The shock news today that Carnival Spirit is to be deployed away from Australia will come as a “sickening thud for Australia’s travel agent community desperate to see a restart of cruising in Australia,” says Clean Cruising’s Dan Russell.
In a statement sent to media today, Carnival Cruise Line said that “due to the overwhelming success of the resumption of cruising in the U.S and the continued uncertainty in Australia with operations still on pause, Carnival Spirit will be deployed to Jacksonville, Florida to commence cruising from March 7, 2022.”
“Carnival Cruise Line looks forward to resuming guest operations in Australia when government officials can provide clarity.”
In response, Dan Russell, general manager of Brisbane-based family-owned Clean Cruising, a specialist cruise holiday business, said he was bitterly disappointed that Carnival Spirit is now to be based in Jacksonville, Florida, instead of its planned homeporting in Brisbane.
“It is beyond doubt that the Carnival Spirit deployment away from Australia is a direct result of the indecision on the part of federal and state governments over the restart of cruising in Australia,” Mr Russell said.
“Cruise lines are obviously getting frustrated with the lack of progress or clarity in Australia and at the end of the day, they operate mobile assets, which can be deployed as and where needed.
“The Carnival Spirit deployment is particularly disappointing because it was to have been based full time in Brisbane at the still unused international cruise terminal.
“Hundreds of travel agents around Australia depend on cruising in full or in part and it is very worrying to see opportunity sailing away because of government inaction here.
“This is precisely why travel agents fanned out across Australia last week in a national travel day of action calling on MPs for the lifting of travel and cruise bans, allowing travel businesses to trade without restriction and calling for support for the travel industry recovery package put forward by the Australian Federation of Travel Agents,” He said.
Carnival is also cancelling planned operations of Carnival Splendor from June 10, 2022, through September 26, 2022, and of Carnival Spirit from June 5, 2022, to October 5, 2023 as it continues to implement its successful restart of guest operations in the U.S and adjusts for the continued uncertainty of cruising in Australia with operations still on pause.
Carnival Cruise Line says it is notifying guests and travel advisors of further changes to its fleet deployment plan.
