The Maritime Union of Australia Has Received Hundreds of Complaints About Working and Living Conditions in the Past Year

Crew members on Carnival cruise ships operating in Australia have told ABC News they face paltry pay, punishing working hours, poor-quality food and water, and medical neglect, with a decades-old exemption to Australian labour laws leaving them with little protection. Carnival Corporation, the world's largest cruise company, operates more than 90 ships globally, including three full-time in Australia: Adventure, Encounter and Splendor. Queen Onuoha, a beauty specialist from Nigeria who worked two seasons aboard the Carnival Adventure and Carnival Encounter, said she often worked 14-hour days and bought caffeine tablets to stay awake.

Crew contracts seen by the ABC show some workers are paid as little as $US23.26 ($33) a day, based on a 2025 contract, equating to about $2.75 an hour for a 12-hour day. The Maritime Union of Australia has received hundreds of complaints about working and living conditions in the past year. Crew said they were often given leftovers from passengers' dining, sometimes rotten, leading to common gastroenteritis.

Onuoha spent $50 weekly on food due to quality concerns, and some crew bought bottled water, limited to two bottles a day, after seeing worms in the supply. Some also had to buy uniforms and pay $70 a month for internet beyond WhatsApp. A Carnival spokesperson referred to a February statement saying, Carnival has nothing to hide.

The federal government is considering a 2023 review of the labour laws, with findings not yet public. Carnival has nothing to hide.