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.

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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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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.

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.

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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.

With the summer cruising season beginning soon, Carnival Cruise Line is expecting its busiest season to date. During this time, its ships will make 1,200 stops at 100 destinations.

The cruise line is gearing up for the busy season with impressive stats and, of course, the much-anticipated opening of its new private destination, Celebration Key.

“Summer is the busiest time for travel and Carnival Cruise Line is poised for one of our largest summer cruise schedules ever,” shared Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line.

Duffy also shared that a significant amount of the American population is within a 5-hour drive of one of the 13 homeports available in the United States, making access to cruising easier than ever.

Also, with most entertainment, activities, and meals included in the cost of the cruise, these experiences have a value that other land-based vacations just cannot compete with.

It is estimated that between Memorial Day and Labor Day, 29 Carnival Cruise Line-operated vessels will sail 2,000,000 guests.

On Memorial Day Weekend alone, 23 of the ships will embark on cruises from 10 US-based homeports, such as a 4-night round-trip itinerary on Carnival Glory out of Port Canaveral to the Bahamas.

Also estimated by Carnival is the $635,000,000 impact on the local economies generated in the US homeports by passengers before and after their cruises.

Currently, there is a three-vessel Alaska deployment, which will embark 100,000 passengers — Carnival Luminosa and Carnival Spirit will be sailing out of Seattle, and Carnival Legend out of San Francisco.

The European summer series has already begun, as Carnival Miracle will be making its way to multiple destinations in 17 countries.

Currently, this ship is on a 12-night round-trip itinerary out of Dover, England, and is stopping in Ireland, Iceland, and Scotland before disembarking on May 30, 2025.

Throughout the summer, guests will be served 2.8 million burgers fleetwide at Guy Fieri’s Guy’s Burger Joint, eat 2.4 million slices of pizza, and enjoy 13 million servings of ice cream.

Given that Carnival Cruise Line has more access to US Homeports than any other cruise line, its ships sailing from these ports will make over 1,000 stops in destinations across 15 countries.

In an effort to improve guest experiences, Carnival is working on implementing a new ticketless platform for shore excursions at its most-visited destinations.

With tons of summer offerings to choose from, this sailing season will be an exciting one — and it comes with a new private-ish island!

Grand Opening of Celebration Key on the Horizon

Also coming this summer season is Celebration Key, Carnival’s newest private destination, which is having its grand opening on July 19, 2025.

Popular brand ambassador John Heald recently announced that he would be joining the cruise line’s president Christine Duffy on the inaugural cruise to the destination onboard the 3,900 passenger Carnival Vista.

“This summer is set to be especially memorable as we open Celebration Key on Grand Bahama, our game-changing destination that will deliver the ultimate day in paradise for our guests,” Duffy shared in a recent statement.

From the time of the grand opening to Labor Day weekend, Celebration Key will welcome 15 Carnival ships coming from eight homeports for a total of 80 individual visits.

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Celebration Key joins a growing list of private destinations owned by Carnival, which also includes Amber Cove in the Dominican Republic, Grand Turk in Turks & Caicos, Isla Tropicale in Honduras, Puerta Maya in Mexico, as well as Half Moon Cay and Princess Cays in the Bahamas.

Celebration Key spans 65 acres on Grand Bahama and is home to the largest freshwater lagoon in the Caribbean. 

Families can enjoy themselves at this destination, as it features kid-friendly areas including the Guppy Grotto and Suncastle Slide. 

There is also an adults-only spot called Calypso Lagoon, which offers a mix of relaxing at the pool or partying with a DJ playing island beats. 

Last but not least, guests can experience complimentary dining at Island Eats, which will feature some Bahamian specialties along with fresh seafood and beyond.  

With the grand opening happening in just two months, Celebration Key will likely become a year-round port of call across multiple Carnival ships that frequently visit the Bahamas.