Snowcones or KKK costumes – P&O issues apology after crew dress in offensive costumes on Pacific Explorer

  • P&O has issued an apology after crew members were dressed in KKK-like costumes.
  • The cruise line was sailing on a Christmas cruise from Melbourne.
  • Some cruisers were shocked and video footage shows the crew dancing around the pool.

The crew onboard a P&O Cruises ship have been accused of dressing up in Klu Klux Klan-like costumes for a Christmas-themed event.

But a spokesperson for P&O Cruises Australia said the staff did not mean any offence and had dressed up as ‘snow cones’.

The group of housekeepers were competing in a Christmas-themed event abord the Pacific Explorer on an eight-night voyage from Melbourne on December 19 to Tasmania and Kangaroo Island.

A video has been posted on Facebook by a cruiser showing the crew dressed head-to-toe in white outfits with pointed, with pointed cone-shaped hoods covering their faces.

Despite the themed event, some cruisers were shocked and disturbed by the costumes according to the Daily Mail Australia.

Speaking on Sydney radio station 2GB on Wednesday morning, communications director for P&O Cruises Australia Lynne Scrivens, scoffed at suggestions the crew meant to dress up as Klansmen.

“Come on. No one can seriously think that was their intention,” she said.

“They were taking part in a Christmas family fun day on the ship as part of our Christmas crew. It was a tug-of-war event where the crew dress up, and our housekeeping crew decided to dress up as snow cones.”

Scrivens said the staff had no idea that their costumes were offensive and were horrified when senior managers aboard the ship told them to take it off.

She also said that the group were only on the pool deck in their outfits for a very short time and were very apologetic.

“They live and work on a cruise ship. They’re not going to Spotlight to buy a bunch of materials for fancy dress. They’ve got to make do with what they’ve got. And they were wearing their cleaning uniforms, and they’ve put something on their head that looks like a snow cone – [an] upside-down snow cone, at that,” Scrivens said.

She said P&O Cruises “accept this should not have happened” and took responsibility. The staff took off their costumes straight away, she added.

“Our crew are from different cultures all over the world. They’re young, and they had just never heard of that organisation or what their outfits could symbolise,” Scrivens said.

“The idea that this was a KKK cruise, like the headline screamed, is just ridiculous. It’s just stupid to even think that there was any malice in this.”

In a formal statement on Wednesday afternoon, a P&O Cruises Australia spokesperson said the “inappropriate dress onboard Pacific Explorer has caused distress” and stressed “this was not the intention of crew”.

“Despite this, we sincerely apologise for any offence this caused passengers and the broader community,” they said.

“Staff have been counselled around this incident and we will ensure this does not happen again.”

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