P&O Cruises Australia has issued a formal apology following outrage over crew costumes that appeared to resemble Ku Klux Klan (KKK) attire during a Christmas-themed event onboard the Pacific Explorer.
Footage from the incident, shared online, shows eight housekeeping staff dressed in white uniforms with pointy hats, marching through the pool deck.
The crew reportedly intended to represent “upside-down snow cones” as part of the festive celebration.
However, passengers were alarmed by the costumes’ resemblance to the attire historically associated with the white supremacist group.
The video, uploaded to Facebook by a passenger with the caption, “Is this appropriate for 2024?”, quickly gained attention, sparking widespread criticism.
It’s worth noting that P&O Cruises and P&O Cruises Australia are two distinct cruise lines, despite sharing a common heritage. P&O Cruises, based in the UK, primarily caters to the British market while P&O Australia focuses on the Australasian region, offering cruises to destinations like the South Pacific, New Zealand, and Asia.
The two brands have different ships, onboard experiences and target audiences. While both operate under the Carnival Corporation umbrella, they function as separate entities.
P&O Cruises Australia responded promptly to the backlash, expressing regret over the unintended offense caused by the costumes.
“We regret if a recent incident on a Pacific Explorer cruise offended any guests,” a spokesperson said in a statement to news.com.au.
The cruise line emphasized that the crew had no malicious intent and were unaware of the resemblance when they selected their costumes.
The cruise line further clarified the situation:
“They live and work on the cruise ship, and they have to make do with what they’ve got,
“They are wearing their cleaning uniforms, and they’ve got something on their head that looks like an upside-down snow cone.
“They had no idea, they were horrified when management said to them, ‘please take those outfits off’.”
P&O Australia communications director Lynne Scrivens
The incident occurred during a voyage from Melbourne to Hobart in December 2024, as part of a holiday celebration on the Pacific Explorer.
While the costumes were meant to be light-hearted and festive, the unintended similarity to KKK attire was deeply upsetting to passengers and viewers online.
Passengers onboard reportedly reacted with shock and confusion as the staff paraded through the pool deck in their costumes.
The incident highlights the importance of cultural sensitivity, particularly in public events where unintended symbolism can lead to significant backlash.
Many online commenters called for cruise companies to implement stricter oversight of themed events and staff costumes to prevent similar missteps in the future.
P&O Cruises Australia has not announced specific actions in response to the incident but has reiterated its commitment to ensuring a welcoming and inclusive environment for all guests.
The cruise line will soon cease to exist, with Pacific Explorer sold to Resorts World Cruises.
The other two ships in the fleet will transfer to Carnival and become Carnival Adventure and Carnival Encounter.
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Jenni Fielding is the founder of Cruise Mummy. She has worked in the cruise industry since 2015 and has taken over 30 cruises. Now, she helps over 1 million people per month to plan their perfect cruise holidays.
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