A cruise line has issued an apology after a public backlash over an “inappropriate” deck parade.
P&O Cruises Australia responded after video footage of crew members wearing pointed white hoods was compared to members of the Ku Klux Klan.
It happened during a Christmas cruise from Melbourne to Tasmania last month. Crew members were dressed as snow cones for a family Christmas event along with a Santa Claus. The crew’s all-white outfits included the inverted show cones over their head with eye holes that resembled the notorious hoods used by the KKK.
It could be argued that a majority of crew members on cruise ships are from Southeast Asia and are not familiar with American history or that what they were doing was offensive.
Reddit user Hon3y_Badger noted, “KKK is a very American thing. The headpiece is usually called a capirote and is used in Catholic ceremonies. The staff is often from Catholic Asian countries; I imagine they see this commonly used in non racist or violent environments and decided to have fun & with none of that knowledge the baggage it carries for many.”
P&O Cruises Australia Receives Backlash
Footage of the event was shared on Facebook by a guest and was picked up by Australian media this week. According to 7NEWS Australia, a guest filed a complaint with the cruise line but did not get a reply. The news channel says P&O Cruises Australia only responded after the video was aired.
“We sincerely apologize for any offense this caused passengers. They were only in public view for a short time before management acted quickly and had them remove the costumes,” a P&O Cruises Australia spokesperson said.
“The crew members were horrified and extremely apologetic when they learned of the distress their outfits could cause. Staff have been counseled around this incident and we will ensure this does not happen again.”
Speaking to 7News, cruise line spokesperson Lynne Scrivens said it was an unfortunate choice of costume and an innocent mistake. “It was a tug-of-war event where the crew dress up, and our housekeeping crew decided to dress up as snow cones.”
As young, mostly foreign nationals from different cultures, the crew had “no idea” their costumes could be viewed as offensive or what they could symbolize, Scrivens added.
P&O Cruises Australia is set to close down and will be integrated into sister brand Carnival Cruise Line in March 2025.
