Sydney Harbour was full of witchcraft as well as watercraft this morning, with a coven of witches greeting the superliner Carnival Spirit as she slipped into the city on the eve of Halloween.
Sporting black hats, flowing capes and flying brooms, the witches swooped on the 88,500-tonne Carnival Cruise Line ship by sea and by air, creating a spectacular sight for the 2600 guests on board as well as onlookers.
Paragliding, water-skiing and wakeboarding around Carnival Spirit, the witches’ parade provided the perfect prelude to the haunted holiday which falls on October 31.
In the spirit of Halloween, the ship was also home to its annual eight-legged guest ‘Fangelica’, a two-storey high redback spider, which rode into town on the superliner’s bow.
Halloween is celebrated across the US-based Carnival Cruise Line’s 24-ship fleet, including its two Australian ships, Carnival Spirit and Carnival Legend. Guests on board the ships enjoy a range of Halloween activities at sea, including costume parties, themed movies, trick or treating and frightfully fun menus featuring witches brew, spider snacks and scary cheesecake.