P&O ‘cruise from hell’ prompts class-action lawsuit over cyclone disruption

A class-action lawsuit has been lodged over a cruise that sailed into a tropical cyclone. Photo / File

A seven-day cruise from Brisbane to New Caledonia and Vanuatu has been called the “cruise from hell” by a class-action lawsuit lodged after the ship sailed into a category 5 cyclone.

Passengers on the P&O Pacific Aria cruise ship were expecting a relaxing trip around the tropical South Pacific Ocean. However, things took a turn when the ship was hit by a severe tropical cyclone.

The damage disruption that followed could have been avoided according to Peter Carter, the director of Carter Capner Law, the firm lodging the case against P&O’s parent company Carnival PLC.

“Before departure, a cyclone warning had been issued for Vanuatu as had a forecast that the category 3 cyclone was heading in the direction of Noumea,” Carter said.

Carter said passengers should have been given the option to cancel their cruise, which set sail from Brisbane on May 5, 2017, and headed towards Noumea, then Vanuatu.

On May 6, the cyclone intensified to a category 4. By May 8, it was considered category 5. At the time, Cyclone Donna as it was called, was the worst-ever tropical storm to hit the South Pacific.

“On arrival at Noumea the ship was required to dock in the industrial port due to the high winds rather than at the cruise ship terminal,” Carter said, adding that the weather impacted travellers both on the ship and the islands.

“Nothing was open in the city as Noumea was in lockdown for the arrival of the cyclone, and several passengers left the ship in Noumea because of the terrible sea conditions they had experienced and flew back to Brisbane.”

When the ship left Noumea the next day, weather conditions saw water come over the sides of the vessel and an entire deck was closed for safety.

“This was truly a cruise from hell, with many passengers so scared they confined themselves to their cabin,” Carter said.

Passengers claim furniture was overturned, crockery thrown around the galley, meals pulled off tables and seawater ran through corridors and into cabins. The ship was reportedly listing (a term that describes taking on water and rocking side to side) for around one hour.

Weather forced the ship to miss the two following stops.

The claim is seeking damages from P&O for “disappointment, frustration, discomfort and distress and a refund of the cruise fare paid by each passenger” according to a release from Carter Capner Law.

A Category 5 severe tropical cyclone is the highest rating on Australia’s tropical cyclone intensity scale, and is given to tropical cyclones with wind speeds of 198 km/h or greater.

Both Carnival Australia and P&O have reportedly declined to comment while the matter was before the courts.