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 is our top priority, so our scheduled visit to Cairns can no longer proceed.”

The cancellation of the cruise’s visit to Cairns led to a reshuffling of the itinerary and a last-minute replacement port. Instead of calling at Cairns on September 8, Carnival Encounter will move its previously scheduled Airlie Beach visit forward by one day.

The 108,865 gross-ton ship will then make a newly added stop at Townsville on September 9. Additionally, guests will face a one-hour delay returning to Brisbane, with the ship now scheduled to arrive at 8:00 a.m. on September 11 instead of 7:00 a.m.

The scheduled visit to Willis Island on September 7 remains unchanged. Guests will be able to book new excursions for Townsville once onboard via the Carnival HUB app or in-person at the Carnival Adventures Desk.

Carnival assured guests that all prepaid shore excursions in Cairns will be automatically refunded. Further, the cruise line provided no indication of compensation for any post-cruise travel arrangements that may need to be adjusted in light of the one-hour delay.

Carnival did not provide an explanation for the reduced channel depths, nor a timeframe for when the issue is expected to be resolved. However, if conditions remain unsafe, future visits to the port could be impacted.

Carnival Encounter Scheduled to Return to Cairns

Carnival Encounter is based year-round in Brisbane, offering a variety of itineraries, including 6- and 7-night Great Barrier Reef cruises. Cruise Hive previously reported that these sailings will continue into 2027 and 2028 as part of Carnival’s expanded Australia and New Zealand lineup. 

Some of these sailings are scheduled to call at Cairns. The cancelled call on September 8 will be followed by another scheduled visit for Carnival Encounter on a similar 7-night itinerary sailing from Brisbane on September 26.

The ship is scheduled to visit Airlie Beach on September 28 followed by an overnight call in Cairns beginning September 29. She will then visit Willis Island on October 1 before returning to Brisbane on October 3. The cruise line has not announced any changes to this upcoming itinerary.