All lives are sacred at sea, even four-legged ones, and the diligent crew of Carnival Splendor wasn’t about to leave any lives – two- and four-legged alike – in peril this week.
The Sydney-based ship was sailing an 8-night Vanuatu and New Caledonia cruise that departed Australia on Monday, May 19, 2025. On Thursday morning, the distress call from a disabled catamaran came in while the cruise ship was south of New Caledonia.
The Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre in Noumea, New Caledonia, relayed the distress call to the cruise ship, and Carnival Splendor immediately diverted in order to render assistance.
On arriving at the drifting catamaran after about 5 hours, the crew discovered four sailors and three dogs aboard.
Two of the human passengers are Australian bloggers sailing around the world heading to Fiji, while the other two are a couple that joined their journey on May 14. According to 9 News, the catamaran’s engine failed and mast broke in bad weather.
While pets typically aren’t permitted on Carnival cruise ships, the three dogs – two French bulldogs and a miniature husky – were also brought aboard Carnival Splendor, without hesitation.
“All four people and the three dogs were safely welcomed onto Carnival Splendor and are receiving food, water and medical assistance,” a statement from Carnival Cruise Line Australia said.
Despite the diversion for the rescue operation, Carnival Splendor should not have any delay to her itinerary. Her calls to Mystery Island on Friday, May 23 as well as Noumea on Saturday, May 24, will go ahead as scheduled.
The extra guests will depart the cruise ship in Noumea, while Carnival Splendor will spend two additional days at sea for her return to Sydney on Tuesday, May 27.
Read Also: 10 Reasons Why I Would Never Take a Dog-Friendly Cruise
The 113,600-gross ton cruise ship is based year-round from Sydney, the capital city of New South Wales, Australia. She offers a diverse selection of short cruise-to-nowhere getaways and sailings from 3-12 days to destinations in Australia, Fiji, New Zealand, and more.
Not the First Canine Rescue-at-Sea!
This is not the first time a cruise ship has unexpectedly welcomed a canine cruiser onboard following a rescue situation.
In January 2024, Royal Caribbean’s Harmony of the Seas rescued six fishermen and their dog during a Western Caribbean sailing off the Yucatan peninsula of Mexico after their small vessel experienced engine failure.
In November 2024, Voyager of the Seas – also in the Royal Caribbean fleet – rescued a stranded family and their dog from a stranded sailboat off the coast of Marrakesh, Morocco, while the ship was enjoying a transatlantic cruise.
Dog-friendly rescues have also happened closer to homeports. In January 2025, the wake of a cruise ship – either Radiance of the Seas or Enchantment of the Seas – accidentally sank a small boat in Tampa Bay. The two sailors and their dog clung to a buoy until they were quickly rescued by two harbor pilots.
While rescue situations are extreme circumstances and cruise ships will always strive to protect all lives at sea, only fully-trained service dogs are permitted aboard Carnival cruise ships for regular sailings. Emotional support dogs or therapy dogs are not permitted.
When a service dog is aboard, a special potty area is prepared for the animal, and the dogs are permitted in all public areas of the ship, as well as the guest’s stateroom, of course. Guests traveling with a service dog must provide the dog’s vaccination records and other documentation to the cruise line prior to sailing.
No major cruise line permits pet dogs aboard, though Margaritaville at Sea has teamed up with Cruise Tails to offer the first-of-its-kind dog-friendly cruise coming in November 2025.
The special sailing is being heavily regulated and monitored to ensure everyone aboard – canine cruisers and their owners – is safe and has a fantastic time.
