‘Rather unpleasant’: Court approves $2.4m settlement over cyclone cruise

Following mediation last year, the parties agreed to resolve the claim, with Carnival agreeing to pay $2,416,000, which also included a $1 million cap on Carter Capner’s fees and $100,000 to administer the payments.

“The effect of this is that all passengers will receive the primary amount of $944, being the median cost of a ticket on the cruise, and…close to $900 as additional compensation,” the judgement read.

The Pacific Aria is no longer in the Carnival fleet.

On Thursday, Cyclone Alfred had developed into a category four system, still tracking south off the Queensland coast, with another two cyclones in the Pacific.

The Quantum of the Seas was due to depart from the Brisbane International Cruise Terminal on Friday morning. Its parent company, Royal Caribbean, was contacted for comment.

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Carnival’s Pacific Encounter was due back in Brisbane on Saturday. Its Pacific Adventure, already on a 10-day trip out of Sydney, will skip a planned visit to Mystery Island on Sunday and instead visit Santo.

“As the safety of our guests and crew is the priority, Carnival Cruise Line and P&O Cruises Australia will adjust itineraries for ships in the region as needed,” a company spokeswoman said.

A spokeswoman for Cunard, which operates the Queen Anne, said the crew had experience with weather events and were “monitoring the situation closely”.

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