A Carnival Cruise Line ship’s port call at Darwin, Australia, on February 9, 2026, turned out to be anything but routine. 

Responding to a whistleblower complaint from an unidentified crew member, officials from the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) boarded Carnival Encounter, which is based in Brisbane, to investigate the claims.

Charges include 10-hour workdays, cramped living spaces that contribute to the spread of skin diseases, hourly pay of $2.50 for some employees, and a requirement that workers must purchase their own drinking water, at 70 cents per bottle.

The whistleblower had contacted the Maritime Union of Australia (MUA), which in turn notified the AMSA. Union officials issued a statement in which it detailed that the whistleblower had turned over hundreds of worker complaints about the cruise line since mid-2025.

The workers’ charges and the confirmation that the safety authority had boarded the ship in Darwin caused a public relations spectacle for the cruise line.

Local media reports indicate that Carnival Cruise Line issued a statement, explaining that it has nothing to hide. The statement noted that the authority “routinely conducts robust inspections” and welcomes its oversight.

But the maritime union indicated that the boarding of the cruise ship in Darwin is just one action in a wider attempt to hold the cruise line accountable for the treatment of its workers. It vowed to work with the AMSA to coordinate more such interventions.

“This is exactly what happens when you allow foreign-owned and controlled companies to sail the Australian coast, using Australian ports, carrying Australian passengers paying Australian fares, but who are completely immune from Australian law,” said Andy Burford, branch secretary of the Maritime Union of Australia.

“Carnival is bringing in workers from some of the poorest economies on earth, paying them as little as $2.50 an hour and subjecting them to horrifying conditions that no worker should accept, all while Carnival continues to generate billions of dollars in profit worldwide, and many tens of millions of dollars here in Australia,” added Burford.

Read Also: What Working on a Cruise Ship is Really Like

Another union official told local media that he had attempted to board the ship in Sydney in December 2025 to investigate allegations but was denied access.

It is so far unclear what, if anything, the safety authority officials discovered onboard Carnival Encounter during the boarding event in Darwin; the ship continued on her scheduled voyage following the surprise inspection.

Carnival Encounter Formerly Sailed for P&O Cruises Australia

The 2,600-guest Carnival Encounter, a Grand-class ship that entered service in 2002, is homeported in Brisbane and was operating a 13-night Southeast Asia voyage. Darwin was the second port call on the itinerary, following Airlie Beach, Australia.

From Darwin, the ship continued to Bali and Lombok, Indonesia, and will conclude in Singapore on February 16, 2026.

The ship, along with Carnival Adventure, was absorbed into the Carnival Cruise Line fleet when parent company Carnival Corporation decided to shutter its P&O Cruises Australia brand. Both ships joined the Carnival Cruise Line fleet in March 2025.

Carnival Adventure, accommodating 2,636 guests, is based in Sydney, alongside the 3,012-guest Carnival Splendor. A fourth ship, the 2,260-guest Carnival Luminosa, homeports in Brisbane.

Before joining the Carnival fleet, Carnival Encounter and Carnival Adventure, which were named Pacific Encounter and Pacific Adventure, respectively, as part of the P&O brand, underwent substantial refits that added Carnival Cruise Line’s signature spaces and amenities.

Officials Board Carnival Encounter After Crew Allege Low Pay and Unsafe Conditions