Carnival Corp. P&O Cruises Australia will merge into Carnival Cruise Line next year.
The cruise line will discontinue the P&O Cruises Australia brand in March 2025, the company announced on Monday.
“Despite Carnival Cruise Line’s capacity increasing by nearly 25% since 2019, including the transfer of three ships from Costa Cruises, guest demand remains incredibly strong. That’s why we’re leveraging our scale in an even more meaningful way by incorporating an entire brand into the world’s most popular cruise line,” said Josh Weinstein, CEO of Carnival Corp. in a press release.
Other Carnival Corp. brands include Holland America Line, Princess Cruises and Seabourn.
Carnival Cruise Line will account for approximately 35% of the company’s global capacity when the transition is complete, up from 29% in 2019. P&O’s Pacific Encounter and Pacific Adventure ships will sail to Carnival after a rebrand, while Pacific Explorer will be the fleet will leave in February. .
“P&O Cruises Australia is a legendary brand with an incredible team, and we are immensely proud of everything we have achieved together in Australia and the wider region,” continued Weinstein. “However, given the strategic realities of the South Pacific’s small population and significantly higher operating and regulatory costs, we are adapting our approach to provide us with the efficiencies we need to deliver an incredible year-round cruising experience continue to offer to our guests in the region. .”
The company did not immediately respond to USA TODAY’s request for comment on possible staff cuts.
Following the change, Carnival will have four ships in the market, including Carnival Splendor and Carnival Luminosa. The company said guests will be contacted “in the coming days” about any changes to future cruises as a result of the consolidation. The current routes sail as planned.
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“We look forward to building on the history and legacy of P&O Cruises Australia by bringing some of our innovations to more cruise guests in the region,” Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line, added in the press release. “While we plan to make some technology upgrades and other minor changes to the two P&O Cruises Australia ships, they will continue to focus on the unique Australian market with a familiar feel and many of the same experiences for P&O Cruises Australia guests .”
The change will not affect Carnival Corp.’s British-based P&O Cruises, a separate brand. The company also recently announced that Carnival Cruise Line will add two new Excel-class ships in 2027 and 2028.
Nathan Diller is a consumer travel reporter for USA TODAY based in Nashville. You can reach him at ndiller@usatoday.com.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Carnival Cruise Line to absorb P&O Cruises Australia
