Cruise ship staff clad in pointed white hoods for an Australian costume party were “snow cones” not the Ku Klux Klan, the operator said on Wednesday.
Video of the fancy dress faux pas showed staff strolling across the deck of an Australian cruise liner in all-white jumpsuits and cone-shaped hats.
The costumes evoked the distinctive white robes and masked hoods worn by the racist Ku Klux Klan in the United States.
But P&O Cruises Australia said the staff were actually dressed as “snow cones” for a Christmas-themed family fun day.
They live and work on the cruise ship, and they have to make do with what they’ve got
“Several crew members dressed up as snow cones for a Christmas family event, not understanding how their costumes could be misconstrued,” the company said in a statement.