Carnival Cruise Workers Face Difficult Conditions

Crew on Carnival cruise ships say they have bad working conditions.

Thu 6 Aug 2026 at 4:48am

Thu 6 Aug 2026 at 8:42am

Crew members say they get poor food and water, and don't get good medical care.

In short:

Crew on Carnival ships get low pay and have to work very long hours.

A law from Australia doesn't protect cruise ship workers.

What's next?

The government is looking at a review of the laws from 2023.

Passengers on Carnival ships get a lot of food and can relax.

It's a chance to see the world by sea.

But crew members don't have a good life on the ships.

Crew members say they have to eat old, bad food and work too much.

Carnival has many ships with a lot of crew members.

Crew members get paid very little, less than $3 per hour.

Carnival has ships in Australia, and crew members work long hours.

Some crew members work 14 hours a day, 7 days a week.

One worker, Queen, said she bought her own food because the ship's food was bad.

Crew members don't get paid a lot, and some get only $23 per day.

The pay is very low, and crew members get only a little money per hour.

Many crew members complain about the working and living conditions.

Carnival says they do nothing wrong, but didn't answer all questions.

Leftovers of leftovers

Carnival promises good food, but crew members get bad leftovers.

Crew members say the food is bad and sometimes rotten.

Crew members have to buy their own food because the ship's food is bad.

The water on the ship is also bad, and crew members don't trust it.

Crew members see worms in the water and don't want to drink it.

Crew members buy bottled water, but it's limited.

A special law means cruise ships don't have to follow Australian work rules.

Crew members have to buy their own uniforms and pay for internet.

Carnival says the water is safe, but didn't answer questions about food.

It becomes never-ending

Crew members say the work is too hard and the food is too bad.

Many crew members get sick or hurt, and don't get good medical care.

Crew members say they are forced to work even when they are sick.

Some crew members say they were punished for not working when they were sick.

One worker, Christiana, said she was trapped on the ship and couldn't leave.

Crew members say they have to buy their own food and water when the ship is in port.

Carnival didn't answer questions about medical care and workers being trapped.

No legal protections for workers

Cruise ships don't have to follow Australian work rules because of a special law.

The government is looking at the law, but it's not clear what will happen.

A senator says the government should stop the law and protect workers.

Maritime investigation found no breaches

The maritime authority can fine companies that break the rules.

But an investigation of Carnival found no problems.

Carnival says they follow the rules and were inspected by the authority.

The union says they were denied access to the ship to inspect conditions.

Carnival says the union has no right to inspect the ship.

The union is considering legal action against Carnival.

Better than wages back home

Crew members say they come back to work on Carnival ships because the pay is better than at home.

But they say the work is hard and the conditions are bad.

One worker, Queen, said she felt free when she left the ship.

Crew members say they will come back to work on Carnival ships because they need the money.

Editor's note: This article was updated with more information from Carnival.

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