Federal Government investigators from the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) have boarded the Carnival cruise ship Carnival Encounter at the Port of Darwin to investigate whistleblower reports of crew skin disease, unsafe drinking water and crew being forced to work while sick.
The Maritime Union of Australia (MUA) said it received the whistleblower reports from a crew member.
But Carnival said the move was a “blatant” use of crew to boost membership.
“We have nothing to hide and will cooperate with the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA), which ensures international crew welfare standards are met through regular port state control inspections as a matter of course,” a Carnival Cruise Line spokesperson said.
“As we have said before, the Maritime Union of Australia is making blatant claims to launch a membership drive and apparently likes to use vulgar and lame tactics to get attention.”
MUA NT Branch Secretary Andy Burford said the inspection was the direct result of crew members coming forward to the union, and that the branch is working closely with International Transport Workers Federation inspectors and AMSA to coordinate interventions throughout Australia aimed at addressing the treatment of crew aboard Carnival Cruise Line ships marketed as “Australian home-ported” vessels.
Carnival Encounter is one of three Carnival Cruise Line vessels home-ported in Australia which operate almost exclusively in Australian waters. The union says the operator uses loopholes in maritime laws to employ foreign crew members who are excluded from Australia’s employment laws.
“This is exactly what happens when you allow foreign owned and controlled companies to sail the Australian coast, using Australian ports, carrying Australian passengers paying Australian fares, but who are completely immune from Australian law,” Burford said.
“Carnival is bringing in workers from some of the poorest economies on earth, paying them as little as $2.50 an hour and subjecting them to conditions that no worker should accept, all while Carnival continues to generate billions of dollars in profit worldwide, and many tens of millions of dollars here in Australia.”
The inspection is targeting reports from crew including cramped living conditions leading to a high incidence of skin infections, very poor-quality drinking water, and crew being forced to work while suffering from serious illnesses, including gastro.
The union said the matters under investigation by AMSA point to broader, systemic problems across the cruise industry. Workers from some of the world’s poorest nations form the backbone of cruise ship operations, but while guests enjoy amenities onboard, workers are often housed below decks in overcrowded cabins, provided with inadequate amenities, and required to work while sick.
“These are the real conditions behind the scenes,” Assistant National Secretary Jamie Newlyn said. “This is the daily living and working environment of the people who keep these ships operating, serve passengers around the clock, and generate enormous profits for cruise company owners.”
The MUA welcomed AMSA’s intervention, saying it underscored the importance of whistleblower protections and effective regulatory enforcement.
“We welcome AMSA acting on this information,” Newlyn said. “However, inspections alone will not address the underlying power imbalance onboard these vessels.”
The MUA reiterated its call for Carnival Cruises to recognise the right of crew members to organise and bargain collectively in line with international labour standards.
“Carnival’s business model is built on domination of a workforce from some of the world’s poorest economies, trapped at sea and subject to the authority of managers and corporate structures,” MUA organiser Shane Reside said. “When workers are prohibited from having a union, this is exactly what happens.”
“Lasting improvements in safety, accountability and living conditions only occur when workers have enforceable rights and a collective voice,” Reside said. “Until that happens, the MUA will continue to escalate this fight.”
