Australian Cruise Line Evokes Wild, Racist KKK Imagery To Unsuspecting American Passengers

An Australian cruise line made costumes that resembled the KKK's infamous garb.

P&O Cruises Australia issued an apology after a video surfaced showing its staff in “snow cone” costumes resembling Ku Klux Klan robes, The Telegraph reports.

The incident occurred on the Pacific Explorer voyage from Melbourne to Hobart. Lynne Scrivens, the communications director for P&O Cruises Australia, said the crew was unaware of the American nationalist group and was simply trying to provide a great holiday experience.

“No one can seriously think that was their intention,” Scrivens told Australian radio station 2GB. “They were so distressed… they really are hard-working and try their hardest to deliver guests amazing holidays.”

The crew wore white pants, white shirts, and white cone-shaped hats.

Teri, a passenger who captured the video footage, spoke to Daily Mail Australia, saying the outfits shocked passengers and left many speechless.

“Everyone was there, everyone gathered, it was advertised, there was a lot of noise, and it went dead quiet. Just silent. A lady sitting in front of me, her jaw dropped, she was like, ‘What the hell?’ Everyone was like, ‘OMG.’ They were calling it the ‘KKK cruise,’” she said.

Passengers on a P&O cruise were left shocked when members of the ship crew seemingly dressed up in KKK attire.

P&O Cruises Australia has said the costumes were meant to be snow cones and have been misconstrued. pic.twitter.com/pheHMl136E

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According to Scrivens, no passengers complained at the time of the event, but management immediately asked the staff members to change their costumes.

While international cruise employees working on an Australian line may not be familiar with the significance of the Ku Klux Klan, other countries are aware of it. A report on Nov. 9, 2024, by Canadian news outlet CBC highlighted a rise in the use of KKK imagery by Canadian citizens.

“Joke or not, they are essentially symptomatic of this larger effort to make these very, very dangerous behaviors seem normal,” said David Hofmann, director of criminology at the University of New Brunswick.

Hofmann believes that wearing a costume resembling decades-long campaigns of terror shows how the general public is becoming either apathetic or desensitized to societal norms. He argues the act is an attempt to normalize the support of hate organizations and should not be taken as a joke.