SYDNEY, 5 June 2024: Carnival Corporation will phase out its Australian P&O brand in March 2025 and merge the Australia operations into Carnival Cruise Line.
This change is the latest in a series of moves designed to increase guest capacity for Carnival Cruise Line, the company’s flagship brand. 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 sister brand Costa Cruises. In addition, the company recently placed its first new ship order in half a decade for two new Excel-class cruise ships to join Carnival Cruise Line in 2027 and 2028.
As the P&O Cruises Australia brand retires early next year, the Pacific Encounter and Pacific Adventure ships will be rebranded and operated by the Carnival Cruise Line brand. Pacific Explorer will exit the fleet in February 2025. Current itineraries will operate business as usual, and guests will be notified in the coming days of any changes to future bookings due to this announcement.
When the transition is complete next year, Carnival Cruise Line – which has served the South Pacific since 2013 – will have four ships in the market, including Sydney-based Carnival Splendor and Carnival Luminosa sailing seasonally from Brisbane, in addition to their new sister ships Encounter and Adventure.
This announcement does not impact P&O Cruises (UK), a separate Carnival Corporation & plc brand based in England and dedicated to the UK market.
