Key Aspects:
- A Georgia man was arrested in Port Canaveral Monday after allegedly assaulting children aboard a Carnival ship.
- The man supposedly struck children who were playing tag in the halls of the ship.
- He was subsequently brought up on charges of felony child abuse and simple assault.
A 44-year-old man was arrested in Port Canaveral Monday, July 27, 2026 after allegedly striking children playing aboard Carnival Glory. Cruise Hive has learned from court records that the alleged incident occurred the day before the arrest on July 26. The 110,000 gross-ton ship was sailing a three-night, round-trip Bahamas itinerary.
This sailing embarked from Port Canaveral on July 24, 2026. It then stopped at Carnival’s private destination, Celebration Key, on July 25, followed by a sea day on July 26 before returning to Port Canaveral early on July 27.Â
In the lead-up to the incident, a group of kids was playing a game of tag, running through the hallways of the ship. According to WESH 2 News, 44-year-old Georgia resident David Crosby II was running down the hall with the kids when he suddenly stopped.
He then turned and struck two of the children, one in the face and another in the stomach. One child sustained a bloody lip and head pain from the incident. The second child suffered stomach pains. A recording of the incident was reportedly captured on the ship’s security cameras.
Carnival Cruise Line heavily markets itself as a family-friendly cruise line. When sailing on Carnival ships, adults should expect to encounter children playing. For those who don’t want to deal with children onboard, Carnival does offer occasional adults-only sailings. Other cruise lines, like Virgin Voyages, specialize in adults-only cruises.
Violence is not tolerated onboard any cruise line, however. Carnival Cruise Line, in particular, enforces a strict guest conduct policy, with consequences up to a permanent ban from its ships.
“Disruptive behavior is not tolerated and any guest whose conduct affects 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.” Carnival’s safety policy reads.
Under the Cruise Vessel Security and Safety Act of 2010, cruise lines are obligated to report any allegation of a serious crime committed onboard their ships to the FBI.
Crosby’s Arrest and Charges Following the Incident
After the ship docked in Port Canaveral, Crosby was promptly arrested by the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office. He did not indicate any motive for his actions. Crosby told officials that he was heavily intoxicated at the time, and has no memory of the incident.
It is worth noting, however, that his arrest affidavit indicates that he was not suspected of being under the influence of alcohol. According to Brevard County Sheriff’s booking details, Crosby was released on a $20,000 bond on July 28.
He awaits his first day in court on August 25, 2026. He faces one charge of felony child abuse without great bodily harm and one charge of simple assault. If convicted, he could face up to five years in prison and a $5,000 fine.
After the arrest, Carnival Glory departed Port Canaveral on a four-night, round-trip Bahamas cruise. This sailing is scheduled to stop in Nassau and Celebration Key before returning to Port Canaveral on July 31.Â
Cruise Hive has reached out to Carnival Cruise Line for comment, but has not yet received a response.
