A major cruise ship docked in Darwin was boarded by investigators from the Australian Maritime Safety Authority on Monday, following claims of worker exploitation.
The maritime union said details reported to them were “horrifying”, and included allegations workers were being forced to live in overcrowded conditions with no access to safe, free drinking water while earning as little as $2.50 an hour.
The Carnival Cruise Line maintained it had “nothing to hide” and claimed “no deficiencies” were found by investigators onboard the ship.
Here’s what we know so far.
How did this start?
The Maritime Union of Australia (MUA) said they had received hundreds of complaints about the international cruise line over the past six months.Â
MUA Sydney branch organiser Shane Reside said a whistleblower reached out to the union late last week, with further “horrifying” reports about about living conditions on the Carnival Encounter cruise ship.
Shane Reside says Carnival Encounter employees have been forced to work while unwell and often for as long as 10 hours a day. (
ABC News: Declan Bowring
)
The reports allegedly came from crew, which detailed extremely poor living and working conditions conditions.
To investigate claims, Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) boarded the Carnival Encounter cruise ship while it was docked in Darwin on Monday.
What are the claims?
There have been serious concerns raised, including allegations crew members were living in cramped conditions leading to high incidence of skin infections.
According to the maritime union, the only free water available to workers was potentially harmful and crew were being forced to work while suffering from serious illnesses, including gastro.
Luxury cruise ship conditions under investigation
Mr Reside told the ABC the whistleblowers claimed crews were working sometimes in excess of 10 hours a day for more than 30 days consecutively, and were paid as little as $2.50 an hour.
“We’ve got reports from these whistleblowers that when the company doctors on board are approached so that they can report sickness, the doctors have been putting them under a lot of pressure to return to work, even while they are still sick,” he said.
The MUA also alleged Carnival used loopholes to employ foreign crew members excluded from Australian employment laws.
What does Carnival say?
Carnival said it had “nothing to hide” and welcomed the “oversight”.
“We respect this process, and we hold our shipboard team members in the highest regard,” a spokesperson said in a statement.
The maritime safety regulatory’s investigation into the Carnival Encounter cruise ship was prompted by union worker complaints. (ABC News: Pete Garnish)
“We welcome AMSA’s oversight as an important assurance mechanism for our crew and our operations.”
What did AMSA find during the inspection?
Carnival said AMSA “found no deficiencies during its inspection”, with “no follow-up action required”.Â
The Australian Maritime Safety Authority has yet to confirm the outcome of its investigation into Carnival Encounter. (ABC News: Pete Garnish)
In a statement, AMSA said it “concluded our inspection of the vessel and a report of inspection has been provided to the captain.”
It’s not clear what recommendations — if any — had been made by investigators.
Who owns Carnival cruises?
Carnival Cruise Lines is an international cruise line, founded by businessman Ted Arison in 1972.
It’s now owned and operated by Carnival Coproration & PLC, with more than 90 ships in its fleet.
A release from Carnival Cruise Line in December stated the company made a net income of $2.8 billion in 2025.
The Carnival Encounter cruise ship can accommodate 2,600 guests and 1,100 crew members. (ABC New: Pete Garnish)
The ship investigated in Darwin, the Carnival Encounter cruise ship, had about 1,100 crew members onboard.
The ship can carry up to 2,600 guests and travels year-round from Brisbane.