The saga continues! After making waves for attempting to climb a Carnival cruise ship in Sydney, Australia, we now have some idea of the fate that awaits the alleged perpetrator.

The suspect, who has earned the nickname of “Spider-Man” on social media, was captured on video climbing the mooring lines of Carnival Adventure at the Sydney’s Overseas Passenger Terminal on May 17, 2025.

The dangerous stunt was eventually brought to a safe conclusion after New South Wales (NSW) police officers coordinated with the crew onboard to lower the mooring ropes toward a police boat – which is when the man was taken into custody.

Footage from onlookers also captured the climber – who has only been identified as a 29-year-old man – being led away in handcuffs by four officers. This is a correction from earlier reports, which said the man was 30 years old.

Following the incident, he was taken to the Day Street Police Station, which is only about a 12-minute drive from the cruise port.

Per local news outlet News.com.au, he has since been given three charges related to unauthorized entry, including “entering a cleared zone without being screened and cleared, entering a land-side restricted zone without authorization, and entering a water-side restricted zone without authorization.”

He was then released on conditional bail, but will have to appear in court on June 11, 2025.

If he is found guilty, the man could face consequences like long-term house arrest, imprisonment, and/or hefty fines.

While Carnival has not issued a statement on the matter, it’s also quite likely that he will be banned from all future Carnival sailings (and for those of Carnival’s sister brands) as the cruise line has a no tolerance policy when it comes to matters of safety.

The Danger of the Situation

Stunts like this have to be taken seriously with a no nonsense approach because it could be a matter of life and death. If the man had fallen, he could have been seriously injured or killed.

As the man shimmied precariously on the mooring ropes, he could have potentially fallen between the 108,865-gross ton cruise ship and the pier. In addition to injuries from the fall, this could come with a big risk of becoming stuck, or even drowning.

A scare like this actually recently unfolded by accident at Royal Caribbean’s private Bahamian destination, Perfect Day at CocoCay, on April 14, 2025 – during which a young child fell between the concrete pier and the ship.

Thankfully, the child was quickly rescued – although it is unknown if they sustained any injuries in the event.

More solemnly, another elderly cruise guest actually died in a freak accident in which they fell from their electric wheelchair and into the water at the port of Philipsburg, St. Maarten, on December 26, 2024.

And in this case, the climber would have been falling into the water – or the hard surface of Circular Quay itself – from a much taller height.

Read Also: 10 Worst Cruise Fails You Can Prepare For

Another factor to consider here is that the offender was climbing on the mooring lines – which are meant to keep the cruise ship tethered to the dock.

While mooring lines are designed to be quite strong – as they have to be able to withstand strong wind, waves, and ocean currents – this doesn’t mean they can’t break, especially if they have been tampered with.

If a mooring line had snapped, the force of the sudden break is strong enough to be lethal – and can cause significant damage to both the ship and the dock itself.

All that said, let’s just be extra thankful that the climber was brought down without any injury to himself, the crew, the authorities, or the ship.

There are many exciting landmarks that tourists can expect to see when cruising out of Sydney, Australia – such as the famous Sydney Harbour Bridge. A man climbing a cruise ship, however, is an unusual sight.

But on May 17, 2025, onlookers were surprised to see an unidentified man climbing the mooring ropes of the 108,865-gross ton Carnival Adventure at Sydney’s Overseas Passenger Terminal.

The video shows a small group of crew members, who look like they could be officers or members of the security team, trying to talk to the man from a gangplank not far above him.

The new addition to the fleet – which was acquired from P&O Cruises and started sailing under the Carnival name in March 2025 – had just returned to her homeport from a 12-night sailing to Fiji and was preparing to embark on a 9-night round-trip sailing to the Great Barrier Reef that same day.

Climbing a cruise ship, of course, is incredibly dangerous –  as the man could have been seriously injured or killed if he had fallen.

Tampering with the mooring lines can also be deadly because of the extreme force they can produce if one were to snap – and can also cause damage to the dock and the cruise ship.

It’s unclear what possessed the man to attempt such a feat or what his end goal was, but thankfully, he was brought down from the ship with no injury to the climber, the crew members, or the first responders.

According to local outlet “9 News,” a New South Wales (NSW) police boat arrived at Circular Quay at around 3 p.m. in the afternoon to find the man hanging from the ropes as a curious crowd watched.

The authorities coordinated with the crew members to lower the mooring lines so that the 30-year-old man could be taken into custody.

“They got him to the ground by making the ropes slack and about 30 police escorted him away. We were there watching,” one witness shared.

Worth Reading: Man Climbs Off MSC Cruises Ship to Enter Country Illegally

The man has not been formally charged at this time, though authorities will likely be working to understand his motivations, evaluate if he is in need of mental help, and determine any applicable charges.

A Potential Stowaway? 

While the man’s identity has not been released beyond his age, it’s fair to speculate that he was likely a passenger of the 2,636-guest ship or someone who works at the port.

This is because it’s not easy to gain access to a cruise ship. Before passengers make it to the pier, they have to go through a thorough security screening and document verification process.

As the video of the climbing man has made waves across the internet, many have been joking (and theorizing) that the subject was looking for a free cruise or to extend his vacation.

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Read Also: From Mishaps to Maydays – Cruise Ship Accidents

Another witness, meanwhile, thought she recognized the man as someone who had been denied boarding – although this has not been confirmed.

“This looks like the same dude who was going off at check in as they wouldn’t let him on,” she wrote.

Cruise lines can deny boarding for a variety of reasons, including expired or incorrect documentation and medical conditions that make it unsafe to travel – which can include signs of erratic behavior.

Perhaps in light of his disappointment at the denial, the man was willing to try anything to find his way onboard.

But regardless of his reasons, stowaways on cruise ships are rarely successful in the age of modern technology thanks to heavy surveillance and skilled security teams.

In fact, this kind of stunt is likely enough to get the man banned from Carnival (and its sister brands) for life – as the cruise lines take a zero tolerance stance when it comes to matters of safety.

There are many reasons why a cruise line – Carnival Included – might tweak itineraries. These changes could be related to weather, updated port availability, or even shifting routes for fuel efficiency. 

In the latest round of itinerary tweaks, Carnival Cruise Line has altered a total of six sailings in 2025 and 2026 across Carnival Freedom, Carnival Sunrise, Carnival Conquest, and Carnival Elation. 

All changes should be reflected on Carnival’s website and on cruise tracking data within 24 hours. 

Carnival Freedom 

The first voyage on the list to be impacted is Carnival Freedom’s October 6, 2025, cruise – which is a 5-night Eastern Caribbean sailing based out of Port Canaveral, Florida. 

The itinerary includes calls on Celebration Key, the cruise line’s new private destination that is about to open in the Bahamas; Nassau, Bahamas; and RelaxAway (Half Moon Cay), Bahamas. No ports are being removed from the list, but the order is changing. 

“Port visits to Celebration Key and Nassau have been reversed with modified port times for Nassau,” Carnival updated. 

This means that Nassau will now be the first stop of the voyage and Celebration Key will be bumped to second. RelaxAway (Half Moon Cay) will still be the third and final stop – sort of like the grand finale of the cruise before returning to Florida.

Carnival Sunrise

The next itinerary change is for Carnival Sunrise – but it won’t come into effect until spring of 2026. 

The Sunshine-class ship is due to embark on a 5-night Eastern Caribbean sailing from PortMiami, Florida, on May 25, 2026. The itinerary features calls on Grand Turk, Turks and Caicos; Nassau, Bahamas; and RelaxAway (Half Moon Cay), Bahamas – which is another Carnival-owned private destination. 

Once again, no ports of call are being dropped – but the order in which the ports are visited has changed. 

“Order of port visits has changed and port times have been modified for RelaxAway (Half Moon Cay) and Grand Turk,” Carnival shared. 

The cruise line did not say if Nassau would also be impacted as part of the shift, but it’s currently the final stop of the trip.  

Carnival Conquest

Carnival Conquest will also be embarking on a now-altered sailing on the same day as Carnival Sunrise – May 25, 2026. 

The Conquest-class vessel’s 4-night Miami-based sailing was supposed to just visit Carnival’s private island experiences in the Bahamas – RelaxAway (Half Moon Cay) and the new Celebration Key. 

However, RelaxAway (Half Moon Cay) has been replaced with a different private destination instead: Princess Cays, Bahamas. This is the only itinerary change on the list in which a port of call has been entirely removed.

“Replaced RelaxAway (Half Moon Cay) with a visit to Princess Cays on another day and modified port times,” the cruise line updated. 

Even though Princess Cays technically falls under the domain of Princess Cruises, Carnival ships can still visit because the Carnival Corporation is the parent company for both brands. 

Carnival Elation

Carnival Elation is last on the list, but has the most changes – as three separate sailings are impacted. These include the voyages embarking from Jacksonville, Florida, on September 28, 2026, October 12, 2026, and October 26, 2026. 

All three cruises are 5-night Bahamas voyages that are sailing exclusively to Carnival’s private destinations – RelaxAway (Half Moon Cay) and Celebration Key. 

Neither of these ports are being removed, but rather the order is switching so that the sailings will end with Celebration Key instead of visiting the new destination first. 

Read Also: What to Expect When You Go on a Carnival Cruise

“Reversed the order of port visits for Celebration Key and RelaxAway (Half Moon Cay),” reads the brief update. 

As the same ports are still being visited and it’s much too soon to book shore excursions (Carnival excursions can be purchased 120 days before the cruise date), hopefully booked guests will be able to go with the flow and have a great time.

While the muster drill process is annoying to many, it’s absolutely essential to safety. In the unlikely event of an emergency, making sure passengers know what to do and where to go can literally save lives.

But in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, many cruise lines – Carnival included – implemented a new E-muster drill that allows guests to complete the task from their phones on embarkation day.

But lately, Carnival has been returning to traditional mustering methods on select voyages – and three more of these sailings have just been announced.

The first sailing in question is Carnival Sunrise’s May 17, 2025, voyage – which is a 5-night Eastern Caribbean sailing from PortMiami, Florida.

The next two voyages – which both embark on May 19, 2025 – will be operated by Carnival Freedom and Carnival Glory.

Following the safety procedure, both ships will depart from Port Canaveral, Florida. Carnival Freedom will set sail on a 5-night Eastern Caribbean voyage, while Carnival Glory will operate a 4-night Bahamas cruise.

“Shortly before departure, a full safety drill will take place on your upcoming sailing. This is a mandatory procedure, and all guests will be required to participate in this brief but essential exercise,” Carnival wrote to impacted cruisers.

Ship-wide announcements will provide guidance on the process, which will include collective gathering at your assigned muster station to familiarize yourself with the necessary steps to take in the unlikely event of an emergency,” continued the update.

The same change was also made in March 2025 to three sailings that were hosted onboard Carnival Liberty, Carnival Conquest, and Carnival Valor.

Although Carnival is still using the simpler E-muster drill for the majority of sailings, going through the full traditional process from time to time is still important – as it also gives the crew a chance to practice their roles in a potential emergency.

No matter how the muster drill is handled, it is always mandatory. According to SOLAS, Chapter III, Regulations 19.2.2. and 19.2.3, new passengers must always be given a safety briefing about how to respond in a crisis and must be instructed in the use of lifejackets.

Is Carnival Returning to Traditional Muster Drills? 

Carnival Cruise Line first adopted the current E-muster drills in 2021 as a way to promote social distancing when the cruise industry was first making a comeback after the pandemic.

If you haven’t sailed with Carnival recently, the way it works is guests find their muster station upon boarding using instructions in the HUB App and check in with a crew member when they arrive.

Next, they watch a short safety video, which can be accessed on all stateroom TVs – and that’s all there is to it.

Most cruisers prefer this “new way” of doing things because it’s usually a lot quicker and results in less crowding – allowing them to get to the fun of their vacation sooner and with less hassle.

Read Also: What to Expect During a Cruise Ship Muster Drill

But as this isn’t the first time a Carnival sailing has randomly gone back to the old method of mustering, some are wondering if the traditional practice of gathering all passengers at their stations at once for roll call and instructions might be coming back.

That said, the cruise line has consistently explained that they have no plans to return to traditional muster drills full time.

After the full safety briefings were conducted in March, Carnival Brand Ambassador John Heald clarified that the full drills have to take place approximately every six months to comply with Health, Environmental, Safety, and Security (HESS) regulations – but that otherwise the E-muster drills would remain in place.

Guests who are booked on sailings with the full safety drills should be notified ahead of boarding – although it might not be until the very last minute!