Carnival Ship Can’t Reach Australian Port Due to Shallow Waters

01/09/2026

A September 5 sailing on Carnival Encounter will no longer visit Cairns due to shallow channel depths. Airlie Beach will move forward a day to September 8 in place of Cairns, with a newly added Townsville call on September 9.

The ship will return to Brisbane one hour later than scheduled and Cairns shore excursions will be automatically refunded. Just four days before departure, Carnival Cruise Line has informed guests of a change to their upcoming itinerary aboard Carnival Encounter. The recently enhanced 2,600-passenger vessel is set to depart from Brisbane, Australia on September 5, 2026 for a 6-night Great Barrier Reef cruise.

The sailing was originally set to visit Willis Island on September 7, Cairns on September 8, and Airlie Beach on September 9 before returning to Brisbane on September 11. However, in a notice sent to guests on September 1, 2026, the cruise line adjusted those plans due to shallow channel depths heading into Cairns. "Current channel depths have reduced and are now too shallow to allow for the safe passage of our ship to Cairns Cruise Terminal, and the issue will not be fixed before our planned visit," the notice reads.

"The safety of our guests…

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