Guests currently aboard Carnival Splendor can now call themselves time travelers (sort of), as the ship has crossed the International Dateline during its Transpacific Journeys voyage on its way to restart Carnival Cruise Line’s operations in Australia.
By crossing the internationally-recognized calendar boundary, the ship skipped a full day of the week — turning Wednesday into Friday for everyone on board.
“This is a special voyage and crossing the International Dateline is a fun milestone to share along the way with our guests and crew as we make a truly momentous return trip to beautiful Sydney,” said Capt. Francesco La Fauci. “Sydney is my favorite city and embarking soon on my 40th year at Carnival Cruise Line, I am so happy to be sailing there with Carnival Splendor and her crew family so we can continue serving one of the most spectacular ports in the world.”
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Following Carnival Splendor‘s departure from Seattle, Washington on September 6 following a successful season in Alaska, guests on board have enjoyed the opportunity to see various places in Hawaii, visiting Honolulu, Kona, Hilo, and Maui. Soon, the vessel will arrive in the Fiji Islands, with stops in Suva and Port Denarau.
Carnival Splendor is set to arrive in Sydney on September 30, and will be Carnival’s first ship to return to guest operations in Australia after nearly 1,000 days. The vessel will homeport in Sydney year-round, with her first voyage departing October 1.
The ship’s return to Australia also coincides with Carnival’s 10th year of operations in the country. In November, Carnival Luminosa will complete the line’s two-ship deployment to Australia with sailings from Brisbane.
Check out this video from the International Dateline crossing celebration:
