A broadscale brawl that broke out on disembarkation day at the Galveston cruise terminal has landed two dozen cruisegoers on Carnival Cruise Line’s “Do Not Sail” list.
The incident occurred in late April at the Texas cruise port as passengers were leaving the Carnival Jubilee. Although the cause of the fight hasn’t been divulged, it reportedly took several security guards to quell the violence.
“The incident occurred in the debarkation area under the authority of U.S. Customs and Border (Protection),” Carnival shared in an email statement with USA Today. “This matter has been turned over to law enforcement. Meanwhile, we will not tolerate such behavior, and 24 people have been placed on our Do Not Sail list.”
The Port of Galveston Police Department reportedly responded after “an altercation” broke out at Cruise Terminal 25, according to the statement. Carnival also noted that U.S. Customs and Border Protection “detained several individuals,” while port police took one offender into custody and filed charges.
According to CruiseMapper, the vessel was concluding a seven-day Caribbean itinerary that included port calls in Mexico and Honduras.
Though dramatic, this isn’t the first time Carnival has had to respond to physical altercations involving passengers. In a separate 2022 case, a much larger brawl broke out on the dance floor of a club aboard the Carnival Magic, reportedly involving around 60 people. The situation escalated to such a degree that the U.S. Coast Guard had to escort the ship back to port.
There was also another incident in June 2024 aboard Carnival Paradise. In that case, video footage showed passengers hurling chairs, grappling, and trading blows in the ship’s buffet area.
As Travel + Leisure points out, there is more than one way to get banned from a cruise line. Carnival's code of conduct outlines, "Our experience has taught us that everyone has a better time when children are supervised, noise in the hallways is kept to a minimum, guests follow queues, and that a spirit of community and neighborliness is shown by all. Consistent with our commitment to safety, 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."
Travelers must acknowledge and agree to these terms during the check-in process. Beyond being blacklisted from future voyages, violators may also face fines of up to $500, confinement to their staterooms or removal from the ship. Penalties can also include repayment for any expenses the cruise line incurs due to the disruption.
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