Nobody likes to be left behind when their loved one goes on a cruise without them – but calling in a bomb threat is not the correct response. Michigan local Joshua Lowe, however, is now paying for his crimes after doing just that.
The 19-year-old has been found guilty of reporting a false bomb threat for Carnival Sunrise because he was mad that his girlfriend was sailing with her family while he was home pet sitting.
Lowe appeared in federal court in Kalamazoo, Michigan, on Monday, April 14, 2025, where he was sentenced to eight months in prison.
“We take every threat of mass violence seriously,” US Attorney Mark Totten said on the matter.
“Hoaxes can endanger lives, incur needless costs, and divert public safety resources needed to address real threats. My office has zero tolerance for wrongdoers who intentionally convey false and misleading information that prompts a law enforcement response,” continued Totten.
Lowe’s false information, which was sent via an email that was later traced back to him, led the 1,108 crew members onboard to enact emergency protocol and needlessly search over 1,000 staterooms when the incident first unfolded in January 2024. For context, the ship only has 1,492 cabins.
The US Coast Guard and Jamaica Marine Police were also called in to escort the Sunshine-class vessel and assist in the investigation.
After all that chaos and panic, some may feel that Lowe got off easy with only eight months in prison.
In fact, Section 35 of Title 18 of the US Department of Justice’s Criminal Resource Manual calls for punishments of up to five years in jail, paying up to $5,000 in restitution, or both.
In a similar incident in 2010, when Linda Gayle Wilson of Florida made fake bomb threats and claimed a female terrorist was onboard the now-retired Carnival Fascination, the punishment was a full year in federal prison.
All that said, Lowe did express remorse for his actions. In a letter to US District Judge Paul Maloney, Lowe wrote “this is all my fault and take full responsibility.”
If You See Something, Say Something
The prevailing rule of thumb is that if you see something suspicious, it is better to be safe than sorry and to speak up if you have any doubts. If you are making a report with good intentions, you won’t find yourself in trouble.
Authorities would rather investigate and find that nothing was actually wrong rather than wait for a disaster to occur – assuming the threat wasn’t the product of a lie or hoax in the first place.
“Anyone making a bomb threat should expect to be taken at his word. Fortunately, this particular hoax did not result in physical injury,” Assistant US Attorney Nils Kessler said in court documents.
While uncommon, threats of other forms of violence, such as gun use or passengers behaving erratically should also be reported in good faith to security personnel.
And of course, both the cruise ports and cruise lines have specially trained security teams and surveillance in place to monitor for any possible issues and to keep everyone safe.
Read Also: From Mishaps to Maydays – Cruise Ship Accidents
Quite recently, however, another unfounded bomb threat also threw Florida’s PortMiami into chaos on March 3, 2025. Traffic was disrupted around the Cruise Capital of the World for several hours as a result.
The threat was received shortly after 9 a.m. in the morning – although it remains unclear if or which of the five cruise ships in port that day were targeted.
Royal Caribbean’s Independence of the Seas, MSC Cruises’ MSC Divina, Norwegian Cruise Line’s Norwegian Joy, and Carnival Cruise Line’s Carnival Sunrise and Carnival Conquest all homeport from Miami and were present to disembark and set sail with new passengers.
Once again, the threat was found to be a hoax. No one has been charged as of this time, but an investigation is underway.
