Carnival Is Pulling Half Its Ships Out of Australia

Carnival Cruise Line will move Carnival Adventure and Carnival Luminosa out of the Australian market after the 2027-28 winter season. Luminosa, which sails from Brisbane and then Sydney, ends its final Australian season from Sydney on March 15, 2028. Adventure takes a final cruise from Sydney on March 20, 2028 and will not return for the 2028-29 season as previously planned.

The farewell programs head across the Pacific. Adventure is scheduled for a 19-day Sydney to Tokyo voyage on March 20, 2028, an eight-day Tokyo round trip on April 8 and a 15-day Tokyo to Seattle crossing on April 16. Luminosa has a 23-night Sydney to Los Angeles voyage via French Polynesia and Hawaii. Reports say the move cuts Carnival’s Australian fleet roughly in half and removes capacity for about 200,000 passengers a year.

Carnival describes the decision as part of long-term global fleet planning and cites the need for certainty, noting that the Australian government has extended cruise sailing between Australian ports until the end of 2028, which it calls an interim step. The cruise industry group CLIA Australasia blamed regulatory uncertainty and rising costs for brands leaving the region.

Carnival says it is the only brand sailing year-round from Australia and will keep Carnival Splendor in Sydney and Carnival Encounter in Brisbane. Deployment details for the 2028-29 season are expected in the coming weeks. Australians planning cruises for 2028 now have a limited window to book on the two departing ships.

Sources: Cruise Passenger, Cruise Industry News