Carnival Cruise Line to halve its Australian fleet from 2028 amid cost, regulatory concerns

Key points

• Carnival Cruise Line will cut its Australian fleet in half from 2028, adding to a run of cruise operators leaving the local market. The company confirmed Carnival Luminosa and Carnival Adventure will leave in March 2028, leaving Carnival Splendor and Carnival Encounter as its only year-round ships from Australia.
• Carnival pointed to regulatory uncertainty and high operating costs. A federal extension of the cruise industry's exemption from the Coastal Trading Act runs until December 2028, but the company says broader concerns remain.
• Carnival Cruise Line country manager Peter Little called the extension a welcome but interim step.