It appears that Carnival Cruise Line’s Carnival Luminosa will have to further delay her return to Brisbane, Australia, by at least one day as powerful Tropical Cyclone Alfred continues to swirl toward the region.
The storm system already has caused the 2,260-guest ship to cancel her March 6, 2025 departure following the closure of the Brisbane port.
In the latest update from the ship’s captain, Carnival Luminosa is not expected to return to her seasonal homeport until at least March 10, 2025 — one day later than previously estimated.
Carnival Cruise Line Brand Ambassador John Heald posted the captain’s newest storm-related comments on his popular Facebook page.
“I am thinking of the guests and crew on the Carnival Luminosa as she has another extra day at sea shlerting (sic) from the Cyclone. I thought I would share some of what my great friend and the Master of the Vessel Captain Marchi said this morning on his announcement,” John Heald wrote.
While assuring passengers that the ship is in a safe position at sea, the captain explained that the Brisbane port remains closed while it prepares for landfall from the storm, which is causing heavy rains and high winds. After landfall, port officials will complete a post-storm assessment before any ship is allowed to return.
“Alfred has slowed and is now expected to make landfall Friday afternoon, 7 March. We remain very optimistic that the post-storm assessment will be successfully completed sometime Saturday, 8 March, but given current forecasts, it seems more likely that we will not be able to head into port until Sunday, 9 March,” Captain Marchi explained to Carnival Luminosa guests.
“Forecasts can change, however, and we are hopeful for a more positive outcome,” Captain Marchi added.
Carnival Luminosa is currently sailing well away from the storm, north of the Sunshine Coast.
The ship is scheduled to embark guests on her next sailing, a 4-day cruise to Airlie Beach on March 9, 2025. However, given the latest update it seems likely that the voyage will have to be cancelled as well, although Carnival Cruise Line has not yet confirmed it.
The cruise line is not alone in coping with Tropical Cyclone Alfred. Royal Caribbean’s 4,180-guest Quantum of the Seas, also seasonally homeporting in Brisbane, is operating a South Pacific voyage that departed Australia on February 28, 2025.
What began as a 7-night sailing has so far been extended by three days due to the storm, and disembarkation in Brisbane is now rescheduled for March 10, 2025 rather than March 7, 2025. The ship originally was to depart on a 3-night cruise March 7, 2025, followed by a 4-night cruise on March 10, 2025.
Several other cruise ships sailing in the region also have had to adjust their routes due to the track of Tropical Cyclone Alfred.
Category 2 Cyclone Expected to Reach Coast March 7
Tropical Cyclone Alfred is classified as a Category 2 cyclone moving toward the southeast Queensland coast. Brisbane is located in Queensland and is within the storm’s warning zone, according to the Australian Government Bureau of Meteorology.
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The region is expecting heavy to intense rainfall — possibly up to 30 inches — as the storm approaches the coastline with sustained winds of 95 kilometers (59 miles per hour) and gusts up to 130 kilometers (80 miles per hour).
As the storm’s core nears the coast, wind gusts could climb to a stunning 155 kilometers (96 miles per hour).
Besides Brisbane, Tropical Cyclone Alfred will impact Australia’s Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, and Byron Bay areas. Along with the port of Brisbane, area airports, schools, and other public facilities have been closed.
