Source: Cruise Junkie dot Com

Events at Sea by Carnival Cruise Lines

By
Ship:
Carnival Conquest (2002) Carnival Destiny (1996) Carnival Freedom (2007)
Carnival Glory (2003) Carnival Legend (2002)
Carnival Liberty (2005) Carnival Miracle (2004) Carnival Pride (2002) Carnival Spirit (2001) Carnival Splendor (2008)
Carnival Triumph (1999) Carnival Valor (2004) Carnival Victory (2000) Celebration (1987) Ecstasy (1991)
Elation (1998) Fantasy (1990) Fascination (1994) Holiday (1985) Imagination (1995)
Inspiration (1996) Jubilee (1986) Paradise (1998) Sensation (1993) Tropicale (1982)


Click here for Illness Outbreaks by Carnival Cruise Lines
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The events listed have been reported in the public domain or to cruisejunkie by passengers or crew members onboard.  The list is by no means comprehensive.  For that reason it is necessary to be cautious in drawing conclusions from the potentially limited data.  Keep in mind that some companies may be more transparent than others about things that go wrong; conversely, some companies may be better at concealing events and thereby project an appearance that is inaccurate.  With that said, the following list is still interesting, as are the patterns when viewed separately by ship.






2008

7.7.08
Carnival Miracle
It has been reported that the ship is running slower than normal due to propulsion problems. Tortola has been dropped as a port of call and replaced with Grand Turk. The itinerary change will reportedly remain in place until the end of the year at least.
Propulsion problems
19.6.08
Carnival Victory
CBS in Miami reports a woman alleges she was sexually assaulted on board the ship on  February 4, 2008. The married mother of three said she was in one of the ship's nightclubs when a man offered to buy her a drink. She declined the offer and said she was looking for her friend. A short time later, the man returned and said he saw her friend in another area of the nightclub. When the two walked to the other area, the section was closed and the man forced the woman into a room where he sexually assaulted her. The victim notified Carnival security who investigated the incident, along with the FBI. The suspect, who was a passenger, was identified in a photo line-up. The lawsuit alleges the sexual assault might have been prevented if there had been adequate security on the cruise ship.
Sexual Assault
21.5.08
Carnival Conquest
On the afternoon of May 21st, 2008, a crew member was seen arrested at the Bobsled Cafe in Montego Bay, Jamaica. He was taken away by about 20 police officers for purchasing cocaine. Later reports found that the crew member claimed to have been looking for an ATM machine and got upset with a local Jamaican for following him to one. A local Jamaican security guard apparently snuck drugs in his pocket and called police to get revenge being arrogant and voilent with the guard.  The crew member had no idea that anything was in his pocket.   He was put in jail overnight and bailed the next morning for $1000.00 USD (on his 24th birthday).  He was permanently dismissed from Carnival Cruise Lines.
Crew member Arrested - Cocaine
22.4.08
Carnival Victory
A 44 year old man was reported missing by his wife. It is believed he fell overboard 40 miles northeast of Cozumel. A rescue crew from Clearwater's (Florida) Coast Guard Station are helping in the search. While the FBI says there was no foul play, family members disagree saying that man was not suicidal. He was apparently last seen in the ship's casino. Person missing
14.4.08
Carnival Conquest
KHOU in Houston reports a Houston man needed 20 stitches after a bloody brawl aboard the ship. According to the news report, the Chapman family  say they were having a good time in the cruise ship’s nightclub when a passenger started beating three members of the family with a metal baton. “He was just watching us, leaning by the bar by himself,” Brenda Chapman said. A Carnival spokesperson said the man was removed from the ship in Jamaica as a result.  They confirmed the altercation happened and said the FBI is handling the investigation. Krystal Chapman said she wanted to fly home when they got to Jamaica but the family had to stay onboard the ship until Sunday, a full 7 days after the fight. Pax on Pax altercation
4.1.08
Inspiration
The ship appears to be having propulsion problems that are affecting port calls. Those interested my wish to check Cruise Critic.
Propulsion problems
31.3.08
Ecstasy
The ship returned to Galveston approximately 6 hours late. The reason given by Carnival was propulsion problems. Disembarkation and embarkation were both delayed.
Propulsion problems
19.3.08
Carnival Conquest The port call at Montego Bay was cancelled -- the Captain announced it was because of a medical emergency. The next scheduled destination is Grand Cayman.
Skipped port call
12.3.08
Carnival Victory The Daily Times (Knoxville) reports on a 12 year old girl who was allegedly raped by a 23-year-old male passenger and left drunk, alone and semiconscious in a hallway at 1:30 a.m. on a cruise that began November 25, 2007.The girl had disappeared and was found on a search of the ship. According to the girl's grandmother, a 14-year-old girl on the ship was approached by the same 23-year-old male passenger and offered alcohol the day before the incident involving her granddaughter occurred. In that incident, the male passenger allegedly threatened to throw the 14-year-old girl's boyfriend overboard after the girl refused the man's offer to join him for drinks. Rape of Minor
(Pax on Pax)
1.3.08
Carnival Freedom The ship left Miami for a seven day cruise to the western Caribbean but was forced to retrun to port at 3:15 AM (next day) for a medical emergency. It is unkown how the delay will impact the itinerary which includes Cozumel, Grand Cayman, and Ocho Rios.
Returen to port
28.2.08
Celebration A fugitive wanted by the Atlanta Police Department on charges of felony murder and aggravated assault was arrested by U.S. Marshals just before the ship entered international waters. Derron Williams, 29, was taken into custody aboard the ship at 7 p.m. as the ship was steaming for Freeport, Bahamas. After marshals learned that Williams had flown to Jacksonville and boarded the ship, the Coast Guard ordered the ship to stop before reaching international waters, where federal agents boarded.
Passenger arrested
24.2.08
Carnival Liberty The ship's arrival in Port Everglades was delayed by more than six hours because of a medical emergency requiring a diversion to Grand Cayman for a 15 year old passenger. Instead of arriving in port between 5:30 and 6:00 AM, it arrived after 11:30 AM. The ship was on an 8 day cruise of the western Caribbean.
Delayed arrival & departure
17.2.08
Holiday According to WKRG in Mobile, a Carnival spokesperson said the ship returned briefly of a medical emergency. Holiday left Mobile yesterday afternoon on a 5-day cruise to Mexico. The ship turned around 1:30AM because of the medical emergency. Carnival says the the ship was evacuated while the passenger was taken off. Once things were cleared, the remaining passengers got back on and headed to Mexico. The port call at Progresso was cancelled; the ship will stop in Cozumel.
Strange return to port
1.2.08
Carnival Glory NBC6 in Miami and Coast Guard News report that a 46 year old Indian crew member failed to show up for work at 6:30 AM and is presumed missing at sea. The crew searched the ship and reviewed security tapes before notifying the Coast Guard around 12:30 PM. The COast Guard search was unsuccessful. The ship was en route to Nassau, the last stop on a seven day cruise embarking at Port Canaveral and that included Belize City and Cozumel.
Person missing
21.1.08
Inspiration and Imagination Both ships were prevented from making their call at Grand Cayman Island because of weather conditions. The ships had a day at sea and continued on to their next port of call.
Canceled port call (Weather)
3.1.08
Carnival Liberty and Imagination Both ships were prevented from making their call at Ocho Rios because of rough seas associated with a weather cold front. The ships had a day at sea and continued on to their next port of call. See Jamaica Observer for the story.
Canceled port call (Weather)
1.1.08
Ecstasy Port call at Progresso canceled because of high winds. Passengers were compensated with an onboard credit of $25 (roughly equivalent to port fees associated with the port call).
Canceled port call (Weather)


2007

12.10.07
Ecstasy &
Carnival Conquest
Thick fog closed the Port of Galveston, wreaking havoc with each ship's schedule. Conquest was supposed to sail at 5PM on Sunday but didn't leave until Monday at 2PM. Ecstasy arrived 7 hours late on Monday and may be "stuck" in port overnight.
Fog delays
1.12.07
Fantasy A 77 year old man from Hattiesburg, MS was discovered missing shortly after the ship docked at New Orleans at 4AM at the end of a 5 day cruise to Cozumel and Progresso.The man's room, which included a private balcony, was reported by the cruise line to have been locked from the inside and all of his belongings were left in his cabin. He had last been seen the previous evening at around 7PM when the ship was 28 miles from shore. The Coast Guard was notified at 10AM and a search undertaken of coastal waters. UPDATE:  The Hattiesburg American  reports the search was called off after a suicide note indicating the man was in poor health was found in his room.
Person missing
21.11.07
Carnival Valor The St. Thomas Source reports that passengers from the ship were on an open-air safari vehicle invovled in an accident in which 29 people were injured and sent to hospital. One person was airlifted to Miami; another was under observation when the article was written. 15 of the injured were released from hospital by 8PM. According to the article, at about 3PM a utility truck was returning from a job when its brakes started to malfunction. The truck hit the safari bus -- loaded with 22 passengers from the cruise ship -- from the back. The truck tipped over on its side, crushing a red pickup truck and hitting a smaller white vehicle. Our thoughts go out to those who were injured.
Accident Onshore
17.11.07
Carnival Victory A passenger has written to say that a crew member (a member of the entertainment staff) fell overboard this morning around 2:45AM. The ship reversed direction and he was rescued alive. He was taken to hospital when the ship returned to Miami, but he is not seriously injured (dehydration and hypothermia). The ship was on its way back to Miami from a seven day cruise of the Eastern Caribbean. This incident  has also been picked up on Cruise Critic.
Fall overboard
--
Rescued
12.11.07
Carnival Liberty Two separate passengers reported that the ship apparently had propulsion problems off the coast Puerto Rico -- as one person said, the ship is "parked in the ocean between Florida & San Juan" and that it appears unlikely they will arrive in San Juan at 5PM as scheduled." The ship did make it to San Juan, about an hour or so late. If additiuonal details are received about the problem it will be posted. The 8-day Eastern Caribbean cruise began November 10 in Fort Lauderdale.
Engine problems
25.10.07
Ecstasy The ship's departure from Pregreso was delayed because of weather and as a result its return to Galveston was 5 hours late -- 9 PM instead of 4PM.  Embarkation of the following 4 night cruise was also delayed.  That ruise will substitute the port call at Cozumel with a stop at Progreso; passerngers will receive a $100  onboard credit. 
Delayed arrival / departure
17.9.07
Elation A San Diego grocer filed suit against a fellow passenger following an incident where the plaintiff was allegedly pushed down a flight of stairs several hours after sailing from San Diego.  The defendant was reported to have been confined to his room for the remainder of the five-day cruise to the Mexican Riviera from San Diego.
Pax on pax assault
26.8.07
Carnival Liberty A poster at Cruise Critic describes her "cruise from hell" on the eight day cruise ending today which embarked/disembarked from Fort Lauderdale.  She says there was a large group of 700-800 who over ran the ship and dominated most of the public areas either by design or intimidation by their behavior. My family never was able to use the Victoria lounge, the disco, the teen disco, the arcade, a large portion of the promenade deck. Carnival allowed this group to have private access to the Victoria Lounge every night, therefore denying use of this area to all other passengers.  The other areas mentioned were off limits to the other passengers on this trip because the behavior of the individuals who occupied it was so terrifying that all other passengers avoided these areas. My teen age daughters were so fearful of what went on this ship that after dinner they spend it in their cabin watching movies.  Some of the behaviors that I witnessed firsthand: drug sales; lying in wait in hall ways and on elevators and intimidating other passengers who wanted to use these areas; running, shoving and pushing fellow passengers on the promenade deck, and on the stair case in the lobby (I was shoved down the stairs by a group who were running down the spiral staircase -- After I fell they turned back and laughed); standing on furniture, placing chairs in front of doors in the teen disco and “locking” other youngsters in; on 2 separate evenings, a full blown riot on the promenade deck, involving at least 40-50 individuals who were fighting throwing furniture, punches, filthy language and breaking a bottle to use a weapon -- the entire security staff was called, bar tenders left their stations, officers arrived to break up the fight.; running and screaming in the corridors at all hours of the night; and a group of 10-20 individuals  doing laundry all night all while smoking and drinking, and laughing yelling so loud I could hear every word in my bed.  The staff of the Liberty was either unable or unwilling to enforce any limitations on the individuals in these groups. I spoke to a high ranking crew member who informed me that these passengers paid for their cruise and there was nothing they could do.  NOTE: Group cruises are occasionally a problem -- there was one on Carnival including swingers and one on Royal Caribbean including bears that got considerable attention last year.
Cruise from Hell
25.8.07
Celebration The Coast Guard evacuated the terminal at Jaxport Saturday afternoon at about 12:45 PM because of a bomb scare. A bomb-sniffing dog came across something suspicious and a bomb squad was brough to the scene to investigate. During that time, no one was being allowed to board and people already on the ship were not allowed off.   Shortly after 6PM, the problem wasidentified (the dogs had singled out some bags later found to contain some type of heart medication.  The ship had been scheduled to depart at 4PM, heading to Key West and Nassau, Bahamas for a five-day cruise.  A statement from Carnival said the cruise was expected to leave at 10 p.m. and passengers were given a $15 ship credit for their trouble. Bomb scare
23.8.07
Sensation A passenger on the four day cruise ending today writes that there was a group onboard and many of the lounges/discos were closed at night for the private party. The ship looked like someone used it as their own personal garbage can (half eaten apples thrown in the stairwell, drinking glasses). I watched one woman argue (VERY loudly) with a bartender that since someone spilled her drink, HE should give her a free drink. He ended up giving it to her just to get her to shut up.  We couldn't walk up the stairs with our children without these passengers CHASING each other down them at top speed, running through the halls, knocking on cabin doors. And then to top it off, someone defecated in the CHILDREN'S pool and all who saw it swear it was an ADULT who did it. Unruly group
12.8.07
Carnival Pride The ship was delayed for two hours on Sunday after a "suspicious" boat was spotted near the ship. Crew members reported a 15- to 18-foot-long metal skiff loitering near the front end of the Carnival Pride at 11:30 a.m. Witnesses said the skiff had three men and one woman aboard, and was towing a small, bright orange inflatable dingy. One of the people aboard reportedly dove into the water near the pier's pilings and was observed by a witness pulling himself back into the boat. The vessel left the area before authorities arrived. The Port Operations Dive Group searched the pier and cruise ship hull but found nothing suspicious. The cruise ship departed at 6 p.m. Sunday. Security
4.8.07
Carnival Glory Passengers on the seven day cruise ending today at Port Canaveral indicate the ship was forced to return to Port Canaveral, less than six hours after departure, to med-evac a 16-year-old passenger who had been injured diving headfirst into one of the pools.  A passenger also wrote that during the day at sea on the way back (3rd of August) the ship came awfully close to Cuba- so close that you could make out the shoreline in the distance and they sent out 3 boats to patrol the border.  Also on the way back the ship appeared to be sailing at reduced speed and there was shaking and it was very rough despite the seas being calm. The ship skipped Nassau (the last port of call -- August 3).  Missed port
--
?Engine problems?
2.8.07
Carnival Victory The ship struck a pier overhang while docking on the west side of Manhattan, closing down 12th Avenue near 56th Street and causing backups on the Henry Hudson Parkway.  There were no reported injuries.  The ship was completing a 4-day round-trip cruise to Saint John, New Brunswick and was supposed to disembark passengers at 8 a.m. It was unclear which pier the ship was actually docking at when the accident occured. Struck pier
5.7.07
Carnival Pride A 56-year-old man  went missing from the Mexican Riviera cruise, July 1-8 (port calls at Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlan, and Cabo San Lucas).  He was apparently last seen by his cabin mate at 1AM on July 4.  His body was found off Puerto Vallarta on July 10.  The FBI was notified and is investigating.  The incident was made public July 16 after family members contacted Cruise Bruise.  Carnival Cruise Lines says it is not normal practice for it to disclose such events to media unless specifically asked by a media source. Missing
2.7.07
Carnival Liberty The Coast Guard was alerted around 11:45 p.m. that a 29 year old man, appearing intoxicated, had fallen overboard.  The ship was 50 miles off the coast of Boca Raton, Florida. A helicopter and rescue boats were sent out and a Coast Guard boat pulled the man from the water alive around 12:30 a.m. Subsequent reports say the man had been drinking with his three buddies since the ship had left Fort Lauderdale at about 4 PM.  The group left the casino area after 11 PM. to go outside, where the man climbed into a lifeboat -- "He took the ax and started to chop at the ropes."  The ship's assistant chief of security came out to get him to stop. He started climbing toward the man and told him to get down. "Then he jumped into the water." He was rescued within an hour.
Jumped overboard --
Rescued alive
1.7.07
Ecstasy An 18-year-old man died early Sunday after he jumped into the Gulf of Mexico. The had sailed out of Galveston for a five-day round-trip cruise to Cozumel, Mexico amd om day 2  "an 18-year-old male passenger was seen jumping overboard from one of the ships upper decks" about 7:35 a.m. Officials initiated a search and notified the U.S. Coast Guard. The passenger was recovered by the crew about a half-hour later and brought on board, where he was pronounced dead. He has not been identified. The ship is en route to Cozumel and is expected to arrive Monday morning. It is scheduled to return to Galveston on Thursday. Jump overboard
28.6.07
Fascination A 16 year old male was med-evaced when the ship was 120 mile off Key West.  He had lost his pinky finger when he tried to stop an elevator door from closing with his right hand but when the door closed and he pulled his hand from the door his pinky finger was severed.
Pax injury
23.6.07
Carnival Valor A passenger apparently fell overboard and was rescued alive.  According to passenger accounts, sometime around 19:30 ET there were a couple of blasts from the ships horn. "Around 19:50 I noticed the ship leaning to one side and people were asking why. I walked up to the 10th deck and was asked by a crew member to go to the other side of the ship. People were gathering on that deck and there were at least 20 crew members with radios. I asked what was going on and someone said they thought it was a man overboard. I went and got my husband and we went to the 11th deck just as the cruise director announced there was a passenger overboard and we were in search and rescue mode. She also said the coast guard was en route. We also saw a freight liner in the distance with a search light.  The ship had turned around and was almost stopped. From what we observed, around 9:00 pm, the Valor spotted the passenger and sent a life boat from the ship to retrieve him/her.  We saw the person swim toward the boat, a preserver being thrown to him/her and then the person was pulled on board the lifeboat. About 5 minutes later the announcement was made that the passenger was rescued by the Valor staff."  Some observed the man to have been intoxicated.
Fall overboard
--
Rescued
20.6.07
Imagination
A crew member went missing on this five day from Miami to Cayman Islands and Jamaica.  The 57 year old was last seen on June 19; he didn't show up for work today.  An onboard search was undertaken, but he wasn't found.  Because the man is an Italian national, the cruise ship was not required to notify US authorities of the disappearance. Missing
15.6.07
Carnival Valor From a passenger:  I just got back from sailing on the Carnival Valor.  The cruise set out on June 10th.  On Friday, June 15th we were in Costa Maya, Mexico.  We found out later that night we were making an emergency stop in Cozomel.  A 4 year old girl had a near drowning in Costa Maya and progressively got worse.  The boat stopped and a smaller boat came to pick her up on a stretcher.  I just want to remind parents to keep a closer eye on their kids while on vacations. Reminder to parents
13.6.07
Carnival Conquest The Jamaica Observer reports that two men held up 17 tourists from the ship who were visiting the Lethe Estate as part of a shore excursion.  "Police say that approximately 11:15 am, the visitors were on a tour of the property when they were pounced upon by the gunmen who proceeded to rob them of their valuables. No one was, however, physically harmed during the incident. Hours later, the police - who were assisted by citizens in a search of the area for the armed men - said they recovered handbags, credit cards and other items believed to be discarded by the bandits in the bushes." Robbery onshore
3.6.07
Carnival Liberty A group of passengers who had just disembarked and were waiting to board a bus to the airport were slammed into by a Greyhound bus that lurched toward them, hitting a concrete post first.  Six people were transported to hospital with injuries that were not life threatening.  See the Sun -Sentinel for more details, and here too.
Accident onshore
24.5.07
Ecstasy Disembarkation was delayed and the cruise terminal at Galveston evacuated after a sniffer dog located a suspicious package during a routine sweep of the terminal at about 8:30 AM.  The package, addressed to Carnival Cruise Lines, turned out to contain a printer -- chemicals in the printer apparently alerted the dogs.  The package was destroyed and things returned to normal by about 11:00 AM.
Bomb scare
21.4.07
Carnival Glory A passenger on the 14 - 21 April cruise writes that there was an outbreak of illness of unknown size -- In my family alone five us came down sick.  This happened within hours of the first person getting sick ... I tried to find out info and was offered nothing but a "politician's answers."  They would say things such as rough seas, etc.  We all had to fill out CDC forms and were quarantined to our cabin the rest of the  trip.  We also came across about 6 others that had this same experience.  The passenger also writes: It also bothered me that the female dancers came out with nothing but a GO-string going up their backsides.  We were so offended that we got up an left the show.  The really crazy thing is that during "Camp Carnival" that particular night, they were going to take our children to this show. We felt this was very inappropriate on the ships behalf considering we had 7 and 9 year old boys, and and 7 year old girls.  We obviously chose to pick our children up early that night. In Poor Taste?
20.4.07
Paradise The ship's departure from Long Beach was delayed because the company had received an anonymous bomb threat at the reservation desk in Colorado Springs, CO.  The US Coast Guard was notified at 2:20 PM and a full sweep of the ship and reinspection of passenger luggage was undertaken.  Nothing was found and the ship departed at about 6PM.
Bomb threat
3.4.07
Imagination From a passenger:  I just returned from a trip that was supposed to include a stop at the Cayman Islands, but almost halfway there we had to return to near the Florida Keys to drop off a 'seriously ill' passenger with the Coast Guard. As a result, no Cayman Island port of call was possible on April 02. (We were able to see Ocho Rios, Jamaica as planned on April 3.)  A secondary hardship of this misadventure was that we seemed to be sailing at top speed causing extremely strong winds on the upper decks. These winds did not abate until we reached Ocho Rios and returned to our normal time schedule. I never realized how dicey was a ship's itinerary.  It is certainly something to consider, risking one of your precious vacations from work on a cruise ship that may trap you at sea for a week with cafeteria quality food in a cabin that is way too small and really very little to do. The few things I did enjoy (trivia contest and dance groups) were over in 30 minutes, or less - almost as soon as they began. My wife made the best of it - she is far less grumpy and more forgiving than I - but I suspect if she takes another Cruise vacation, it will either be solo or with her next husband. Interesting commentary
30.3.07
Carnival Glory The Baltimore Sun reports that Naval Academy midshipmen aboard the 10 - 17 March cruise demonstrated behaviour that was misguided/immature, but not criminal.  According to a passenger, "eight to 10 male midshipmen groped women, offered to buy alcohol for teenagers and displayed "lewd" behavior while wearing bikini swim trunks and cowboy boots."  The newspaper  includes the following quote:  "I was 'felt up' by one of the very drunk men and I was given the misfortune of watching them grab and disrespect every woman they could get close to as well as seeing them offer the underage [15- and 17-year-old] girls at our table alcohol ... I cannot tell you strongly enough how EMBARRASSED these "gentlemen" made me feel to be an American. I can only imagine what the foreigners on our ship and in port thought of us."
Sexual misconduct
29.3.07
Sensation Departures was delayed several hours after the US Coast Guard received an anonymous phone call about a bomb on board.  Passengers and crew were evacuated  during a two hour search of the ship.  The call was determined to be a hoax.
Bomb Threat
16.3.07
Carnival Glory A 35 year old man was rescued approximately eight hours after jumping or falling overboard from the ship when it was 30 miles east of Fort Lauderdale.  A witness said that the man, who was intoxicated, ran through a window and then fell 60 feet into the ocean -- it is not clear whether the window was open at the time.  The ship was en route to Nassau and will arrive slightly behind schedule.
Person Overboard
 --
Rescued Alive
4.3.07
Carnival Miracle From a passenger on the 7 day sailing (25 Feb - 4 Mar): We had a wonderful cruise for the first four days, but the night of Wednesday Feb. 28th brought gale force winds and high seas as we passed Costa Maya on our way to Belize.  On Thursday the winds diminished enough to allow passengers to partake in excursions, but the Turneffe Atoll snorkel I was scheduled for had to be redirected to a more protected location because of the rough seas.  The next morning the ship was unable to dock at Costa Maya due to rough seas -- I later learned that the same thing had happened the week before..  As the ship made its way back to the US along the Mexican coastline and passed outside of Cozumel the winds and seas began to diminish. 
Missed port
2.3.07
Carnival Valor A passenger getting off yesterday in St. Maarten never returned to the ship and wasn't seen until after a newspaper article appeared on March 7.  The 50-year-old woman had last been seen by her mother after they arrived in Phillipsburg and there was fear that something had happened.  As it turns out, she'd simply missed the boat.
Missing ashore?
1.3.07
Celebration
Embarkation was delayed about an hour after a disembarking passenger had found onboard and turned in at the Purser's Desk 2 rounds of .22 caliber ammunition.Coast Guard and Border Patrol inspectors insured that X-ray machines and metal detectors were oparting properlyt and conducted an expanded security inspection of the vessal.
Security
22.2.07
Carnival Liberty Three muggers attempting to rob a dozen seniors on a tour bus (a privately arranged tour) in Limon (Costa Rica) were foiled.  A man, about 70 years of age, put one suspect into a head lock and broke his clavicle -- he died of asphixiation; the other two men armed with a knife and a gun fled after the other senior citizens began defending themselves.  In December, a passenger was shot (not critically) in a robbery attempt while on a walk along a boardwalk in a Limon city park.
Pax Foil Robbery
10.2.07
Fantasy A barge struck the ship on the Mississippi River near New Orleans, leaving a 30 foot gash (about 5 feet above the waterline) in its hull and forcing cancellation of the five day cruise that followed.  There were no injuries and no reports of pollution.  Passengers on the cancelled cruise received a full refund and a 25% discount on a future cruise of 3, 4, or 5 days.  (See New Orleans Times-Picayune)
Collision
--
Cancelation
4.2.07
Carnival Pride
Reports from the ship state the vessel is experiencing unspecified mechanical problems and has reduced her speed from 20 to 10 knots, delaying her arrival in Long Beach by one full day.  The cruise scheduled to begin today will operate a modified 6 day schedule (cancelling Puerto Vallarta) and will leave from San Pedro instead of Long Beach, but return to Long Beach.  Passengers opting to sail received a 15% refund and a $50 shipboard credit.
Mechanical problems -
Delayed arrival & departure
30.1.07
Carnival Valor Two American tourists (brothers aged 23 and 26) arrested in Belize City with 70 grams of cocaine before reboarding the ship on January 23rd plead guilty to charges of drug trafficking and paid fines of $10,000 each.  The two had been busted at 4:30 PM at the Tourist Village.  Based on information they had received, police approached the brothers and told them a search would be conducted on them.  While being escorted to the terminal, 4 bags containing cocaine fell from one brother's pants. He was found holding another 3 bags and the other brother was six bags.
Drug Bust
14.1.07
Carnival Destiny

From a passenger:  Woke up to the Captain’s 5AM announcement of a bomb threat.  Crew did search of entire ship, while breakfast started at 6 AM for the passengers.  Some crew members downplayed incident, while others were visibly nervous.  Docking into San Juan was delayed, then passengers were held onboard until 10 AM, some missing flights, others starting excursions late.  Handled smoothly except the part of holding passengers on a ship with the potential “bomb”.   The Destiny cruises the Eastern Caribbean from San Juan as the embarkation/debarkation point.

Bomb threat / Delayed arrival
3.1.07
Fantasy An 18 year old male was rescued by a Coast Guard Helicoptor while the ship was 250 miles west of Clearwater Beach (Florida).  The teenager suffered head trauma when he fell from the ship's mast to the deck and landed on his head.  He was last reported in stable condition.  [Med Evacs are not normally reported, however this case relates to an injury suffered onboard.]
Med Evaced Injury
2.1.07
Carnival Legend Passengers were notified this afternoon that their 8-day cruise scheduled to leave tomorrow from Fort Lauderdale will depart a day late because "The ship was forced to make a significant route deviation in order to facilitate a special medical emergency evacuation" -- the deviation was apparently between Martinique and Fort Lauderdale.  The ship will drop Belize City from its itinerary; passengers will receive a 15% refund and a 20% discount on a future 3 to 8 day cruise departing prior to December 15, 2008.
Delayed Arrival / Departure
dd/mm/yy
Ship
2006
Incident
28.12.06
Carnival Valor
A 55-year-old woman died after getting "in difficulty" while snorkeling on an shore excursion at Grand Cayman.  According to the tour operator (as reported by Cay Compass News Online), "Somebody swum away from the boat and got a little too far, and they got tired before they got back to the boat."
Pax death on excursion
15.11.06
Carnival Liberty
It wasannounced to day that the cruise scheduled to depart November 19th from Port Everglades will now depart on November 21 in order to allow the company to throughly clean/sanitize the ship following the current cruise where many passengers reported ill.  The new itinerary will be a four day cruise to Key West and Cozumel.  Passengers choosing to take the new itinerary will receive a 50% refund on this cruise and a 50% discount on a future cruise.  Passengers can also choose to cancel the cruise and receive a full refund which will be processed within two weeks.
Itinerary Change
10.11.06
Ecstasy
From a passenger:  Departed on a five day cruise from Galveston.  Early next morning the announcement came that we were diverting to Progresso, Mexico instead of continuing to Cozumel because of "propulsion problems".  This upset us more as time went on and when we found out that this has been an ongoing problem with the ship and has happened at least 3 times in recent months.  It made for a disappointing cruise. Engine Problems / Itinerary change
6.11.06
Elation
Four passengers were injured when a welded piece of the gangway gave way around 12:30 while passengers were embarking at Port Canaveral for a 5 day cruise to Turks and Caicos.  Safety ropes kept the gangway from falling more than a foot, but the jolt was enought to throw four people sprwling onto the gangway.  Three were treated and released from hospital.  None of the injured proceeded with the cruise.
Gangway Slips / Injuries
4.11.06
Carnival Conquest
A 42 year old man fell/jumped from his balcony at approximately 11:00 PM.  The ship did search and rescue and then search and recovery for 4 hours and then halted operations at 3:30 AM.  Coast Guard helicoptors and several vessels (including oil rig barges) aided in the search and were later joined by a Coast Guard cutter -- they continued the search witout success.  The ship resumed its course to Galveston, likely to arrive 3 or 4 hours late.
Passenger overboard
20.10.06
Carnival Valor
The ship made an uscheduled stop at Cozumel to let off a passenger who had a medical ermergency.  It was on its return from Costa Maya to Miami. on this seven day cruise, due back in Miami on Sunday.  The delay created by the stop was minor and will easily be made up. Diversion for Medical Emergency
19.10.06
Inspiration
The five day cruise ending today had some issues around a group of 450 alternative lifestyle passengers (swingers).  There is debate about how disruptive the group was ... rather than detail the issues here, go to Cruise Critic if you'd like more information (from different perspectives). Onboard disruptive behaviour
4.10.06
Imagination
From a passenger: While in line to board (on Sept 30), passengers were informed of a propulsion problem that would prevent the ship from reaching maximum speed ... therefore an itinerary change was - 1 day in Nassau and 3 days in Freeport. The resulting "five day cruise to Cayman and Jamaica" was horrible considering Freeport had 2 major hotels closed due to prev. storm damage, and Carnivals only offer was 100$ onboard credit per pass.- cement factory was the view from the ship which stayed in port for most of the cruise. Itinerary change
30.9.06
Carnival Conquest
From Cruise CriticAround 3:00 PM we heard an announcement ... and then all of a sudden made a 90 degree turn on a dime. It was pretty scary, I called the pursers desk and they said that ... someone or something had fallen off the ship. I went out on our balcony to see what was going on and no one really knew. By this time, everyone on the ship was now hanging over the right side ... Come to find out later - (all speculation here) there was a young lady on 11 having an argument with her boyfriend. She was either sitting on the rail, or standing near the rail and was either pushed, fell over, or jumped off the backof the boat to her death. She missed the water and hit the balcony on level 6 landing on her back ... Speculation was that she jumped [but] no one really knows exactly what happened ...  Click here for an account from Events Page readers and the Associated Press. Passenger Death
28.9.06
Ecstasy
Upon embarkation, passengers were given a letter stating that due to a problem with the propulsion system, the ship could not attain maximum cruising speed, and would  be docking in Progreso rather than Cozumel.  The four-day Western Caribbean cruise embarked from Galveston.
Itinerary change
11.9.06
Imagination
A 35 year old woman was reported missing when the ship docked in Miami after a four-day cruise to Key West and Mexico.  The woman was reportedly least seen by relatives in the early morning hours of Saturday (10 Sept), several hours after leaving Calica. Pax Missing
29.8.06
Sensation At approximately 2:20 AM, a crew member was picked up by a female taxi driver to see his friend in Nassau. The taxi driver stopped for another male, who gun-pointed the crew member and demanded everything from his pockets.  The crew member gave up his cell phone, digital camera, and $60.00 cash to the suspct, who then asked the crew for more.  The crew member fought the armed man in the taxi and escaped through the side window where he ran back to Bay Street.  The crew member claims he cheated death and was lucky to get out of a situation like this.   He went to the local Bahamian police the next cruise to investigate, and the police claimed this was a regular set up in Nassau.  The crew member had a quick recovery but won't forget the experience.
Crew member robbed in Nassau
25.8.06
Celebration
After its accident August 15, the itinerary for the August 17 departure was altered (Freeport canceled) because the ship was operating at reduced speeds.  The August 21 cruise was canceled so the ship could be repaired.  Repairs took longer than anticipated and the cruise scheduled to begin August 26 was shortened 3 days and will embark August 28.
Cancelations
18.8.06
Celebration
One of the ship's propellers struck bottom while approaching the dock at Nassau spilling an estimated 200 liters of lubricating oil and affecting the operation of the engine.  The Nassau call was cancelled and the ship is en route back to its homeport, Jacksonville.
Environmental
27.7.06
Carnival Pride
From a reader: Carnival Pride is here in Vancouver today (!).  It normally only cruises Mexico, and it took me forever to figure out why it’s here. Someone posted saying there’s a tropical storm headed for the Mexican Riviera, so the sailing was forced to come to Canada instead (possibly due to the Jones Act?)  Someone has posted on Cruisecritic in a ‘live from the Pride 7/26) thread, but it keeps getting lost.  Most people thought it was some kind of joke.  No info is on Carnival’s site about the matter, so I am guessing they were told when they boarded the ship.
Itinerary change
23.7.06- 30.7.06
Carnival Destiny
A passenger reports that the ship departed San Juan one day late (because of mechanical probelms) and that Aruba was skipped as a port of call.
Mechanical Problems -
Itinerary change
21.6.06
Imagination
CBS in Miami reports that a crew member was reported missing after not reporting for duty Tuesday afternoon.  The ship was enroute from Miami to Grand Cayman on a five-day cruise.  A search was conducted but without results.
Crew Member Missing
17.6.06
Inspiration
An apparent onshore labour dispute in Cozumel delayed tendering operations for about two hours and caused some shore excursions to be shortened or cancelled.
Delayed tendering
27.5.06
Carnival Legend
A 35 year old male passenger jumped overboard in front of his wife and two young sons (5 and 3), apparently during an argument over onboard spending (gambling and alcohol).  The ship was 650 miles offshore after leaving Tortola on its return to New York.  A 12 hour search was undertaken without results.  The May 28 cruise departed late (3 AM) because of the ship's late arrival.  Embarking passengers received a $50 onboard credit. Passenger
Overboard
20.5.06
Inspiration
An 82-year old man who was traveling by himself went missing and, based on a note found, is presumed to have committed suicide.
Suicide
2.4.06
Sensation
Fantasy

Because of continuing problems with the Sensation's propulsion, it has been reported that the two ships will switch itineraries on April 6.   Both operate out of Port Canaveral.
Ship Switch
1.4.06
Holiday
The ship returned to Mobile from its first cruise since the lease to FEMA and like the Sensation passengers complained about the ship not being up to standards.  Hot water was inconsistent, repairs and maintenance were still being done while passengers were onboard (e.g., hot tubs were out of service and being welded with children nearby), and toilets were not working properly -- As stated by MSN-NBC, "...crew members work to prepare the ship for another five day cruise, a cruise so many others ... wish they had not taken. "I don't want that ship to leave today with another group of two thousand victims".  See here for more info.
Maintenance problems
28.3.06
Sensation

The ship will have to shorten its current trip to the Bahamas, missing a stop at Grand Turk, because of a problem with the ship's propulsion system.  The Sensation is not able to travel fast enough to reach Grand Turk, and instead will stop at Freeport.  The same will be the case on the next cruise.

Itinerary change
(Propulsion)
24.3.06
Imagination
The ship returned to Key West two hours after leaving because of a medical issue.  The ship then changed its next port of call from Calica (Mexico) to the Bahamas.
Itinerary change
23.3.06
Sensation
Coast Guard inspectors detained the ship at Port Canaveral until the captain and crew could fix violations related to the ship's fire-control systems.  The ship was supposed to set sail at 4 p.m. on a four-day voyage to the Bahamas, but will be delayed until late in the evening.  Inspectors found deficiencies in fire-safety systems, specifically some fire screen doors, fire station valves - which are like a fire hydrant - and watertight doors.  Repairs were made and the ship finally left more than 6 hours late.  There were apparently problems on the cruise, and 8 passengers were forcibly evicted from ship when in the Bahamas -- details can be found here and here.
Detained in Port -- Safety Violations
22.3.06
Carnival Liberty
There was a complete power failure that lasted approximately 1 hours (10 - 11PM) and it was another hour or so before everything appeared "back to normal".  Passengers report on this at Cruise Critic.
Power failure
19.3.06
Carnival Destiny
According to a message at Cruise Critic,  the ship was supposed to dock at 7 AM today in San Juan but was slowed because of a propulsion problem  (a propeller had been damaged).  It finally docked at 4PM; passengers were still disembarking at 1 AM. Many had waited for hours for Carnival to find them hotel rooms because the delayed arrival meant missed flights.  Embarking passengers were still boarding at 2 AM.  The following cruise (19-26 March) was apparently still plagued with propulsion problems.  One passenger writes:  "We arrived at all ports late and left all early. For instance we were supposed to leave Aruba at 10PM but left before 7PM. Cut down time on all our shore excursions. No on the ship would confirm anything. They knocked $25/pp off everyone's bill and gave out free drinks for 2 hours toward the end of the trip. Very disappointed." Propulsion problems
11.3.06
Imagination
Messages from two passengers indicate the ship never made it to the Port of Calica "due to weather" (i.e., high winds). "We just sat at sea and waved to Calica/Playa del Carmen from the upper deck."  The only compensation given was a $25/person credit.  The only port call on the four night cruise was a half day at Key West.
Missed port
11.3.06
Ecstasy
The ship housing Katrina refugees broke loose from its moorings in New Orleans and  spun out into the Mississippi River, and narrowly avoided hitting a pair of Military Sea Lift Command ships moored nearby. The Ecstasy, with quick help from a river pilot and three tugs, came to rest about 300 feet from the Algiers riverbank, just downriver from Algiers Point. The episode began about 5:35 a.m. when a large metal bollard holding some tie-down lines at the old wharf broke off, starting a chain reaction of line breaks. Near catastrophe
10.1.06
Carnival Legend
It was reported that a 65 year old man died while part of a snorkeling shore excursion at Shark Bay Alley in Belize.  The man, part of a group of nine toruists, experienced difficulties in the water and was rushed to the Caye Caulker Village Clinic where he was pronounced dead, apparently from a heart attack.  This is the third such case in as many months: in November a 68 year old man from the Norwegian Dream disappeared while snokeling in the same area -- his body was never found; in December a woman from the Caribbean Princess who was participating in a snorkeling expedition in Sint Maarten was found dead underwater -- it is unknown whether she had a heart attack or an accident underwater.
Death on Shore Excursion
(Snorkeling)
1-8.1.06
Carnival Conquest
and Victory

From a passenger:
Carnival Conquest's departure was delayed for over 4 hours due to fog in Galveston.  In Grand Cayman, we met up with passengers from Carnival Victory, who were told after they boarded their ship that they were not allowed to go to Cozumel.  They were infuriated when they found out that Conquest was allowed to go. 
Delay
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Missed port
dd/mm/yy
Ship
2005
Incident
26.12.05
Imagination From a passenger, 12/24/2005 sailing w/, stops in Cayman and Ocho Rios:  Upon awakening Monday morning, December 26, we were off the coast of Grand Cayman. Our captain told us it was to rough to anchor at our spot on the island and that we are being turned away. But the ship did offload a sick child and to pick up several passengers who missed the boat in Miami. A tender came out to our vessel to accomplish this. This small tender did not roll or bob in the lake like waters surrounding our vessel(maybe the sea had an occasional one foot chop at most).  We could see three other vessels were at anchor including the Carnival Inspiration(?) and had offloaded their passengers on tenders. We weren't offered anything to make up for this; i don't buy their excuse for not stopping ... there has to be another reason.  Missed Port
14.11.05
Fascination
From a passenger:  Delayed in Key West due to technical difficulties.  As a result, cancelled Mexico Calica port and went to Nassau Bahamas instead. My group already booked to go to Nassau on same ship for the next three day cruise that week. Others reported that they lived in Nassau Bahamas and were very angry that they were going there. No compensation given. Itinerary change
21-24.10.05
Fascination
The ship was delayed returning to Miami for two days as a result of Hurrican Wilma.  The ship experienced very rough seas while "waiting" at sea and on Monday "tipped severely, injuring several passengers.  Some passengers who needed medical attention had difficulty communicating with foreign workers." (Des Moines Register)  A passenger onboard reports that there was considerable damage to the shops and displays given the severe wave action and that the zero deck was ankle deep in water. The cruise director came on the intercom after the list and announced that they had made a maneuver. 
Severe List
17.10.05
Paradise
Disembarkation was delayed 6 hours until the ship was cleared by the FBI which was investigating a woman's death during the cruise (sometime Saturday, reportedly on R deck around room 145).  Many assumed it was drug-related since there was evidence of drug use on board, but this is just conjecture.  According to news reports, "authorities do not believe foul play was involved."  The cruise, running 14 - 17 October, was the Xingolati Groove Cruise of the Pacific.  Embarkation of the next cruise was also delayed.  The death was later ruled to be caused by “the toxic effects of methadone,” Death on Board
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Delays
11.8.05
Carnival Glory
A 30-year-old muscian was found deceased in his cabin.  There were no signs of foul play and the death is presumed to be from natural causes.  See the report in Florida Today.
Death onboard
6-11.8.05
Imagination
The cruise boarded 6 hours late because a medical emergency on the prior cruise caused a late return to Miami.  The ship was further delayed (another 5+ hours) the next day after a 20-year old woman jumped overboard at 5AM -- she was subsequently found by another ship around noon and flown (alive) to Miami.  Because of the delays, Ocho Rios was dropped from the itinerary; passengers were given a $40 onboard credit.
Delay
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Missed Port
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Passenger Overboard
3.8.05
Carnival Legend
FROM A PASSENGER:  Around 10PM we looked out of our balcony, on the starboard side on deck 7, and saw heavy, heavy smoke coming from the lower levels towards the front of the ship.  Although I did never actually see flames, there were extremely bright flickering lights coming from the same place.  Within minutes, there was an announcement for everyone to proceed to the upper, open decks.  The late show had to be evacuated ... and people who's room was in that area said their rooms and hallways were filled with thick white smoke.  The Cruise Director announced "there was a problem in the engine room and that something had overheated".  Later it was an "oily substance".  All  I can tell you for sure was that it was heavy smoke.  People had their life jackets on, very unsettling. This lasted over an hour.  No real explanation and of course no compensation.
?Fire?

Lots of smoke
16-21.7.05
Ecstasy
Like many other ships, Ecstasy changed its itinterary to avoid the hazardous weather.  However, passengers on the 5-day July 16 cruise had a "cruise to nowhere" and report Carnival refused to refund port charges paid by passengers.  A person posting at Cruise Critic however referes to receiving a certificate for 50% off a future cruise.
No Refund of port charges
13.7.05
Carnival Legend
From a passenger just back:  Just out of Tortola, heading for NYC on Wed July 13. 5:10 pm, "computer glitch" causes hard left turn, that combined with a strong wind offf the starboard side, results in a 14 degree list causing injuries and damage. We were on port side, on balcony, and felt like the ship was going to turn over; pool water, and debris streamed past our window. Crew members said they had NEVER experienced a list of that degree. Unexpected List
24.6.05
Elation
The Houston Chronicle reports that a 40-year old woman travelling with her husband and three teenaged children went missing off the Caribbean coast of Mexico at 11 AM.   The ship conducted a full search where she was presumed to have gone overboard but was not successful in finding her.   Though not explicitly stated, news reports imply she committed suicide.  Unrelated is that the ship lost power and was adrift for an hour around mid-day on Saturday (June 25).
?Suicide?

Loss of Power
14.6.05
Carnival Glory
Carnival Victory

Carnival was fined $65,000 and its ships were turned away from St. Thomas and San Juan because the company had not provided the US Coast Guard with documents listing names of passengers and crew. along with the ship's last five ports of call, per security requirements.  Both ships were delayed 4 hours until required documents could be provided and reviewed.  Carnival blames the problem on a computer glitch that has since been repaired.
Noncompliance with security requirements
7 - 14.6.05
Carnival Spirit
Passengers were told at 6 AM the first morning after embarkation that the ship had engine problems and would be missing three points on the itinerary: Prince William Sound. College Fjord, and Sitka; its stop in Ketchikan was cut short.  As one passenger wrote, "We were very upset about missing the glacier viewing and Sitka.  We will never be able to take this trip again, we saved for over 2 years and will not be able to come back to Alaska, their gesture of a $50.00 credit is a insult to our intelligence."  Another passenger posted the following at Cruise Critic and clarified the nature of the problem:  The ship starboard side propeller hit an iceberg or ice on the northbound trip which departed Vancouver. The damage was bad enough that it bent one of the propellers. Because of this damage, the ship could not use the engine and therefore could not reach the required speed to visit the missed ports. Also the damaged propeller caused a large amount of vibration which was noticeable when we attended dinner the second night. When we arrived in Juneau, Carnival had divers waiting to correct the problem. Propulsion problems
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Missed ports
5 - 12.6.05
Carnival Valor
Reported by a passenger: On June 7, the ship encountered mechanical problems which brought it to a complete stop between Nassau and St Thomas. Then on June 9, after leaving St Maarten, we went back to St Thomas and docked at approx 1:30am on June 10 to deliver a heart attack patient to a waiting ambulance. This delay caused us to sail back to Miami north of the Bahamas rather than south of the islands to make up for lost time. This caused a slightly rough ride in the Atlantic both ways.

Of the 3,300 guests on board, there were 550 children, and they were running loose, falling at the pools, and there was at least one case of defecation in a pool. Kids running down the halls at midnight, yelling. Darting through the shopping areas almost tripping older guests. Just a zoo because of the kids on board.
Propulsion and other problems
10.6.05
Holiday
The ship's return to Mobile is delayed more than one day, until Sunday, because of Tropical Storm Arlene.  The ship will arrive at Sunady at 4PM rather than Saturday morning.  The next voyage, which was to have been a five-day cruise is now converted to a four day cruise to Cozumel.
Weather delays
7.6.05
Carnival Spirit