{"version":"1.9","identifier":"91fb1528-e854-4f90-b122-243c15994b90","language":"en-US","title":"Carnival's new Australia program adds 112 voyages aboard Splendor and Encounter","layout":{"columns":7,"width":1024,"margin":32,"gutter":20},"componentLayouts":{"text":{"columnStart":0,"columnSpan":7,"maximumContentWidth":720,"margin":{"top":12,"bottom":12}},"photo":{"columnStart":0,"columnSpan":7,"margin":{"top":20,"bottom":20}}},"componentTextStyles":{"default":{"fontName":"HelveticaNeue","fontSize":18,"lineHeight":29,"textColor":"#171717"},"headline":{"fontName":"HelveticaNeue-Bold","fontSize":36,"lineHeight":42,"conditional":[{"conditions":{"maxViewportWidth":480},"fontSize":28,"lineHeight":34}]},"intro":{"fontName":"HelveticaNeue","fontSize":20,"lineHeight":28,"textColor":"#555555"},"caption":{"fontName":"HelveticaNeue","fontSize":13,"lineHeight":19,"textColor":"#666666"},"byline":{"fontName":"HelveticaNeue","fontSize":13,"lineHeight":20,"textColor":"#666666"},"body":{"fontName":"HelveticaNeue","fontSize":18,"lineHeight":29,"paragraphSpacingAfter":14,"linkStyle":{"textColor":"#00704a"}}},"metadata":{"canonicalURL":"https://cruisesfrog.com/news/carnival-australia-2028-2029-112-voyages-splendor-encounter","datePublished":"2026-10-30T14:52:48.117674Z","dateModified":"2026-10-30T15:09:18.868538Z","authors":["Frog News Desk"],"excerpt":"The October 28 release covers Sydney and Brisbane departures, including short getaways, a solar-eclipse trip and New Zealand sailings.","thumbnailURL":"https://pub-fac99da959e344fe99d810d309cef7df.r2.dev/photos/article/91fb1528-e854-4f90-b122-243c15994b90/9f96d2ba3306fab4d7de0d421c2dcdb3.jpg","keywords":["itinerary"],"generatorName":"Frog News","generatorVersion":"1.0"},"components":[{"role":"title","text":"Carnival's new Australia program adds 112 voyages aboard Splendor and Encounter","textStyle":"headline","layout":"text"},{"role":"intro","text":"The October 28 release covers Sydney and Brisbane departures, including short getaways, a solar-eclipse trip and New Zealand sailings.","textStyle":"intro","layout":"text"},{"role":"byline","text":"By Frog News Desk · Published October 30, 2026","textStyle":"byline","layout":"text"},{"role":"photo","URL":"https://pub-fac99da959e344fe99d810d309cef7df.r2.dev/photos/article/91fb1528-e854-4f90-b122-243c15994b90/9f96d2ba3306fab4d7de0d421c2dcdb3.jpg","caption":"Carnival Encounter's pool deck, shown in Carnival's Australia program announcement. · Carnival Cruise Line","accessibilityCaption":"Carnival Encounter's pool deck, shown in Carnival's Australia program announcement.","layout":"photo"},{"role":"caption","text":"Carnival Encounter's pool deck, shown in Carnival's Australia program announcement. · Carnival Cruise Line","textStyle":"caption","layout":"text"},{"role":"body","format":"markdown","text":"Carnival's newly released Australia schedule gives travelers a clearer view of what remains after its planned fleet changes. Carnival Splendor and Carnival Encounter will sail year-round from Sydney and Brisbane under the 2028–29 program announced on October 28.\n\nThe [official release](https://www.carnival-news.com/2026/10/28/carnival-cruise-line-reveals-2028-29-program-for-australia-on-sale-today) lists 112 voyages, including 23 three-day getaways. Highlights include an Encounter solar-eclipse sailing from Brisbane in July 2028, a new 13-day New Zealand trip from Brisbane and a Splendor Melbourne Cup cruise in November 2028.\n\n## This is a new schedule, not a reversal\n\nThe announcement follows Carnival's decision to move Adventure and Luminosa out of Australia in March 2028. Readers should not interpret the new batch of departures as those ships returning. Our [coverage of the departures](https://cruisesfrog.com/news/carnival-luminosa-adventure-leave-australia-march-2028) explains that separate change.\n\nThe new program instead identifies the two ships on which travelers can plan future Australian departures. Splendor is scheduled for dry dock in August 2028 before resuming the rest of its program. Carnival has not given a full renovation list in this release.\n\nThat gap matters if you are comparing a trip before dry dock with one afterward. Do not pay extra for an assumed cabin upgrade or new venue until the line confirms it.\n\n## Short cruises and long trips solve different problems\n\nA three-day sailing offers a way to try a ship without committing to a long vacation. It also concentrates embarkation and disembarkation into a larger share of the time away. For someone who must fly to the port, airport and hotel costs may outweigh the saving from fewer cruise nights.\n\nLonger itineraries ask for more leave and a larger overall budget. Their value should be judged against the places visited and the time available there, rather than simply dividing the fare by the number of nights.\n\nCompare departures from your actual starting point. A Brisbane resident and a traveler flying from overseas can reach very different conclusions about the same advertised fare.\n\n## Read the special-event details\n\nAn eclipse cruise has an obvious attraction, but the name alone does not establish where the ship will be during the event or what the viewing conditions will be. Check the detailed route, scheduled activities and any equipment guidance before booking for that purpose.\n\nThe same discipline applies to a Melbourne Cup trip. Read what is included in the cruise fare and what requires a separate purchase. A themed sailing is not, by itself, proof of event admission or transport.\n\nFor New Zealand, look beyond the list of destinations. Compare the number of sea days and the scheduled time ashore with the version of the trip you would take independently.\n\n## Put the reservation terms beside the route\n\nBecause these departures are well ahead, the terms can matter as much as the itinerary. Keep a record of the deposit, cancellation dates and cabin category. Ask how a group booking would work if one household later changes plans.\n\nAvoid making nonrefundable travel arrangements solely because a ship has appeared on a new schedule. First confirm the reservation and think through how much flexibility you need.\n\nThe program adds real choice within Carnival's smaller future Australian fleet. It does not remove the need to compare the full cost, the ship and the exact sailing. Start with [Carnival's fleet guide](https://cruisesfrog.com/cruise-lines/carnival-cruise-line), then choose the route that fits your plans.","textStyle":"body","layout":"text"}]}