Carnival Corp has agreed to settle a lawsuit accusing a P&O Cruises Australia ship of operating a “cruise from hell”. The company has admitted no liability but will pay out more than A$2.4 million.
Cruise Ship Sailed into The Path of a Powerful Cyclone
The Pacific Aria ship was caught in category 5 Cyclone Donna in 2017 during a seven-day cruise departing from Brisbane to Noumea. The class action lawsuit was filed in 2023 by Carter Capner Law on behalf of lead plaintiff Debrah Jackson.
The suit claims the cruise line was aware the storm was forming and its path would potentially impact the cruise. “By sailing into the path of Cyclone Donna without giving passengers the opportunity to cancel and obtain a full refund, it subjected passengers to a miserable seven days,” said law firm director, Peter Carter.
“The vessel encountered rough conditions which had the consequence that many activities aboard the vessel were curtailed, facilities were closed, and ports that were intended to be visited were not, the suit stated.
Carnival Agrees to Pay Out $2.4 Million
“The enjoyment of the cruise was not as desired and, generally, the cruise was a rather unpleasant experience,” it added. Carnival denied liability due to “obvious vicissitudes of sea voyages”. It further said when Pacific Aria departed Brisbane, “there was a reasonable anticipation that it could undertake an appropriate voyage.” However, following mediation, the cruise company agreed to settle the class action case for $2,416,000.
More than 1,500 Pacific Aria guests on the cruise are expected to receive a payout of nearly double their original cruise fare. They will receive $944 as a refund of the cruise cost and about $900 in compensation for “distress and disappointment”. Legal fees were capped at $1 million.
