Key Aspects:
- Australian authorities inspected Carnival Encounter after a whistleblower turned over hundreds of crew complaints.
- After a thorough inspection, Carnival was cleared of any wrongdoing or misconduct toward crew members.
- The ship is now on its way to Singapore, where it will undergo routine maintenance in dry dock.
After an unidentified crew member sounded the alarm, Carnival Encounter received a surprise visit from officials from the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) in Darwin, Australia, on February 9, 2026.
But after all the hullabaloo, Cruise Hive has learned that the inspection turned up absolutely no signs of labor deficiencies.
Per ABC News, Carnival said the AMSA “found no deficiencies during its inspection”, with “no follow-up action required.”
Carnival Cruise Line passed the inspection with flying colors and the Grand-class ship was allowed to continue operating normally.
What Were the Claims?
Cruise Hive previously reported that a whistleblower working onboard the 2,600-guest ship had contacted the Maritime Union of Australia (MUA) to turn in hundreds of worker complaints dating back to mid-2025.
The allegations included complaints about low pay, contagious skin diseases being spread among the crew, being forced to work while sick, and not having access to safe drinking water.
However, the inspection did not discover any crew areas that were below the standard of living requirements for working and living at sea.
Inspectors thoroughly check that crew quarters are safe, clean, and habitable. The full check-list to verify this is long, but this refers to things like checking that spaces are clean, dry, insulated, and free of vermin.
There must also be at least one set of sanitary facilities for every eight crew members, which must offer sufficient toilets, wash basins, and showers with both hot and cold water.
Carnival Embraces Oversight
For Carnival’s part, the cruise line previously stated that it had nothing to hide.
Now that it has been cleared by the AMSA’s inspection, the company reiterated that it welcomes the oversight and feedback.
“We respect this process, and we hold our shipboard team members in the highest regard,” a Carnival spokesperson said in a statement to ABC.
“We welcome AMSA’s oversight as an important assurance mechanism for our crew and our operations,” they added.
Similar to how the US Coast Guard and the CDC might conduct inspections on cruise ships in the US, the AMSA can and does randomly conduct inspections on Australian-based cruise ships for a variety of reasons.
These surprise inspections can be triggered by complaints, as was the case this time, or simply be done based on routine risk-based targeting. Cruise ships are eligible for routine inspections every six months.
Sailing Toward Upgrades
Carnival Encounter only just joined the fleet in March of 2025 as part of Carnival Corporation’s decision to close its P&O Cruises Australia brand.
However, the 108,865-gross ton ship has actually been in operation since 2002. Her career started with Princess Cruises, where she stayed until she was transferred to P&O Cruises Australia in late 2021.
While the ship underwent a dry dock stint to be rebranded to fit in with the Carnival brand in 2025, she is still due for some extra maintenance and upgrades. She is now on her way to get the necessary work done. The vessel is currently en route to Singapore via a 13-night repositioning cruise, where she will arrive on February 16, 2026.
This is where she will spend about two weeks in dry dock undergoing technical work and routine maintenance. Onboard enhancements are often made during this time as well, although Carnival hasn’t confirmed the specifics yet.
On March 5, 2026, the refreshed Carnival Encounter will reenter service with a 15-night, one-way sailing from Singapore back to her homeport in Brisbane, Australia.
