Man charged with Qld cruise ship rape

A man has faced a Brisbane court after being charged with raping his travelling companion on a P&O Cruise ship off Queensland.

Police say the 33-year-old man and his alleged victim, a woman in her 40s, were known to each other.

He was arrested on Monday after the Pacific Aria cruise ship docked in Brisbane.

The man appeared in Brisbane Magistrates Court briefly on Tuesday where his matter was adjourned and he was ordered to reappear on May 29.

Carnival Australia, P&O Cruises' parent company, said the company had been assisting police with their investigation after the woman told staff she had been assaulted.

"P&O Cruises asked Queensland Police to investigate an alleged sexual assault on board Pacific Aria," Carnival Australia said in a statement.