A P&O Cruises Australia spokesperson told 9news.com.au that they were closely monitoring the situation in Noumea and surrounding areas.

Instead of docking in Lifou or Noumea, the guests on the Pacific Adventure ship spend an additional day at Mystery Island, an Island in Vanuatu.

“The safety of our guests and crew is paramount and should we need to make any further changes to upcoming itineraries due to the current situation, we will let our guests know as soon as possible,” the spokesperson said.

“Our thoughts are with the communities of New Caledonia at this challenging time and we thank our guests for their understanding.”

A Carnival Cruise Lines spokesperson told 9news.com.au they also would be revising their itinerary due to the civil unrest.

The Carnival Splendor’s South Pacific voyage which is due to depart in two days, will instead stop at Santo and Vila, in Vanuatu.

“Guests booked on the impacted voyage have been notified of the changes and offered the option of an on-board credit or future cruise credit, should they decide not to travel,” the spokesperson said.

“We are closely monitoring the situation and remain in contact with the relevant authorities. The safety of our guests and crew is our priority and we thank them for their understanding.”

The emergency measures will give authorities greater powers to tackle the violence, including the possibility of house detention for people deemed a threat to public order and expanded powers to conduct searches, seize weapons and restrict movements, with possible jail time for violators.

The last time France imposed such measures on one of its overseas territories was in 1985.

Australia’s Smart Traveller upgraded advice for the Noumea metropolitan area to level three of four levels due to the protests and demonstrations.

Meanwhile, the number of violent incidents reported fell slightly on Friday, a day after France imposed a state of emergency and as 1000 promised reinforcements for security services were deployed with increased powers to quell unrest in the archipelago that has long sought independence.

The top French official in the territory, High Commissioner Louis Le Franc, announced stringent measures on Friday under the state of emergency declared by President Emmanuel Macron.

In light of severe public order disturbances, a curfew from 6pm to 6am is now in effect.

The overnight curfew was extended for the duration of the state of emergency, which will be in place for at least 11 days.

French military forces were deployed to protect ports and airports and free up police troops.

“Exceptions to this curfew include essential public service personnel, urgent medical travel, and critical night-time activities,” Le Franc said.

He said curfew violations would result in penalties of up to six months in prison and a fine, urging everyone to follow the regulations and help restore order.

According to DFAT, more than 300,000 Australians visited New Caledonia each year on cruises, figures prior to the pandemic showed.