Carnival passengers stranded in storm
Passengers on the Carnival Spirit were forced to wait out a storm on board the ship as it was unsafe for it to attempt to dock at Sydney Harbour due to strong winds and high seas last night.
Harbour Master Philip Holliday said he was forced to close the port and wait for the winds to die down, which meant leaving the Carnival Spirit to spend an extra night at sea in the heavy storm.
The Sydney Morning Herald reported the 2,500 passengers onboard had to endure rolling waves of more than 10 meters and when the ship finally docked this morning, a day later than planned, one woman told waiting reporters: "I thought I was going to die last night".
Severe storms have been battering New South Wales for three days, cutting off power supplies to 200,000. Flights to and from Sydney airport have also been affect, with some international flights diverted.
Carnival Spirit was returning from a 12-night cruise to New Caledonia, Vanuatu and Fiji. Passengers travelling on the next cruise will embark later today for a 19:00 departure.
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
France prepares for a massive strike across all transports on September 18
Turkish tourism stalls due to soaring prices for accommodation and food
CCS Insight: eSIMs ready to take the travel world by storm
Germany new European Entry/Exit System limited to a single airport on October 12, 2025
Airlines suspend Madagascar services following unrest and army revolt