Adventure & Encounter, in one read
Carnival Adventure and Carnival Encounter are Carnival's two newest-to-the-brand ships — but neither was built for Carnival, or even for P&O. Both were built for Princess Cruises in 2001 and 2002, spent roughly four years under P&O Cruises Australia as Pacific Adventure and Pacific Encounter, and were absorbed into Carnival Cruise Line in 2025 when Carnival Corporation wound down the entire P&O Australia brand after 92 years. They sail year-round from Australia, at fares well below Carnival's newer ships — and, we'll say plainly up front, with review scores that currently sit at the bottom of the Carnival fleet.
Fit scores, not review scores — these measure who the ships suit, not how good they are.
Australian and New Zealand cruisers who want the lowest fare into the Great Barrier Reef and South Pacific, and who are comfortable with a ship still mid-transition between two brands.
You want Carnival's signature dining lineup (Guy's Burger Joint, BlueIguana Cantina and the rest aren't here yet), or you're choosing based on Cruise Critic's own "worst ships" feature, which currently ranks these two at the bottom of the fleet.
The real origin story
Not a P&O design, and not a Carmival newbuild — these are Princess Cruises ships on their third owner in 25 years. Tap through the actual lineage.
Feature explorer
What's genuinely Carnival, and what's still P&O under a new paint job — this is the most important thing to understand before booking either ship. Tap through.
The two ships, and the one reason to pick each
Same Princess-built platform, different Australian homeports. Tap between them.
Full ship guides: Carnival Adventure · Carnival Encounter.
Which ship fits you?
Four quick questions — with two close siblings, homeport and itinerary style usually settle it.
How these two ships are actually received
We're not going to soften this: Cruise Critic's own "Best and Worst Carnival Cruise Ships" feature currently ranks Carnival Encounter as the single worst-rated ship in the fleet, with Carnival Adventure second-worst. Cited reasons include maintenance complaints — broken elevators, plumbing and fixture issues, and general wear — alongside repetitive buffet options and dated public spaces. These are genuine, repeated complaints across member reviews, not a one-off bad trip.
Here's the part worth flagging directly: Cruise Critic's own separate editorial review page for Carnival Encounter gives her 4.0 out of 5 ("Very Good") — a real inconsistency within Cruise Critic's own coverage, sitting in tension with both its "worst ships" ranking and its member-review average. We're reporting that contradiction rather than picking a side for you.
The context that's fair to add: both ships are barely a year or two into Carnival ownership as of this writing, having spent their prior life under a different brand's standards and maintenance rhythm entirely. Carnival's own president has said the plan involves "technology upgrades and other small changes" while keeping "a familiar feel" — which is a candid way of saying the full Carnival treatment hasn't landed yet. The one confirmed forward-looking upgrade is a Cloud 9 Spa Thermal Suite arriving on Carnival Encounter in a 2026 dry dock — a genuine sign of continued investment, not abandonment.
Book these ships
For the lowest fare into the Great Barrier Reef and South Pacific from Australia, with clear eyes about their current review scores.
Book something else instead
If Carnival's signature dining and the newest maintenance standards matter more to you than the fare — Carnival Splendor is the more established Australia-based alternative.
Ask Seabound about Adventure & Encounter
Tell us about your trip.
Homeport, group size, budget and how long you want to sail — and we'll tell you honestly whether one of these ships fits, or whether Splendor or another Carnival ship would serve you better.
Instant answers from our guides · always verified against current Carnival information before you book.
Quick answers
Is “Grand Class” an official Carnival ship class?
Not officially, as far as we can confirm — we haven't found a Carnival press release using “Grand Class” as a marketed product name the way Carnival does with Excel, Vista or Splendor. The term comes from Princess Cruises, which built these two hulls as part of its own real Grand-class program starting in 1998. We're using it here as a useful shorthand for Carnival's two newest-to-the-brand ships, not as an official Carnival designation.
Are Carnival Adventure and Carnival Encounter really ex-P&O ships?
More precisely, they're ex-Princess Cruises ships that spent a short stopover under P&O Cruises Australia. Carnival Adventure was built as Golden Princess (2001) and Carnival Encounter as Star Princess (2002) — both for Princess Cruises. Princess transferred them to P&O Australia around 2020–2021 as Pacific Adventure and Pacific Encounter, and Carnival absorbed the entire P&O Australia brand in 2024–2025, rebranding these two as Carnival ships.
Do Carnival Adventure and Encounter have standard Carnival dining, like Guy's Burger Joint?
Not yet, as of mid-2026. Both ships still run almost entirely on their P&O-era dining lineup — including Luke's Bar & Grill, a carryover of P&O's Salt Grill by Luke Mangan partnership with the Australian celebrity chef — rather than Carnival's usual Guy's Burger Joint, BlueIguana Cantina or Pizzeria del Capitano. The one confirmed Carnival-brand addition so far is a Cloud 9 Spa Thermal Suite arriving on Carnival Encounter in a 2026 dry dock.
Are these really the worst-rated ships in the Carnival fleet?
By one measure, yes. Cruise Critic's own “Best and Worst Carnival Cruise Ships” feature ranks Carnival Encounter as the single worst-rated ship in the fleet and Carnival Adventure second-worst. Confusingly, Cruise Critic's separate editorial review page for Encounter gives her 4.0 out of 5 — a genuine inconsistency within Cruise Critic's own coverage that we're reporting rather than resolving for you.
Where do Carnival Adventure and Encounter sail from, and is that changing?
Carnival Encounter sails year-round from Brisbane to the Great Barrier Reef, Vanuatu, New Caledonia, Fiji and Papua New Guinea. Carnival Adventure sails from Sydney with seasonal legs to Melbourne, Adelaide, Auckland and Singapore. Carnival has confirmed Adventure shifts to seasonal deployment starting April 2028, relocating to North America during the Australian off-season — so her long-term homeport picture is already set to change.