Carnival Cruise Line is on track to nearly double its capacity in the Australian market starting with the 2026-27 season when it adds two ships to its fleet from the P&O Australia line.
Carnival Cruise Line already has a steady presence in Australia with the year-round deployment of the 3,000-guest Carnival Splendor, sailing from Sydney, and the seasonal homeporting of the 2,800-guest Carnival Luminosa in Brisbane.
With the addition of two ships from P&O Australia, Pacific Adventure and Pacific Encounter, each accommodating 2,600 guests, Carnival Cruise Line will significantly expand its capacity in the region.
Carnival Corporation, parent company to both Carnival Cruise Line and P&O Australia, announced in June 2024 that the P&O brand would be dissolved and absorbed into Carnival Cruise Line in March 2025. The vessels are being renamed Carnival Adventure and Carnival Encounter.
The third ship in the P&O Australia fleet, Pacific Explorer, built in 1997, is slated to be retired in February 2025. The transfer of two vessels to Carnival Cruise Line expands the fleet to 29 ships.
Under the new Australia cruise series for 2026-27, which has opened for sale, Carnival Splendor and Carnival Adventure will sail from Sydney while Carnival Luminosa and Carnival Encounter will be based in Brisbane.
“As we expand our fleet to four ships in Australia and enrich our overall deployment plan, our 2026/27 itineraries significantly increase the options available for the Carnival experience from Sydney and Brisbane,” said Fred Stein, vice president of itinerary planning at Carnival Cruise Line.
“Guests interested in a cruise from Australia are bound to find the perfect itinerary, whether they’re looking to explore a new region or revisit key vacation destinations – all showcasing the diverse beauty of the South Pacific,” Stein added.
Voyages from Sydney include short getaways and longer itineraries. Carnival Adventure will sail 2- and 3-night weekend cruises to Moreton Island and longer voyages, including a 12-day itinerary to Fiji with calls at Lautoka and Dravuni Island.
Carnival Splendor will sail a mix of 2- to 12-day voyages from Sydney, including 5- and 6-day cruises to Tasmania. The ship also will sail 10-day New Zealand cruises, with calls at Wellington, Lyttelton (Christchurch), and Dunedin. These itineraries feature scenic cruising in Fiordland National Park.
Pacific Adventure Docked in Sydney Australia (Photo Credit: Hyserb)
Carnival Luminosa, a vessel that was also transferred to the Carnival Cruise Line brand from the sister line Costa Cruises in 2022, will be based in Brisbane and sail 3- to 14-day cruises. Seven-day South Pacific sailings will visit Mystery Island and Port Vila, while an 8-day option adds Vanuatu and New Caledonia, for example.
Maritime history enthusiasts can book a Carnival Journeys cruise onboard Carnival Luminosa that spotlights the places made famous by the story of mutiny onboard the Royal Navy vessel HMS Bounty in 1789, such as Norfolk Island and Nuku’alofa, Tonga.
Read Also: What to Expect When You Go on a Carnival Cruise
Carnival Encounter will sail 2- and 3-night getaway cruises to Airlie Beach, in Queensland, plus 6- to 10-day voyages to Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea, and other South Pacific destinations.
Here’s Where the Ships Are Currently Sailing
Carnival Luminosa is on her way to Australia following her summer season in Alaska. Her 22-night journey from Seattle calls at the Hawaiian Islands, French Polynesia, and Fiji. The ship will sail multiple itineraries from Brisbane and Sydney through March 2025, before repositioning again to Alaska for summer 2025.
Carnival Splendor is based year-round in Sydney, sailing 2- to 11-night cruises to New Zealand, New Caledonia, the Great Barrier Reef, Tasmania, and other places.
Still, currently operating as P&O Australia ships, Pacific Adventure is based in Sydney. She is currently sailing a 10-day cruise that visits three ports in Vanuatu. Pacific Encounter currently homeports in Brisbane and is now sailing a 3-night cruise to destinations in Queensland.
Source: Cruisehive.com
