Carnival cruise passengers face fines and driving bans after fights on board

A major brawl broke out on a Carnival Cruise Line ship, according to video footage shared on social media.
The incident occurred around 3 a.m. in the buffet area of the Carnival Paradise on the last day of a Caribbean cruise in early June.
One passenger said security personnel intervened and escorted one group out of the room while the other group left the room in the opposite direction.

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A major brawl broke out on a Carnival Cruise Line ship, according to video footage shared on social media.

A video posted to YouTube by passenger Nick Richardson on Saturday appears to show a group of other guests throwing chairs, attacking and hitting each other in the buffet area of the Carnival Paradise. Richardson had previously shared the video on TikTok, but the social media platform removed the clip, he told USA TODAY.

The 43-year-old got caught up in the conflict while looking for pizza around 3 a.m. on the last day of a Caribbean cruise in early June. “I woke up because I was starving,” said Richardson, who lives in Clearwater, Florida. He saw security guards talking to groups of guests.

The passengers were “talking each other down” before the argument escalated, although he was unsure how the initial argument started. Richardson estimated that about 10 to 15 people were involved in the physical altercation.

Security personnel intervened and escorted one group out of the room while the other group left in the opposite direction, he said. The video shows overturned chairs and dishes scattered on the floor and tables – with at least one plate broken.

“The Carnival Paradise security team responded to an incident that occurred on June 6,” spokesman Matt Lupoli said in an emailed statement. “Per our policy, we will not tolerate such behavior. The guests involved have been fined and will no longer travel with Carnival Cruise Line.”

Richardson stressed that the dispute was an “isolated incident” and that he enjoyed the rest of the trip, which was his first cruise. Shortly after his return, he even booked another cruise with Carnival.

“The security and all the staff there were very, very good,” he said.

The incident occurred after a Carnival guest pleaded guilty in February to assaulting another passenger and smashing him in the face with a glass.

Nathan Diller is a travel reporter for USA TODAY based in Nashville. Reach him at [email protected].

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