Fights lead to removal of 23 passengers from Carnival Line cruise

Monday, February 19, 2018

Nasty fights and uncivilised behaviour on a 10-day Carnival Line cruise in the South Pacific forced the ship to dock early so that Australian police could remove a huge family of 23 people.

 
Mobile phone video clips from the ship show passengers on the Carnival Legend wrestling with each other and security officers amid shouting and screaming from alarmed onlookers.

 
The video also shows security officers kicking passengers after they were down on the floor.

 
“We have a zero tolerance approach to excessive behaviour that affects other guests,” Carnival Cruise Line said in a statement. “In line with this policy, we cooperated fully with local authorities in Australia to remove a large family group who had been involved in disruptive acts aboard Carnival Legend.”

 
NSW Police said in a statement they were informed several men fought in the early morning hours Friday while the ship was about 220 kilometres (137 miles) off Jervis Bay, New South Wales. Security officers on the ship intervened and detained the men before notifying police, police said.

 
“About 1.30 p.m. (Friday), six men and three teenage boys were removed from the ship at Twofold Bay, Eden,” the police statement said.

 
“A further 14 passengers, including women and children, also left the ship. The group were transported to Canberra where other travel arrangements were made.”

 
Carnival and police did not say what started the fights, how many people were hurt and whether any charges were filed. Both the police and the cruise line are conducting investigations.

 
As of Monday, no charges had been laid against the accused brawlers and no one had been detained, according to NSW Police. A spokeswoman said inquiries were still being made.
The vessel was scheduled to sail from Melbourne to New Caledonia in the South Pacific and back over the course of 10 days.

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