A fight that erupted in the buffet area of Carnival Cruise Line’s Carnival Paradise in the early morning hours of June 6 has led to a ban for passengers involved. The fight, captured on video and shared on social media, showed several passengers engaged in a violent brawl.
Carnival Cruise Line confirmed their security team intervened during the disturbance as the ship was concluding a five-night Western Caribbean itinerary and returning to its homeport in Tampa, Florida.
The incident reportedly started over verbal altercations among passengers queuing for late-night snacks at the buffet. Nick Richardson, a passenger traveling with his family, captured the turmoil on video.
The footage shows approximately 10 to 15 passengers engaging in physical altercations, including throwing chairs and tackling each other to the ground.
After security broke up the fight, the dining area was left in disarray with overturned furniture and broken dishes.
Reflecting its zero-tolerance policy towards such behavior, the cruise line has banned the involved passengers from all future travel.
“As is our policy, we will not tolerate such behavior and the guests involved were fined and will not set sail on Carnival Cruise Line again,” the cruise line tweeted on X.
Carnival Cruise Line’s Code of Conduct emphasizes the importance of a respectful environment aboard its ships. Guests who negatively impact the comfort, enjoyment, safety, or well-being of other guests or crew “will be disembarked at their own expense and banned from sailing on Carnival in the future.”
As Carnival Paradise was at sea for the final leg of a cruise that visited Cozumel, Mexico, and Mahogany Bay in Roatan, Honduras, and was returning to Tampa, the passengers were not disembarked until it arrived in port on June 7. However, the Code of Conduct does state the passengers could have faced confinement to a stateroom until disembarkation.
Violations of the code can also lead to a $500 fine for each guest involved in the altercation, although Carnival did not confirm the fines each passenger received.
Carnival Cruise Line Enforces Conduct Guidelines
Carnival Cruise Line has been proactive in reminding its passengers about expected conduct while on board, especially during peak travel seasons like Spring Break.
The cruise line has issue comprehensive guidelines through “Know Before You Go” emails, which include the necessity of supervising children, keeping noise levels down in hallways, and adhering to the queuing system.
Read Also: Carnival Cruise Line Warns Cruise Passengers to Behave
The warnings follow several incidents where disturbances were reported. As a result, Carnival Cruise Line has reiterated and tightened their onboard policies to prevent future issues and maintain a family-friendly and safe environment on their “fun ships.”
As recently as October 20, 2023, a guest aboard a Carnival Magic cruise in New England was assaulted after telling another passenger to quiet down. The man needed stitches for facial lacerations after the other passenger, reported to be drunk at the time, hit the man in the face with a glass. The passenger, also banned from Carnival Cruise Lines, faced criminal charges for the attack.
Additionally, the cruise line has specific rules about onboard amenities and facilities. For example, the use of speakers in public areas is restricted to ensure essential announcements can be heard. Policies also cover seat saving in public areas and the introduction of specific beverage regulations to prevent issues related to alcohol consumption onboard.
