Cunard’s Queen Anne being rerouted to avoid impacts from the storm.
