Pacific riots mean 120,000 Aussies could find their cruises diverted

When the Carnival Splendor headed out to sea this week on a cruise that was supposed to take in Noumea, New Caledonia, passengers were told they would be going to Papua New Guinea instead.

They won’t be alone. The New Caledonia riots that broke out in May over a controversial electoral reform have not abated, and because it is an important part of the Pacific cruise run, it will hit the Australian season hard.

Smart Traveller, the government’s official travel website, this week updated its advice for visits to New Caledonia to: ‘Reconsider your need to travel’ due to ‘ongoing civil unrest’.

But that presents a problem. Up to 120,000 cruise passengers on more than 30 ships are booked in to visit New Caledonia over the coming months.

Since riots began in New Caledonia in May, no cruise ships have visited. This didn’t prove to be too pressing an issue as it wasn’t peak season, but now tens of thousands of passengers are scheduled to sail there soon. But the official word is that the civil unrest will continue indefinitely.

In the likely event that the riots don’t resolve themselves soon, the impact on the Australian cruise season will be huge. Across Royal Caribbean, Carnival Cruises, Princess Cruises, P&O Australia and Celebrity Cruises, there are 34 ships set to visit New Caledonia in-between now and March 2025. These 34 ships at fully booked capacity would amount to 121,174 passengers.

Essentially, the fate of these cruisers is hanging completely in the balance, as they all have cruises booked to ports they seem to have very little chance of visiting.

The key issue with switching ports in cruises without much warning is port availability, in the South Pacific in particular there are only so many ports around, meaning cruises either have to be diverted to completely different locations, or be mostly sea days. While it is obviously not the cruise lines fault, cruisers will often be disappointed if they book an island hopping cruise and end up with mostly sea days.

Therefore, a key question for cruisers will be whether their itineraries will be replaced other ports in the South Pacific, differently regions entirely, or picked apart to be left with mostly sea days.

Other ports present their own problems. Smart Traveller this week also warned about Papua New Guinea:

“We continue to advise exercise a high degree of caution in Papua New Guinea due to high levels of crime, tribal violence and civil unrest. Higher levels apply in some areas.

“The Kokoda Track is closed while local authorities negotiate with landowners to remove blockades on the Kokoda Track. The blockades and closure are disrupting current and planned treks. Check with your trekking company for the latest information (see ‘Travel’).

“Ongoing fuel shortages can disrupt domestic travel, including air travel, with little or no notice. Protests, civil disorder and tribal violence can escalate quickly. Avoid areas where violence occurs and be alert to personal safety risks. Monitor the local media for updates (see ‘Safety’).”

Another key issue is the timing in which cruise lines will alert passengers of whether their cruise will go ahead as planned. While it is impossible for cruise lines to predict how long the country will be unable to be visited, it would be ideal to let cruise passengers know as far ahead of time as possible if their itinerary will continue as planned.

This will allow travellers to reschedule their plans if they wish, or at least make an informed decision. Furthermore, if any cruises need to be completely cancelled, it is fair that customers that know as far ahead of time as possible.

Cruises have already started being shuffled around. Carnival Cruises has rescheduled all New Caledonia cruises up until October, for most cruises so far, Noumea and Lifou ports have been replaced with stops in Vanuatu instead. However, there is one cruise that was scheduled for New Caledonia that has been instead diverted to Queensland.

All impacted voyagers are offered a 100% future cruise credit if they don’t wish to continue on the rescheduled itinerary. Refunds are not offered in these circumstances.

Carnival Cruises has said in a statement: “Carnival Corporation & plc brands are continuing to closely monitor the situation in New Caledonia. We are liaising with the Australian government, local authorities, and our partners in New Caledonia about when we can resume calls to Noumea and Lifou.”

Royal Caribbean, who have up to 58,000 passengers travelling to New Caledonia this season, have been contacted for comment.

The Smart Traveller warning

The warning reads: “We continue to advise reconsider your need to travel to New Caledonia due to ongoing civil unrest and travel disruptions. Political tensions and unrest may increase at short notice.

“There’s an increased police and security presence. Demonstrations and protests may increase leading up to a national public holiday on 24 September. Between 21 – 24 September, the nationwide curfew will be in place nightly between 6pm – 6am. Currently, the nationwide curfew is between 10pm and 5am. The Consulate-General in Noumea will be closed on 24 September.

“Security incidents, including arson and carjacking continue across the country. Political demonstrations and protests may turn violent at short notice. Avoid demonstrations and public gatherings. Essential services are impacted. Continue to follow the advice of local authorities.”