While all eyes have been on Hurricane Helene as the storm has battered the Caribbean and the United States’ East Coast, that isn’t the only part of the world where cruising has been impacted by poor weather conditions.
On the other side of the globe, both Carnival Splendor and P&O Cruises’ Pacific Adventure, which is owned by the Carnival brand, have been delayed returning to their shared homeport in Sydney, Australia, due to inclement weather.
Both P&O Cruises and passengers onboard the ships have confirmed the delay was due to poor weather, with current guests stating that the water has been very choppy.
Indeed, a quick glance at the local weather forecast shows that it’s been rainy and moderately windy in Australia’s Emerald City – which could definitely impact the conditions at sea and within the port.
While cruise ships can handle rough seas and wind, it becomes more dangerous in port as ships are more likely to collide with the pier or other vessels during bouts of inclement weather.
It’s also simply a smoother and more comfortable ride for the guests onboard to wait out the choppiness.
Both cruise ships were due to arrive in the Port of Sydney at 6:30 a.m. local time on the morning of September 27, 2024.
But as of the time of this writing, it is nearly afternoon on the 27th and current cruise tracking data shows both vessels holding off the coast of Sydney in the South Pacific Ocean.
Carnival Splendor, which can carry up to 3,012 passengers and weighs 113,573-gross tons, is in the process of returning from a 9-night South Pacific Voyage to Mystery Island and Vila, Vanuatu.
Meanwhile, Pacific Adventure, a Grand-class vessel, was operating a shorter 4-night sailing to Moreton Island, Australia.
For now, the situation remains fluid – with Carnival Splendor’s new arrival time still yet to be set and Pacific Adventure now expecting to dock in Sydney’s White Bay Cruise Terminal around 1 p.m.
Embarkation Delayed for Next Sailings
When cruise ships are significantly delayed in their return to port and disembarkation, there is a domino effect where embarkation for the next voyage also gets pushed back.
Apart from giving guests a heads-up that embarkation will be delayed, Carnival Cruise Line Australia has thus far not issued further details about the revised embarkation for its Concordia-class vessel.
The family friendly brand instead asked guests to wait for more updates before making their way to the port, which is located in New South Wales.
“Carnival Splendor will be returning to Sydney later than scheduled and embarkation for the cruise departing today has been revised. For now, for those passengers embarking today please do not proceed to the cruise terminal until we send you an update via SMS,” the cruise line posted.
The vessel is due to embark on a 9-night sailing to Australia’s Great Barrier Reef on the evening of September 27 – and is scheduled to call on Airlie Beach, Cairns, Willis Island, and Moreton Island, Australia.
At this time, it’s not clear if any of the ports will be impacted by the delay – although modern cruise ships can often make up time at sea.
Read Also: Boarding a Cruise Ship – All You Should Know
Meanwhile, P&O cruises already has a new embarkation plan in place – assuming Pacific Adventure can make its way to the White Bay Cruise Terminal (one of two at the port) – by 1 p.m. local time.
“We have an update for your Pacific Adventure cruise departing today. Pacific Adventure is now expected to arrive at White Bay Cruise Terminal at 1pm today, which will delay the check-in for your cruise by an additional 3 hours,” reads an update from the cruise line.
Impacted guests were emailed a detailed list of the new check-in times. All guests will need to be onboard the 2,636-passenger vessel by 9 p.m. to set sail at 10 p.m. – instead of the originally scheduled departure time of 7 p.m.
This sailing is a 3-night comedy-themed cruise to nowhere – so there are no ports of call on the itinerary to be impacted by the delay.
