That’s a wrap for P&O Cruises Australia.

After bidding farewell to its beloved Pacific Explorer last month, the vessel will soon become a member of Resorts World Cruises’ Asian fleet – the cruise line is closing its chapter on its final two ships.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t a happy ending for the 2,600-passenger, 108,865-gross-ton Pacific Encounter, which was poised to embark on its last voyage on March 8, 2025. 

Originally scheduled for a 7-night Pacific Island Hopper to New Caledonia and Espiritu Santo from March 8 to 15, 2025, the vessel’s final sail under the P&O Cruises flag was abruptly cancelled when Cyclone Alfred surfaced, battering the Gold Coast of Australia for a week.

Instead, the ship’s final cruise left a bitter taste in the mouth of passengers stranded at sea for three extra days as Alfred wreaked havoc on its Brisbane homeport.

Its final docking took place in Brisbane on March 11, with its guests eager to say goodbye.

At least its 108,865-gross-ton sister Pacific Adventure, carrying up to 2,636 passengers, managed to carve out a final moment of glory in the wake of the storm.

Departing on March 10 from Sydney, the last P&O Cruises Australia journey ever is a 4-night roundtrip cruise to Moreton Island, Australia, that completes on Friday, March 14, 2025.

Following its return to port, the vessels will embark on a new chapter, joining the Carnival Cruise Line fleet. 

With the P&O Cruises Australia website officially shuttered, guests Down Under won’t have to say goodbye for long. Both ships will soon be sailing again as “Fun Ships” of Carnival Cruise Line.

Pacific Encounter and Pacific Adventure will be rechristened Carnival Encounter and Carnival Adventure. Still part of the Carnival Corporation brand, bookings are now available on Carnival Cruise Line’s website.

Carnival Cruise Line Expands Down Under

With the absorption of P&O Cruises Australia, Carnival Cruise Line is poised to make bigger waves in the Australian cruise market, doubling its Australian fleet to four ships.

But first, Carnival Encounter and Carnival Adventure will undergo a two-week wet dock to align with Carnival’s energetic and fun-filled brand identity. That said, it will also keep many beloved P&O touches to create unique hybrid ships.

Deborah Cogin, vice president of guest experience at Carnival Cruise Line said, “P&O fans will recognize many of their favorite dining and entertainment options, while experiencing the added fun and flair that Carnival is famous for around the world.”

The transition will ensure that popular P&O features like the Byron Beach Club and Luke Mangan’s Luke’s Bar & Grill remain, are blended with new additions, such as the Turtles Kids Club, Build-A-Bear Workshops, free daily pizza, and Carnival’s Fun Squad.

In 2025, Carnival anticipates nearly 600,000 passengers will sail its four Australia-based ships.

Fans won’t have to wait long either, with Carnival Adventure relaunching on her first Carnival-brand voyage on March 29, 2025.

Read Also: What to Expect When You Go on a Carnival Cruise

That 9-night adventure will take guests to Noumea and Lifou, New Caledonia, as well as Mystery Island, Vanuatu, from Sydney, where the vessel will remain year-round.

She will be joining the 3,012-passenger Carnival Splendor, which is offering similar itineraries from Sydney, along with cruises to New Zealand and Tasmania.

Carnival Splendor will also spend its year Down Under in Brisbane. Its first cruise under the Carnival flag will actually be a chartered 80s-themed cruise, sailing for 3 nights on March 29.

On April 1, traditional guests can voyage to Airlie Beach, Australia, on a 4-night sailing. Additional itineraries feature calls in New Caledonia, Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea, Fiji, and ports in Australia’s Cairns and Willis Island.

The ship will be joining the 2,826-guest Carnival Luminosa, which is sailing similar itineraries during the 2025 summer season.

A glass of wine can be a smooth and flavorful accompaniment to dinner, and many cruisers enjoy bringing bottles of their own favorite vintages onboard. But are cruise line limits too strict? One Carnival guest recently shared their frustrations over the cruise line’s one-bottle-per-guest policy.

The unhappy guest reached out to Carnival Cruise Line’s Brand Ambassador, John Heald, about what they feel is a too-restrictive policy that “punishes” loyal travelers on longer sailings.

“Perhaps you can explain the lunacy behind Carnival’s rule to only allow one bottle of wine on a 12-day cruise? This is the SAME AS A FOUR DAY!” the very irate guest asked. “Platinum cruiser too so [it] makes even less sense why we are being punished this way! We should be able to bring on two or three bottles without also having to pay the cork fee.”

Disregarding the rude tone of the guest’s message, Heald carefully explained the origin of the policy from his days as a wine steward – his first position with Carnival Cruise Line in 1988-1989.

Heald notes that in his early years with the cruise line, vintages from France California, and Italy were offered onboard, with less expensive bottles often proving to be bestsellers. Today, a wider selection of wines is available, with “something very special to suit all tastes and budgets.”

Furthermore, Carnival’s “Cruise the Vineyards” wine program is growing in popularity, and offers great discounts on a variety of vintages from different regions. Packages are available for either three or five wines, of either basic or premium selections.

But Heald also discusses the origin of the one-bottle-per-guest policy.

“It is important to remember the history where this comes from,” he explained. “In the days of the grand old ocean liner passengers were allowed to bring on a bottle of champagne or wine to celebrate the sail away.”

Carnival Cruise Line has continued this tradition by permitting guests 21-years of age or older to bring one bottle of red, white, or rose wine aboard on embarkation day. No fortified or flavored wines are permitted, though guests can bring a bottle of champagne, sparkling wine, or non-alcoholic wine as suits their preferences.

“Each cruise, regardless of the length, only has one sail away, which is where this tradition comes from,” Heald confirmed. “So even if it is a 12-day cruise, you only have one sail away thus you can only bring on board one bottle.”

Heald responds to hundreds of questions, comments, and requests every week. Many times, guests who claim the highest loyalty status in Carnival’s “Very Important Fun Person” (VIFP) program tend to seem entitled or believe they should get even more privileges than the perks offered through the program.

Heald is quick to point out, however, that one’s loyalty does not, in fact, suspend the cruise line’s policies.

“I know a guest recently who was a Diamond guest [and] went to the guest services desk demanding the $15 corkage fee she was charged in the dining room be removed,” he said.

“Never think that we do not appreciate your loyalty, but regardless of whether you have a blue card or a diamond card if you bring a bottle of wine that has not been purchased on board the ship to the dining room there is a corkage fee.”

Blue cards are issued to guests on their very first Carnival cruise, while to achieve Diamond-level loyalty, guests must have spent at least 200 days sailing on Carnival ships.

Policies Are Clearly Stated

Carnival’s embarkation wine policies as well as the corkage fee are clearly outlined on the cruise line’s website.

“Guests are prohibited from bringing alcoholic beverages on board with the following exception – at the beginning of the cruise during embarkation day only, guests (21 years of age and older) may bring one 750-ml bottle of sealed/unopened wine or champagne, per person, in their carry-on luggage,” the policy reads.

“Should guests wish to consume their wine or champagne in the main dining room, specialty restaurant or bar, a $15.00 USD corkage fee, per 750-ml bottle, will be charged. A corkage fee is a charge that is assessed, at time of service, for every bottle that is served and not bought on the premises.”

Read Also: Can I Take a Wine Opener on a Cruise?

With his characteristic good humor and many years of service with Carnival Cruise Line, Heald does offer one alternative solution for guests who want to enjoy a bottle of bubbly onboard.

“If you ever have trouble opening a bottle of champagne, take my advice, hit it with a ship. I have seen this happen many times and it really works,” he said.

Of course, guests should note that the bottles that use ships as corkscrews are far over the 750-ml size limit. But still, it can be a fun way to enjoy a most memorable sail away.

While there is no shortage of dining venues onboard Carnival’s cruise ships, sometimes it’s nice to take a break from the crowds and enjoy a meal in the peace and quiet of your cruise cabin. 

One of the benefits of cruising with Carnival Cruise Line is that you can bring snacks or meals from the Lido deck to your stateroom. Guests can also order room service 24 hours a day, with many of the items on that menu already included in the cruise fare. 

That said, not everyone likes this option – as was the case with one cruiser who wrote to Brand Ambassador John Heald to complain about the unsightly used plates and leftovers she had to look at in the hallways after passengers dined in their staterooms. 

It is true that Carnival’s policy is for guests to put their dishes and utensils in the hallway for room stewards to collect during their rounds. 

Curious to see if other guests felt the same way, Heald posted a poll on his public Facebook page for other cruise fans to weigh in – and learned that the complaining person was very much in the minority. 

27,722 voted for the winning option, which was “I think it’s fine for people to be able to bring food back to the cabin. Please continue.” 

An additional 17,565 also voted to indicate that “I always placed my room service tray or food plate from Lido outside of the cabin when it’s finished.” 

Meanwhile, only 832 voted for “NCL and others do not allow passengers to bring food back to their room. Carnival Cruise Line, please do the same so we don’t have to see the uneaten food outside of the rooms.” 

At this time, there has been no indication that Carnival will be changing its room service policies or rules about eating in cruise cabins. 

And for the record, Norwegian Cruise Line does allow guests to eat in their cruise cabin, so the final poll option was a tad inaccurate. 

Cruise Guests Pose a Bigger Problem

Heald’s poll received more than 1,000 responses – in which the majority felt it was appropriate for guests to eat in their cruise cabins and leave their dishes in the hallways. 

This crowd placed a particular emphasis on etiquette and respect, with many saying they tried to organize their plates to make it easier on the crew members who would eventually collect them.

“Whenever I’ve ordered room service I have been instructed to leave everything outside my door. I always make an organized stack though, so it’s a lot easier for them to just pick it up in one swing,” one person noted.

Read Also: Free Carnival Cruise Dining Options You’ll Want to Know (With Menus!)

Ultimately, guests did not find the dishes to be a problem, but rather the behavior of other passengers to pose the bigger issue. 

Several noted that they had witnessed unsupervised children and intoxicated guests kicking dishes over and making a bigger mess. 

“It’s appropriate to leave trays/dishes outside your door, what’s not appropriate is the kids or drunk adults running or staggering down the halls and kicking those dishes over,” one cruiser wrote.

Lately, there has also been an outcry about not leaving plates and cutlery on public staircases and walkways where they could become trip hazards – to which leaving the items outside of one’s stateroom is a convenient and safer alternative.

Among those who didn’t like seeing the plates, some suggested a compromise in which there are more frequent sweeps to rid the hallways of dirty dishes and leftover food, but the room stewards are likely already handling the messes as quickly as they can. 

Depending on the ship, they likely have hundreds to thousands of staterooms to clean and a limited number of crew members to get everything done. 

March 11, 2025 marks a great day for Carnival Cruise Line – their 53rd birthday! While it hasn’t always been smooth sailing for the world’s most popular cruise line, that they’ve withstood a wide range of challenges is a great testament to the wonderful vacations they offer.

Carnival Cruise Line’s Brand Ambassador, John Heald, marked the occasion with good wishes, sincere thanks, and a very nostalgic photo.

“Carnival Cruise Line is 53 years young today,” he noted. “Thank you, sincerely to all of you, for cruising with us over the last 53 years. I really do thank you for continuing to make Carnival Cruise Line the most popular cruise line in the world.”

It isn’t just guests who make a cruise line great, however. Carnival Cruise Line would not be the stunning company it is today without its amazing crew members – from the cruise line’s executives and high-ranking “beards” to the newest crew members just starting their training.

“Thank you also to every single Captain, officer, staff, and crewmember for their hard work and dedication and for bringing millions of passengers and then guests the best vacation and a massive dollop of FUN,” Heald acknowledged.

Two Mardi Gras

There have been a lot of changes on Carnival Cruise Line through the years, the most visible of which is the ships themselves.

Heald shared a fantastic photo of the line’s very first vessel, the original Mardi Gras, which first entered service in 1961 – twelve years before Carnival Cruise Line would set sail. The ship was originally known as Empress of Canada for Canadian Pacific, before the brand new Carnival Cruise Line bought the vessel in 1972.

The first Mardi Gras – not to be confused with today’s Excel-class Mardi Gras – measured just 27,284 gross tons and was 650 feet long, with 10 decks. She could welcome just 1,248 guests onboard and was staffed by 470 crew members.

Today, the modern Mardi Gras measures 181,808 gross tons and 1,130 feet long with 19 decks. She can welcome 6,500 guests at full occupancy, and is home to 1,735 international crew members.

Clearly, there’s a key difference in size between the two ships, but there are even more differences. The original Mardi Gras did not have the iconic whale tail funnel, as that feature was not introduced until Tropicale in 1982, the first ship built exclusively for Carnival Cruise Line.

The original Mardi Gras did not offer “private facilities” (bathrooms!) for all guests, but rather some staterooms shared bathrooms. Today’s Mardi Gras, of course, has all private baths as is now expected.

Today’s ship also offers a much wider range of amazing features and onboard experiences. While the original Mardi Gras boasted very few onboard features, the modern ship offers not only pools, whirlpools, spa facilities, a fitness center, and youth areas, but also the first rollercoaster at sea, miniature golf, a video arcade, dynamic show spaces, and so much more.

What hasn’t changed between the two ships is the fun – the experience Carnival Cruise Line seeks to offer every guest.

Read Also: What to Expect When You Go on a Carnival Cruise

Even on that very first Mardi Gras, Carnival offered more onboard activities and vacation vibes than other cruise lines offered at the time, ensuring a fun experience for everyone aboard. Today, the dedicated cruise directors and Fun Squad team members work diligently to ensure every Carnival cruiser enjoys their vacation.

A Growing Fleet

Of course, the size of the line’s fleet has also changed dramatically. In 1972, Carnival Cruise Line consisted of exactly one ship, while today, on the line’s 53rd birthday, there are 27 ships in the fleet.

Two more – Carnival Adventure and Carnival Encounter – will complete their rebranding from P&O Cruises Australia and join the fleet before the end of March.

During Carnival Cruise Line’s first five years, the line grew to three ships – Mardi Gras, Carnivale, and Festivale. All three were former ships from other lines, rebranded as Carnival ships.

Within five years of the line’s 53rd birthday – taking us to March 11, 2030 – two more Excel-class ships, sister ships to the new, modern Mardi Gras – will join the fleet, along with the first of a brand new class, the largest ever built for Carnival, in 2029. Two more vessels of the new ship class will debut in 2031 and 2033.

How will Carnival cruise fans celebrate this great birthday onboard? Perhaps with a classic Carnival warm chocolate melting cake, joining in the fun to win a coveted ship-on-a-stick, or raising a glass with the Cheers! package to toast 53 years of fun and many more years to come.

Not onboard? Try booking your next Carnival cruise in celebration of the occasion and begin your own countdown to fun!