On February 28, 2025, lash artist and hairstylist Emily Lee’s toddler was injured on the 3,954-passenger Carnival Panorama.
Lee shared her experience on TikTok (@emilyclairelee) on March 4, detailing the incident and the unexpected charge her family faced. It all took place when the Carnival vessel was sailing a 7-day Mexican Riviera itinerary out of Long Beach, California.
She explained the situation, stating, “We were exiting the aft elevator B, and my toddler used his hand to brace himself as he exited the elevator.”
This is when her toddler’s hand became lodged between the door and the frame. Lee and her husband both worked to get the child’s hand free, after which they sought immediate medical attention by using the phone provided in the elevator lobby to call the medical center on floor 0.
Someone from the medical center answered and proceeded to ask questions — to which Lee responded with details about the injury and asked for directions.
Thankfully, a helpful crew member happened to be walking by and offered to help bring the family directly to the medical center.
Once they got there, a nurse walked them back to an exam room — and then took the toddler for an x-ray.
Following this, the child was prescribed some painkillers — after which the family was told a doctor would see them when the medication kicked in.
Lee added, “After about an hour of sitting in the medical center, the doctor finally came and told us that he was not going to stitch my child’s hand because it was too traumatic.”
After the toddler was patched up, a nurse informed Lee that she needed to sign discharge paperwork — but that they could not leave until they spoke with a security officer about the incident.
When the family was finally taken to the front office, Lee was told to provide a signature without being shown paperwork — but the nurse assured her it was just discharge papers and not a bill.
Finally, the security officer and a technician walked with the family to the elevator where the incident occurred — letting them know quickly they were free to go.
That evening, they saw the $506 charge to their account. When trying to work with guest services, they were told that there was little to nothing they could do for the family. After being given an 800 number, Lee worked on contacting Carnival to rectify the charges.
Carnival Responds With Reimbursement
The video posted on March 4 detailing the incident has received 62,000 views — and the attention of the cruise line.
Lee went on to post a follow-up video less than 24 hours after her initial TikTok, saying that Carnival did respond to her and that they would be refunding her the $506 charge.
She went on to say that she still hopes that they look into the safety of these elevator doors, ensuring that they are up to code and safe for both toddlers and children.
It was also noted in her original video that parts of the elevator frame did have scotch tape on them — perhaps indicating an issue or a previous incident.
Carnival Panorama, Carnival Horizon, Carnival Venezia, and Carnival Vista were all built with smart elevators — though the Excel-class ships do not — suggesting the line is waiting to widely implement this technology.
Read Also: 15 Mistakes to Avoid on a Carnival Cruise
The newer smart elevators aim to distribute passengers more efficiently so it can reduce wait times. However, throughout the years, many passengers have found the system to be confusing and slow.
In response to the confusion, Carnival has created instructional videos placed near the elevators — as well as online demonstrations — to ensure guests know how to use the system properly.
The whole process requires several steps, including using a touchscreen to input your desired deck — followed by pressing the deck number once for each person in your group. The system then assigns an elevator car which the passenger(s) will board once it arrives.
As simple as it may sound, it still continues to receive mixed reviews. While these elevators have been integrated into several ships since 2018, the biggest issue with them remains user error — as no other incidents have been reported.
