Carnival Encounter Cancels Cairns Call Due
Carnival Cruise Line altered a September 2026 Great Barrier Reef sailing, replacing a Cairns stop with Townsville due to unsafe shallow waters.
Carnival Cruise Line has altered the itinerary for a Carnival Encounter sailing departing September 5, 2026, due to shallow water conditions. The six-night Great Barrier Reef cruise from Brisbane has cancelled its planned visit to Cairns because current channel depths are too shallow for the ship's safe passage.
In a notice sent to guests on September 1, 2026, the cruise line stated the issue would not be fixed before the planned visit. "The safety of our guests is our top priority, so our scheduled visit to Cairns can no longer proceed," the notice read. The recently enhanced, 108,865-gross-ton vessel carries 2,600 passengers.
Revised Itinerary Details
The cancellation has led to a reshuffling of the ship's port schedule. Instead of calling at Cairns on September 8, the ship will now visit Airlie Beach on that date, moving that stop forward by one day. A newly added call at Townsville will take place on September 9.
The scheduled visit to Willis Island on September 7 remains unchanged. The ship will now return to Brisbane one hour later than planned, arriving at 8:00 a.m. on September 11 instead of 7:00 a.m.
| Original Date | Original Port | Revised Date | Revised Port |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 7 | Willis Island | Sep 7 | Willis Island |
| Sep 8 | Cairns | Sep 8 | Airlie Beach |
| Sep 9 | Airlie Beach | Sep 9 | Townsville |
| Sep 11 | Brisbane (7:00 a.m.) | Sep 11 | Brisbane (8:00 a.m.) |
Guest Information and Refunds
Carnival Cruise Line has stated that all prepaid shore excursions for Cairns will be automatically refunded to guests. New excursions for the replacement port of Townsville will be available for booking once guests are onboard. They can be booked via the Carnival HUB app or in-person at the Carnival Adventures Desk.
The cruise line provided no indication of compensation for any post-cruise travel arrangements that guests may need to adjust due to the one-hour delayed return to Brisbane. Carnival did not provide an explanation for the reduced channel depths, nor a timeframe for when the issue is expected to be resolved.
Future Port Calls and Schedule
If conditions remain unsafe, future visits to the port could be impacted. Carnival Encounter is based year-round in Brisbane, offering a variety of itineraries, including 6- and 7-night Great Barrier Reef cruises that will continue into 2027 and 2028 as part of Carnival's expanded Australia and New Zealand lineup.
The ship's upcoming schedules include another call at Cairns. A seven-night itinerary departing Brisbane on September 26, 2026, is scheduled to visit Airlie Beach on September 28 followed by an overnight call in Cairns beginning September 29. She will then visit Willis Island on October 1 before returning to Brisbane on October 3. The cruise line has not announced any changes to that sailing.
