SYDNEY, Australia — Travelers aboard a P&O Cruises Australia ship were shocked when staff members at a Christmas costume party appeared wearing white hoods, sparking immediate backlash from passengers who found the outfits offensive.
The cruise line has since apologized, with communications director Lynne Scrivens defending the costumes as innocent, saying the staff were dressed as “upside-down snow cones.” According to Scrivens, the costumes were improvised with cleaning uniforms and minimal materials for the event.
NEW: Cruise line staff dresses up for a Christmas costume party, cruise line insists they were dressed up as “upside-down snow cones.”
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) January 22, 2025
Travelers on a P&O Cruises Australia ship were horrified to see staff walking around with white hoods on.
Communications director Lynne… pic.twitter.com/Kc9Oqc6oFE
“They’ve got to make do with what they’ve got,” Scrivens stated. “And they were wearing their cleaning uniforms, and they’ve put something on their head that looks like a snow cone – an upside-down snow cone.”
The explanation did little to placate some passengers, who described the appearance as deeply inappropriate. Photos of the incident circulated online, leading to further public criticism of the cruise line’s lack of oversight regarding the costumes.
P&O Cruises Australia has yet to detail if it will take further action to prevent similar controversies, as public scrutiny over the incident grows.