PACIFIC ADVENTURE

General information

Course/Position

Latest news

Carter Capner Law considering lawsuit that alleges P&O incentivised guests to gamble

The legal firm Carter Capner Law is considering a lawsuit that alleges P&O incentivised guests to gamble regardless of their capacity to repay their debts and plied them with free alcohol following the death of a man who jumped overboard the 'Pacifi cAdventure' off Sydney Heads. The firm was investigating a possible suit over “unethical practises” preying on vulnerable passengers in ship casinos in the wake of the incident on May 6, 2024, at 4 a.m. The father-of-three Shane Dixon, 45, fell to his death after amassing a $9,000 casino debt. His body was retrieved by NSW Police Marine Area Command about 10.30 a.m. The man had reportedly lost thousands of dollars over two nights in the ship’s casino. P&O was now accused of incentivising guests to gamble by offering credit regardless of their bank balance and capacity to repay their debts. Despite modifications following the death and subsequent publicity, more still needed to be done. P&O Cruises said they had “Responsible Conduct of Gaming Policies in place on all P&O ships and take those policies seriously”. Carter Capner Law was on the verge of launching a class action against P&O owner Carnival Cruises for the both the recovery of financial losses incurred by former passengers and for “damages for unlawful imprisonment”. The firm alleged that upon arrival back in Sydney the man was held on-board for three hours over his casino debt before threatening to jump overboard and swim to shore, while his partner and three young children waited outside for him. In another alleged case cited by Carter Capner Law, a man claimed he was offered a free cruise with unlimited drinks and a credit limit of $5000 per day despite Carnival Cruises being aware of his previous problems gambling and unpaid debts.

Passenger who fell over board recovered dead

A passenger on the 'PAcific Adventure' fell into the water on the night of May 6, 2024, at 4 a.m. LT almost 20 kilometers off Sydney at the headlands of Sydney Heads for reasons that were still unclear. Numerous emergency services searched for the missing man using boats and a helicopter for more than six hours. His body was finally discovered at 10.30 a.m. The ship was returning to Sydney after a three-day to Moreton on Queensland's southeast coast with 2,600 passengers on board. The relatives of the casualty were looked after by the staff on board. Many of the other passengers observed the large-scale nighttime search operation. Another cruise on the ship that was scheduled to depart in the afternoon has been postponed. The police launched an investigation.

New Zealand denied entry for biohazard fears

A P&O cruise around New Zealand was completely changed during the actual voyage of the 'Pacific Adventure', which had left Sydney on Nov 20, 2023, for a 13-night "Kiwi Adventure" cruise. The ship was denied entry to New Zealand waters under the country's biohazard rules as its hull had not been cleaned and was now on its way to Tasmania instead. In a statement, P&O Cruises Australia said guests were notified before embarking on their 13-day Kiwi Adventure voyage that there could be significant changes to the itinerary. "Due to New Zealand's strict biosecurity requirements, the ship left Sydney on Monday for hull cleaning off the Bay of Plenty, however the weather did not allow this to happen, so we apologise that the itinerary had to be amended." The operator did attempt to clean the hull and specifically the areas of concern in recent days, however, abandoned cleaning due to bad weather and chose to cancel the New Zealand leg of the journey.