by Lacey Pfalz
Last updated: 9:55 AM ET, Fri March 13, 2026
Members of the Carnival Adventure ship were caught on camera denying entry to Australian government and union officials, the tense confrontation circulating worldwide.
The situation occurred on March 9, 2026, when officials from SafeWork NSW (New South Wales) and the Maritime Union of Australia (MUA) attempted to board the 2,636-guest Carnival Adventure ship in Sydney, Australia, according to CruiseHive.
The organizations were investigating the ship following reports of health and safety concerns. In February, we covered similar news about federal investigators and union representatives seeking information on alleged worker exploitation and health and safety violations aboard the Carnival Encounter.
The allegations for the Carnival Adventure are similar, with crew members reporting overcrowding, no safe drinking water and wages as low as $2.50 an hour.
MUA's Sydney branch organizer Shane Reside told reporters in February that he believes the issues are "endemic across the Carnival cruise fleet," adding, "It doesn't seem like an aberration, it seems like a pattern."
On video, Carnival crew members are seen rejecting the representatives' attempts to board the ship. "That's my badge, I'm a government official," one SafeWork employee tried to explain.
The person filming the video was heard saying, "So, you're refusing the government official's access."
MUS and SafeWork NSW allege Carnival has denied entry to their ships on three separate occasions. The officials claim they have proper permits to conduct an investigation.
"We have a right to come on board to speak to our members that work on these vessels," an MUA official affirmed.
Carnival could be fined around $75,000 per incident if the cruise line is found liable for rejecting a lawful inspection.
Yet Carnival Cruise Line pushed back, telling local news outlets in Australia that only the Australian Maritime Safety Authority had permission to board, and that it wouldn't be "threatened" by the union.
The AMSA did board and investigate the allegations surrounding the Carnival Encounter. The ship passed the authority's inspection.
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