Carnival Corporation to Absorb P&O Cruises Australia into Carnival Cruise Line

Carnival Corporation has announced that in March 2025, the company will sunset the P&O Cruises Australia brand and fold its existing Australia operations into Carnival Cruise Line.  

According to the corporation, the change is part of a series of strategic moves designed to increase guest capacity for Carnival Cruise Line. This will result in the addition of eight new ships to Carnival Cruise Line's fleet since 2021, including the successful shift of three vessels from Costa Cruises. 

Note - This announcement does not impact P&O Cruises (UK), which is a separate Carnival Corporation brand based in England and dedicated to the UK market.

"Despite increasing Carnival Cruise Line's capacity by almost 25% since 2019 including transferring three ships from Costa Cruises, guest demand remains incredibly strong so we're leveraging our scale in an even more meaningful way by absorbing an entire brand into the world's most popular cruise line," said Josh Weinstein, chief executive officer of Carnival Corporation & plc. "In 2019, Carnival Cruise Line was 29% of our total capacity, and when we complete this move early next year, Carnival Cruise Line – our highest-returning brand – will make up approximately 35% of our total global capacity. While our company's overall growth between 2019 – 2028 is projected to be less than 2% (CAGR), the majority will be for Carnival Cruise Line, which will grow by approximately 50% over that time period."

In addition to further optimizing the Carnival Corporation's global portfolio, this realignment will strengthen company performance in the South Pacific through numerous operational efficiencies.

"P&O Cruises Australia is a storied brand with an amazing team, and we are extremely proud of everything we have accomplished together in Australia and the broader region," continued Weinstein. "However, given the strategic reality of the South Pacific's small population and significantly higher operating and regulatory costs, we're adjusting our approach to give us the efficiencies we need to continue delivering an incredible cruise experience year-round to our guests in the region. Carnival Corporation & plc remains committed to Australia and we will continue to be the largest cruise operator in the region with 19 ships calling on 78 destinations and representing almost 60% of the market."

What’s Next for P&O Cruises Australia Ships?  
As the P&O Cruises Australia brand sunsets next year, Pacific Encounter and Pacific Adventure ships will be rebranded and operated by Carnival Cruise Line. 

Pacific Explorer will exit the fleet in February of 2025. Scheduled itineraries will operate business as usual, and guests will be notified in the coming days of any changes to future bookings. 

When the transition is complete next year, Carnival Cruise Line will have four ships in the market - Carnival Splendor (sailing from Sydney), Carnival Luminosa (sailing from Brisbane) Pacific Encounter, and Pacific Adventure.  

"We look forward to building on the history and heritage of P&O Cruises Australia by bringing some of our innovations to more cruise guests in the region," said Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line. "While we plan to make some technology upgrades and other small changes to the two P&O Cruises Australia ships, they will continue to be geared to the unique Australian market with a familiar feel and much of the same experiences for P&O Cruises Australia guests. The most notable change will be the availability of our popular HubApp, enabling guests to make online dining and excursion reservations, request food and beverage delivery, and chat with other guests, among other features. P&O Cruises Australia guests will also be invited to participate in Carnival's loyalty program and promotional offerings specific to Carnival ships sailing in the region."

This is a breaking news story. Cruiseline.com will share more details from Carnival Corporation as they become available. 

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