Carnival Cruise Line is adjusting select itineraries departing from Australia due to the sale of a cruise port in Papua New Guinea.

According to a statement sent to booked guests, with the change of ownership, the Carnival Encounter won’t be able to visit Conflict Islands as scheduled in 2026, 2027 and 2028.

“Carnival has been advised that Conflict Islands, Papua New Guinea, has been sold to a new owner and will no longer be available for cruise ship visits,” the company said in its statement.

Cruise Industry News research shows that the vessel was set to make six visits to the destination through 2028.

In 2026, the Carnival Encounter was scheduled to sail to Conflict Islands on June 16 and August 2 as part of itineraries to the South Pacific departing from Brisbane.

The ten-night itineraries feature visits to additional destinations in Papua New Guinea, including Alotau, Kiriwina Island and Rabaul.

“We are now actively evaluating the alternatives for your itinerary and will be in touch in January 2026, once we have finalized plans,” Carnival continued.

Sailing from Brisbane, the Carnival Encounter offers a series of three- to 15-night cruises to Australia, the South Pacific Islands and Southeast Asia.

Along with the Carnival Splendor and the Carnival Adventure, the 2002-built vessel is one of Carnival’s Australia-based vessels. A fourth ship, the Carnival Luminosa, also sails in the region on a seasonal basis.

While the Encounter was the only Carnival ship set to visit Conflict Islands, vessels from other brands have scheduled calls to the destination.

Holland America Line, Princess Cruises, Hapag-Lloyd Cruises and Seabourn are among the cruise lines planning to sail to the port between 2026 and 2028.

In related news, earlier this year, Carnival cancelled a series of cruises from Australia onboard the Carnival Adventure.

In a statement, the company said that the cancellations were a result of a short-term change in itinerary plans.