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Passengers say most of the journey on the Carnival Sunshine was a breeze, but then the ship crossed paths with a major developing storm on its way back to South Carolina. NBC News’ Steve Patterson shares one traveler’s experience and the company’s response. May 29, 2023

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Carnival cruise brawl broke out after alleged threesome sparks cheating accusations: witness.

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This threesome rocked the boat.

A wild brawl that erupted on the dance floor of a Big Apple-bound Carnival cruise ship was sparked by jealousy over a ménage à trois, according to a report.

The chaotic fight broke out between roughly 60 people near the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge on Tuesday when significant others accused their partners of cheating in a threesome, passenger Theresa James told FOX News Digital.

The skirmish started in a nightclub on the fifth floor of the Carnival Magic ship at around 2 a.m. after the angry lovers confronted their respective partners for two-timing on the seven seas, according to James, a travel agent who watched the fracas from her room.

The brawlers then began shoving each other and smashing beer bottles, and a woman may have been sliced during the melee, which quickly spiraled out of control, James said.

“Ignorant fools acting stupid,” she said.

The dust-up lasted roughly an hour and spilled into the casino area on the same level of the ship, she said.

The scrum of fighters eventually moved from the fifth floor to the first, and the altercation wasn’t physical the whole time, James said.

The ship’s security team tried to break up the fight, James said, and eventually called the US Coast Guard.

‘Out of nowhere’

She credited security guards with finally getting the unhinged passengers under control.

Another passenger, tweeting under the handle @nyeem0, said he was “at the bar listening to my own music sipping a Shirley Temple, then the brawl broke out of nowhere!”

He said some passengers were “injured and cut up from glass” and that “most if not all’” of the ship’s security guards rushed to the club to stop the violence.

“It was the last night so i guess they wanted to go out with a bang,” he added.

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Carnival cruise brawl caught on camera broke out over alleged cheating, passenger says

Carnival magic passenger says nearly 60 people were involved in the melee.

Carnival cruise brawl caught on camera

A brawl broke out on a New York City-bound Carnival Cruise ship Tuesday. Credit: Theresa James.

An all-out brawl that broke out between dozens of passengers aboard the Carnival Magic cruise ship was sparked over allegations of cheating while on the trip, according to an eyewitness passenger who shared video of the fight with Fox News Digital.

Theresa James, who said she is a travel agent, told Fox News Digital that the fight started just before 2 a.m. on the ship’s fifth floor, where a dance club and casino are located. 

An alleged threesome between passengers had upset their significant others when they learned of the rendezvous, according to James, who said she witnessed the fight from her door.

Beer bottles were smashed, and a woman may have been cut during the chaos, James said.

DANCE FLOOR BRAWL ERUPTS ON NYC-BOUND CARNIVAL CRUISE SHIP PROMPTING COAST GUARD RESPONSE

The brawl lasted about an hour, according to the travel agent, and took the parties involved from the fifth floor to the ship’s first floor, which James described as a huge distance. She said the altercation wasn’t physical the whole time, and an estimated 60 people may have been involved.

In this handout provided by Carnival Cruise Lines, the Carnival Magic is seen departing from port, after a nine-day inaugural cruise, May 3, 2011, in Dubrovnik, Croatia.   (Andy Newman/Carnival Cruise Lines via Getty Images)

James credited Carnival and its security team for jumping in and bringing the situation under control. 

She described the guests involved in the fight as "ignorant fools acting stupid" and said the situation could have been worse if not for security.

FAMILY OF MISSING NC BOATER, A SPECIAL FORCES VET, BELIEVES HE IS ALIVE: ‘HE IS OUT THERE’

Security had to  call in the Coast Guard  to help escort the ship to shore, according to the New York Post. 

A brawl broke out on a New York City-bound Carnival Cruise ship Tuesday.  (Courtesy: Theresa James)

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The ship arrived Tuesday morning with New York police waiting as it docked. Carnival said the ship docked in Manhattan as scheduled. 

It's unclear if  anyone was arrested  or if New York or New Jersey authorities would handle it or another jurisdiction since it may have happened over international waters. 

Meanwhile, James said that while the cruise got intense toward the end, it was an overall great vacation, and she has already booked another one with Carnival for August.

Fox News' Brie Stimson contributed to this report.

Ashley is a Digital Editor for Foxnews.com.  Email her at [email protected]

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Cruise Ship Passengers Left Terrified After Ship Sails Through Rough Seas on Return to Charleston

Rough seas rocked the carnival sunshine and its passengers over memorial day weekend, by the associated press • published may 30, 2023 • updated on may 30, 2023 at 7:05 am.

A cruise ship that navigated rough seas off the South Carolina coast over the Memorial Day weekend has resumed sailing on its next cruise, Carnival Cruise Lines said Monday.

Terrified passengers on the Carnival Sunshine took to social media to post video of water pouring through a flooded hallway on a cabin level and pictures of on-board stores in shambles, with merchandise strewn about on the floor as large waves swelled on the sea.

Passenger Daniel Taylor said the crew “left us blind, not reassuring us what was going on, where we were heading to, what the plan was," WCIV-TV reported.

24/7 New York news stream: Watch NBC 4 free wherever you are

"They could have updated us and let us know something,” he said.

The Carnival Sunshine's return to Charleston, S.C., from the Bahamas on Saturday was delayed by prolonged bad weather and rough seas in the area, the Miami-based company said in a statement to The Associated Press on Monday. The vessel's next cruise scheduled to leave Charleston this weekend was delayed, but is now sailing, the statement said.

No serious injuries were reported.

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“We appreciate the patience and understanding of all our guests,” Carnival said.

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Coast Guard Suspends Search for Passenger Who Fell From Cruise Ship

The U.S. Coast Guard said on Sunday that it halted its search for a woman who went overboard from a Carnival cruise ship near Ensenada, Mexico.

By Johnny Diaz

The U.S. Coast Guard suspended a 31-hour search for a passenger who fell off a cruise ship near Mexico, the authorities said on Sunday.

The woman, who was not immediately identified, was aboard a Carnival cruise ship when she fell on Saturday morning “from the balcony of her stateroom,” Carnival Cruise Line said in a statement. The company said the ship had been on a three-day cruise to Ensenada, Mexico, and the Coast Guard said the woman fell near there.

Carnival did not provide further details of how the woman fell overboard.

On Saturday, the Coast Guard said that it had deployed a cutter called the Forrest Rednour as well as a helicopter, and that it was working with Mexico’s Navy to find the woman.

Crews started searching early in the morning on Saturday and into Sunday, the Coast Guard said. It led a search of about 520 square nautical miles, it said.

One passenger told a California news station, KABC-TV , that he heard someone say, “Man overboard, man overboard port side” on the ship’s speakers. He said that when he looked over the balcony of his room, he saw crew members tossing life preservers into the water.

Daniel Miranda, another passenger, told the station that cruise officials said that they had “verified through the cameras” that a woman had fallen into the water. A photo he took, broadcast by the station, also showed that the area of the ship where the woman fell had been cordoned off with blue tape.

After more than 31 hours scouring the area, the Coast Guard said on Sunday that it had suspended its search “pending additional information.”

The cruise company said in its statement that after assisting the Coast Guard, its ship had returned to Long Beach, Calif., as scheduled on Dec. 12. “Our thoughts are with the guest and her family, and our Care Team is providing support,” the company said.

In California, Federal Bureau of Investigation agents went to the ship “with an evidence response team” to assist in the case, a spokeswoman for the bureau said on Monday.

It is increasingly uncommon for passengers to fall from cruise ships, according to Carolyn Spencer Brown, who has covered the cruise industry for about 25 years, currently as chief content officer of Cruise Media LLC.

“It’s becoming much more uncommon than it was 20 years ago,” she said, citing the “increasingly sophisticated design specifications” that have prioritized safety on ships.

“They are designed to keep you safe,” she continued. “You really don’t hear about it very often, and when it happens, typically there are other factors involved.”

In 2010, Congress passed the Cruise Vessel Security and Safety Act , which required ships be equipped with rails no shorter than 42 inches above the deck, and with alarms and other technology to help signal and find passengers who go overboard.

In 2018 and 2019, 26 and 29 people fell overboard from cruise and ferry ships, according to Cruisejunkie.com , which lists cases reported by the news media, including those involving people who jumped. In 2020 and 2021, when far fewer passengers took cruises because of the pandemic, the site recorded three incidents.

Ross A. Klein, who tracks the cases of people who fall overboard on his website, Cruisejunkie.com, wrote in a June 2019 report that information on people who fall overboard is limited “as cases may not be publicly reported.”

Falls overboard could involve intoxication, accidents or deliberate jumps, Mr. Klein’s report said, but he warned there was reason to be cautious with labels because of the lack of information.

“Alcohol intoxication is known in only a small percentage of cases, largely because there is no systematic reporting of persons overboard, and no accounting of behavior prior to a disappearance (such as alcohol consumption),” the report said.

Asked about how many people have fallen overboard from Carnival ships in recent years, a spokeswoman for the company said she did not have any further information other than the statement about this weekend’s search.

The ship traveling to Ensenada this weekend, the Carnival Miracle, debuted in 2004 and can accommodate more than 2,100 guests and 934 crew members, according to the company.

Johnny Diaz is a general assignment reporter covering breaking news. He previously worked for the South Florida Sun Sentinel and The Boston Globe. More about Johnny Diaz

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Oakland Woman Describes Horrific Conditions Aboard Carnival Cruise Gone Wrong

February 18, 2013 / 6:46 PM PST / CBS San Francisco

OAKLAND (CBS SF) -- An Oakland woman says she feels lucky to be home after spending several days aboard the disabled Carnival cruise ship Triumph after it broke down in the middle of the Gulf of Mexico.

The U.S. Coastguard said on Monday an engine-room fire, stemmed from a leak in the fuel oil return line. They estimate an investigation of the disabled ship will take six months.

Alexa Benedetti has a whole new appreciation for working toilets and hot showers and said it's a trip she won't soon forget. According to the vacationer, the conditions on board were the most disgusting she's ever experienced.

"It was completely surreal. I never expected this to be on my all-planned and nothing to worry about vacation," she said.

Benedetti was with six college friends on the Carnival Triumph. She said she loved the first part of her trip until the fire that knocked out power and sewage.

She said the smell and overflowing sewage was disgusting.

"It was disgusting and I was in the Peace Corps and I had a latrine and didn't have running water and had irregular electricity and had to learn to carry a bucket of water on my head. I would have preferred to go back to those conditions."

Benedetti gave credit to the crew but said she thinks Carnival was unprepared.

"He gave like a half-hour press conference and then he came on to the boat and gave an announcement over the loud speaker and another apology, which is really nice, except at this point we've been docked 45 minutes and there's 3,200 passengers and 1,000 crew and we want to get off this boat," she said.

Despite her ordeal, Benedetti does not rule out the possibility of going on another cruise in the future. Meanwhile, Carnival is offering passengers refunds, discounts on future cruises and compensation packages.

(Copyright 2013 by CBS San Francisco. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

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Royal Caribbean, Carnival Cruise issue warning for cruise fans

D uring the Covid era, when all major cruise lines were essentially shut down, it seemed somewhat unlikely that cruising would make a full comeback. During that period, cruise lines had to offer massive deals to entice people to book theoretical cruises that might happen at some point in the future.

Royal Caribbean offered low prices and double loyalty points as a way to get its most loyal passengers to come back onboard. The theory at the time was that just getting some passengers onboard when the industry was allowed to resume sailing would show others that taking a cruise was safe.

Related: Carnival Cruise Line shares a key onboard smoking rule

That was a challenging proposition as Covid did show many Americans how quickly a virus could spread in a closed environment. It seemed logical that some ardent cruisers would be wary to return even with vaccines and the many improvements to shipboard cleaning and air filtration.

There was a day when it seemed like Covid would teach Americans that we are all only as healthy as the person making our meal. It seemed like things like mandatory sick days, and basic health precautions would become something that would become the norm simply because that would keep us all healthier. 

That did not happen and while the cruise industry has adopted stronger cleaning and health protocols, the broader world has not. Cruise passengers, while they may have been wary at first, have come roaring back and that's a mixed blessing for anyone looking to cruise.

Royal Caribbean and Carnival have record success

When you sail on a Royal Caribbean or Carnival Cruise Line ( CCL ) cruise ship these days, there are very few signs that Covid ever happened. There are more hand sanitizer stations and you do still see some passengers wearing masks. Some ships still have some outdated signs about social distancing, but mostly, ships are full, people are crowded together, and Covid seems like a distant memory 

The cruise industry has bounced back better than expected and faster than anyone what imagine, That's something Carnival CEO Josh Weinstein addressed during his company's first-quarter earnings call .

"The first quarter has been fantastic across the board and yet another set of records. We delivered record revenues, record bookings, and record customer deposits again this quarter, a great start to the year," he shared. 

Prices, he noted, are higher and ships are sailing with more passengers.,

"Yields increased over 17% year over year, another record, and more than double the increase in unit costs. This was driven, not only by closing the occupancy gap but also through solid mid-single-digit price increases," he added.

Sign up for the Come Cruise With Me newsletter to save money on your next (or your first) cruise.

Those numbers, which are similar to what Royal Caribbean reported, are great for the company and its shareholders, but they send a warning message to people looking to book a cruise.

Royal Caribbean's ships are filling into 2026

Cruise lines have capacity constraints based on how many rooms they have available to sell. When the cabins are sold, they're gone, and there's no way to quickly create more availability. That means that as ships start to fill up, prices go up as the available rooms become more scarce.  

Royal Caribbean CEO Jason Liberty shared some positive news about his company's booking pattern during its first-quarter earnings call .

"Guests are making their decisions much further out. When we look at the repeat rates that are going on and the dreaming that our guests are doing to make sure that they're getting the vacation experience that they want is really all leading to very, very strong demand trends for 2024 as well as 2025. And by the way, we're also taking bookings into 2026," he said.

With both companies reporting strong advance bookings, that means that passengers will likely be paying higher prices in most cases. Liberty also noted that passengers are making some added-fee booking choices, like specialty dining, drink packages, internet, and excursions, earlier.

Want the latest cruise news and deals? Sign up for the Come Cruise With Me newsletter.

"We're also seeing very strong booking behavior pre-cruise. And again, making sure that our guests are, have the ability to get the first day of their vacation back by planning their onboard activities and shore excursion activities well in advance. And that's also not only helping our ability to yield manage on the onboard experience, but it's also improving our customer deposits, which is also rising due to that," he added.

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The 8 Worst Cruise Ship Disasters

Somali pirates, icebergs, and coral reefs have ruined many would-be vacations.

Gregorio Borgia | AP

Carnival Triumph:  What was supposed to be a four-day jaunt to the Caribbean became an eight-day nightmare when an engine fire left the ship floating in the Gulf of Mexico without power, air-conditioning, or a working septic system.

[ RELATED: Cruise From Hell Set to Limp Ashore Tonight ]

Carnival Splendor:  Carnival's Splendor suffered a similar fate as Carnival's Triumph in November 2011. Both were stranded by engine fires, though the Splendor was left floating in the Pacific Ocean. After three days the Splendor and its 4,500 passengers were towed back to the San Diego Bay.

Costa Concordia:  This Italian cruise ship ran aground on a reef off the coast of Tuscany, Italy, in January 2012 and toppled onto its side. Of the 4,200 aboard, 32 died and 64 were injured, according to the Associated Press . The half-submerged ship is still being removed.

[ PHOTOS: Costa Concordia Disaster: One Year Later ]

Seabourn Spirits:  In 2005, while 100 miles off the coast of Somalia, pirates in speedboats attacked the small cruise ship. The pirates fired on it with machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades before the captain changed course and got away. None of the ship's 300 passengers were hurt, and the ship made it to the Seychelles where the rocket damage was repaired.

Celebrity Mercury:  More than 400 of the 2,600 passengers and crew onboard the Mercury were stricken ill in 2010 in what the Centers for Disease control deemed a norovirus outbreak . The virus caused widespread vomiting and other gastrointestinal ills on the ship, which left from Charleston, S.C.

Norwegian Dawn:  At least 62 cabins were flooded when a 70-foot wave smashed into the Dawn, in 2005. About 300 of the ship's passengers disembarked early, in Charleston, after the storm had passed.

S.S. Eastland:  In 1915, just three years after the Titanic sank, the S.S. Eastland passenger tour ship rolled over while in port in downtown Chicago. More than 840 of its 2,500 passengers died in the accident.

RMS Titanic:  The original cruise ship disaster, the "unsinkable ship" struck an iceberg in the North Atlantic on its maiden voyage in 1912 and sank into the icy water, killing more than 1,500 of its 2,200 passengers and crew.

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The 9 Worst Cruise Ship Disasters

The Titanic may be the most famous ship disaster, but surprisingly, it’s not even close to being the deadliest wreck that ever occurred on a luxury liner. If you’re trying to dissuade someone from taking a cruise, you should show them this list of maritime misadventures presented in no particular order. Disclaimer: The vast majority of cruises sail without incident and are safe and not filled with poop. (Oh yeah, we’ll get there.) Get your plate ready for a buffet of high-seas horror.

1. RMS Titanic

F.G.O. Stuart (1843-1923) {{PD-old}} /Wikimedia Commons

The many experts in 1912 who considered the Titanic “unsinkable” were to be proven wrong on the boat’s maiden voyage from Southampton to New York City. Thomas Andrews had designed the ship to withstand head-on collisions and rammings from other ships. However, the North Atlantic Ocean iceberg that took down the vessel scraped through five of its 16 watertight compartments. The boat would have reportedly remained afloat if it had only gone through four. Like other systems at the time, the Titanic's lifeboats were designed to shepherd passengers to nearby rescue ships, not take them to shore. Unfortunately, help was many hours away in the wee hours of April 15 when the boat was going under. The poor crew organization also caused many lifeboats to leave the ship at far less than full capacity. Plus, they only had enough boats for about a third of the onboard. As a result, more than 1,500 people died — either on the ship or in the icy waters, waiting for help. A recent theory suggests a fire that started in the hull before the ship set sail weakened the vessel’s steel walls, making it susceptible to an iceberg that normally wouldn’t have caused as much damage.

2. Eastern Star’s Dongfang zhi Xing

In 2015, Dongfang zhi Xing was traveling on the Yangtze River in China when a thunderstorm struck, and the boat capsized. Ships in the area were warned that bad storms were coming and told to take precautions, but it is unclear if the Dongfang zhi Xing ever received the warnings and continued to sail. The ship was met with winds of up to 72-85 mph, and ultimately, a downburst (a strong downward wind) caused the ship to capsize and sink. Out of the 454 people on board, only 12 survived, making the total number of dead 442.

3. Carnival Cruise Line’s Triumph

DVIDSHUB/Flickr

A generator fire on Carnival Cruise Lines’s Triumph (now called Carnival Sunrise) left the ship powerless, and a late-night comedy punchline was born: “The Poop Cruise.” Without working bathrooms, passengers were forced to drop their payloads into red “hazardous waste” bags and stuff them into garbage cans left in the hall. Passengers described carpets soaked with more than two inches of raw sewage. News reports described the scene as a “shanty town” and a “new circle of hell.” One passenger reportedly called her husband and told him that their 12-year-old daughter had Skittles for breakfast. It took four days for the Triumph to be towed from the Gulf of Mexico to Mobile, Alabama, where it was possible to smell the ship from the dock. Later, 31 passengers claimed long-lasting damage, including PTSD, and sued. After the verdict, 27 of them split $118,000, many earning less than $3,000 (minus legal fees) for their troubles.

4. Costa Concordia

European Commission DG ECHO/Flickr

One of the biggest passenger ships ever wrecked, the Costa Concordia had 17 decks, six restaurants, a three-story theater, and enough room for 4,200 vacationers. On January 13, 2012, Captain Francesco Schettino agreed to a request by the ship’s chief maître d’, Antonello Tievoli, and sailed closer to Isola del Giglio than normal. Why? Tievoli, a native of Giglio, wanted to impress and “salute” local residents. Unfortunately, Captain Schettino turned off the ship’s alarm for the computer navigation system and later admitted he thought he knew the waters well enough to navigate by sight. However, the ship’s first mate testified that the captain had left his glasses in his cabin and requested them. The Costa Concordia struck an underwater rock, capsized, and sank, killing 32 passengers. Schettino’s worst maritime sin? He abandoned the ship with 300 passengers still onboard. A Coast Guard officer in contact with the ship at the time of the sinking claimed he told Schettino to get back onboard. After being convicted of manslaughter and pursuing several appeals, Schettino only started his 16-year prison sentence in May of 2017. The salvage effort (the ship was completely dismantled) was the largest effort of its kind.

5. SS Eastland

Launched in 1903, the SS Eastland was a passenger ship based in Chicago and used for tours. Although the ship had noted listing (tilting) since its inception and some measures had been taken to rectify this, the SS Eastland was still suffering from being top-heavy when boarding for a cruise in 1915. The ship was meant to sail from Chicago to Michigan City, Indiana, carrying workers from Western Electric Company’s Hawthorne Works for a picnic. On July 24, 2,572 passengers boarded, with many congregating on the open upper decks. While still docked, the ship began to list to the port side, and reportedly, at some point, more passengers rushed to the port side, causing the ship to roll onto its side completely. Despite the river’s bottom being just 20 feet below and the shore being about the same distance, a total of 844 passengers and crew members died, including 22 entire families.

6. Royal Pacific

When the Royal Pacific was first launched as a passenger ferry in 1964, it could carry 250 passengers, 91 cars, and 16 trucks. Sold and converted into a cruise ship in the late 1980s, the boat’s maiden voyage was a two-night “cruise to nowhere” from Singapore and sailed by Phuket, Malacca, and Penang before returning home. At around 2 a.m., when most passengers were asleep, the crew heard a loud bang, and the plates on the buffet table crashed to the ground. A Taiwanese trawler, Terfu 51, had accidentally rammed the ship, leaving a six-foot gash in the side. As the trawler pulled away, there was a deafening sound of metal scraping against metal. The PA system wasn’t working properly on the boat, but the safety officer ran downstairs to survey the damage. When he returned, he told everyone to put on their life jackets. Reports vary about how many passengers were impacted — most tallies number 30 dead and 70 injured. Several passengers also complained that a mix of Greek-, English- and Mandarin-speaking crew members led to few people understanding what anyone was saying.

7. SS Morro Castle

The story of the SS Morro Castle is so dreadful it’s surprising no Hollywood producer has turned the tale into a horror movie. Director Fritz Lang collaborated on a script about the tragedy, and named it “Hell Afloat” (which is a pretty apt description), but it was never made. Between 1930 and 1934, the SS Morro Castle regularly shuttled 480-plus passengers between Havana and New York. While onboard, there was no Depression to worry about and no Prohibition, which meant plenty of booze-filled partying. However, the September 1934 return sail from Cuba to the Big Apple seemed cursed. On September 7, Captain Robert Wilmott complained of stomach trouble after eating dinner and retired to his cabin, where he later died of an apparent heart attack. Chief Officer William Warms took command, and a few hours later, around 3 a.m. on September 8, a fire started in one of the storage lockers. The crew’s attempts to fight the fire were haphazard and inadequate, and soon, the blaze couldn’t be contained. Many crew members abandoned the ship, leaving confused passengers to fend for themselves in the dark, smoky hallways. Some jumped from the deck to their death in the water. Rescuers lined up on the Jersey Shore to meet the lifeboats carrying passengers. The next morning, the burning, black hull of the SS Morro Castle ran aground at Asbury Park, New Jersey. Of the 549 people aboard the cruise, 86 guests and 49 crew members died.

8. Royal Caribbean’s Explorer of the Seas

A cruise can be an oasis of calm in rough waters, but it’s also a petri dish of disease where viruses ricochet from passenger to passenger. In 2014, the Royal Caribbean’s Explorer of the Seas cruise from New Jersey to the Caribbean earned the dubious honor of being the ship with more sick passengers than any other boat trip since the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention started keeping statistics more than 20 years ago. An estimated 700 passengers and crew members were sick at some point. Most cruise ship illnesses result from norovirus, that causes inflammation of the stomach and large intestines and regular trips to the “head.” If you’re wondering how to stay healthy on a cruise with sick passengers, plenty of handwashing (and avoiding ill people) is key. Bugs pass quickly through contact with ship railings, bathroom doors, and buffet food.

9. MTS Oceanos

Built by a French company and first launched in 1952, the MTS Oceanos was purchased by a Greek company in 1976. On August 3, 1991, Oceanos set sail for East London, South Africa, and headed north for Durban, led by Captain Yiannis Avranas. The ship reportedly headed into 40-knot winds and 30-foot swells, and thus, the typical sail-away outdoor deck party with British entertainers Moss and Tracy Hills was moved to an indoor lounge. The sea conditions worsened that night, leading to the ship rolling from side to side, and eventually, an explosion was heard due to a lack of repairs for the waste disposal system. This all led to the ship losing power and water filling its generator room, so the generators were shut down and the ship was led adrift. A distress call was sent and answered by numerous South African helicopters and a Dutch container ship. Shockingly, the captain and many crew members were among the first to be airlifted to shore, leaving the entertainment staff to coordinate the rescue efforts and help passengers to safety. All 571 passengers and crew members were saved by the time the ship sank nose-first into the sea.

What to Ask for When Things Go Wrong on Your Cruise Ship

Cruise industry executives like to boast that most people who cruise are highly satisfied with the experience — and they point to research that backs them up . But that doesn't mean every voyage goes perfectly.

On any given sailing, lots of little things can occur (slow service in a dining room; a tour that is more dud than delight) that can have an outsized impact on your experience.

As cruisers on the 2,394-passenger Norwegian Pearl discovered earlier this month, there also occasionally are problems on a much bigger scale. Norwegian Cruise Line was forced to end a 13-night sailing of the vessel from Amsterdam to Civitavecchia, Italy, several days early after a mechanical problem affected the ship's propulsion.

So, what should you do if your cruise experience doesn't measure up to your expectations? We talked to industry insiders on how to handle problems both big and small when on a voyage.

The Most Common Cruise Complaints

As is the case with land-based hotels and resorts , many of the complaints that cruise lines receive revolve around accommodations. Vicky Garcia, COO and co-owner of Cruise Planners, the nation's largest travel agency network, told The Points Guy one of the most common areas for complaints that she sees with ships is around noise levels in cabin areas. Food quality issues also are a common topic for complaints, she said.

Unlike land-based hotels and resorts, cruise lines also must deal with customer unhappiness about changes to itineraries sparked by weather situations, Garcia noted. In the case of a hurricane in the Caribbean, for instance, it's not uncommon for ships to alter course to avoid the storm, dropping or switching scheduled port calls in the process. Similarly, river cruise ships in Europe sometimes alter itineraries when low-water levels make a segment of river unnavigable.

How to Book a Cruise Using Points and Miles

Who to Talk to About a Problem

On most cruise ships, the most public-facing member of the staff is the cruise director: The person you'll see introducing onboard shows and leading deck-top activities. But this isn't necessarily the person you should approach if you have a problem.

Travel agency veteran Jill LaBarre told The Points Guy it's better to seek out the head of the department that is at the center of your complaint. If it's a problem with your room, that'd be the chief housekeeper. If it's a problem related to an onboard restaurant, you'd want the food and beverage manager. For billing issues, it's the purser. They're the people in the best position to fix the situation.

"Most guests think of the cruise director as being "in charge" of the cruise. In fact, [he or she] only is in charge of the entertainment and activities," said LaBarre, the vice president of business development at Palm Coast Travel, owner of Oasis Travel Network and SmartCruiser.com . "If something is wrong, telling the right person is [the key to] the best resolution."

LaBarre notes that just about every ship has a wall in a prominent public area with photos of top officers and department heads. Or you can ask for the right person at the front desk.

If speaking to a department head doesn't do the trick, the next step would be to go to the ship's hotel director or one of his or her assistants, LaBarre says. Other than the captain, the hotel director typically is the top-ranking executive on any vessel and in charge of all the "hotel" operations including housekeeping, dining and entertainment.

LaBarre says you shouldn't be shy about bringing up problems with onboard staff.

"Don't wait until you get home to write a scathing email to the corporate headquarters," she said. "It's too late for the problem to be fixed, which should be the goal. The first response [from headquarters] would be to know if you spoke to anyone onboard to resolve your issue."

What Complaints Are Valid

At some level, there are no complaints too nitpicky to bring up while on a ship. If a customer isn't happy about something on a voyage, no matter how small, they should say something — as soon as possible — said Kristin Karst, co-owner of river cruise line AmaWaterways.

"Every person has a difference tolerance level [for perceived errors]. What is reasonable to one person is unreasonable to another," Karst said, noting the company is eager to hear about issues early in a voyage so they can make it right. "The guest should have a fantastic time on board — the time of his or her life."

Karst recalled a passenger a few years ago who was unhappy his ship didn't serve a gluten-free beer. While seemingly a small thing, it was important to this customer, and she's glad he spoke up. The ship sent a crewmember out at the next stop to purchase gluten-free beer to have on hand for him, and what could have turned into a bad experience for him became a positive one. The line has since started carrying gluten-free beer on every voyage.

Sometimes, however, the issue is something beyond the control of the line. Karst said one of the most common complaints that AmaWaterways staff hear from passengers is that other vessels are docking too close to their ship, blocking the views from their cabin windows.

Karst said there wasn't much the line could do to fix the situation other than to explain that its ships don't have control over which vessels dock near them. They'll also point out that the number of hours on any given voyage where a ship is docked next to another ship is relatively small.

Garcia said some complaints clearly are more valid than others. If there's a problem with the plumbing or air conditioning in your room, it's completely reasonable to make a complaint, she said. If you just don't like the décor of the room, making a complaint is less valid in her eyes.

"A valid complaint is when the [cruise line] doesn't deliver on a promise of service level or component purchased," she said. "An invalid complaint is when [a customer] just personally does not like something."

 What to Ask for When Things Go Wrong

Many small mistakes, such as a room going uncleaned or the slow delivery of room service, can be rectified quickly if brought to a manager's attention.

Other things are harder to fix. Unhappy with your room? Getting an upgrade to a better one often is difficult, as the business model of cruising revolves around ships sailing full, notes LaBarre. Often, there isn't a single cabin open on a ship to which you could move.

That said, it doesn't hurt to ask, particularly if your complaint is about a functional element of the room and not just related to its size or décor.

In such a case, "[They] will do whatever [they] can do," AmaWaterways' Karst notes.

Karst said she once was on a trip on the Mekong River in Cambodia where she noticed a couple that seemed unhappy. She asked if they were OK, and they mentioned the air conditioning system in their suite wasn't keeping the room as cool as they liked. It was exactly the sort of situation where someone should speak up, she said, and the line did its best to make things better. Since the ship was sold out, with no other room available, Karst offered the couple her own room, where the air conditioning system was working much better. Since it was a lower-level cabin, she also had the couple refunded for the difference in fare between the cabin types, and she called ahead to the hotel where the couple was staying after the sailing to have them upgraded to a better room.

While expensive, such gestures make sense to cruise companies looking to create long-term loyalty, Karst said. The couple, she notes, went on to become frequent customers.

"They have since done every river cruise we offer," Karst said. "They have become almost like family friends for us now."

LaBarre said cruise lines generally are good about owning their mistakes and going the extra mile to keep customers happy. In addition to fixing a situation when something goes wrong, that often means a little token of appreciation as well as an apology.

"For something minor, a guest may find an extra treat in their cabin," she said. For something more serious, "some [financial] compensation may be offered."

In the case of an altered itinerary, cruisers may be surprised to learn that cruise lines are under no obligation to offer compensation, LaBarre added. The fine print in cruise contracts explicitly notes that lines have the right to make changes to itineraries as needed.

That said, lines sometimes do offer passengers some form of compensation when itineraries change, even when the situation is beyond their control. When a sudden policy change by the Trump Administration last month forced cruise lines to substitute calls in Cuba on short notice, for example, many lines waived cancellation penalties for customers and offered those who went ahead with sailings refunds of as much as 50% of their fare.

"For the most part, guests were very happy with the [offers] — and should have been," LaBarre said.

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In the case of this month's issue with the Norwegian Pearl, Norwegian Cruise Line gave every passenger on the vessel a 50% refund of the fare they had paid, even though only a few days of the 13-night trip were affected. They also gave passengers a credit toward a future cruise in the amount of 50% of what they had paid for the affected sailing, and they covered up to $300 per person in airline change fees.

When a cruise is cancelled completely, customers can expect a full refund, a credit for airline change fees and a future cruise credit of some sort, LaBarre said.

Still, both LaBarre and Garcia suggest would-be cruisers buy travel insurance that would cover any extra costs they might incur if a cruise goes significantly awry or is canceled.

"If a cancellation is the fault of the cruise lines, then it should be expected that the guests would be offered a refund or value toward a future cruise of their choice," Garcia said. But, "Insurance may come into play to cover other costs not associated with the cruise lines such as airfare, transportation, etc."

Gene Sloan has written about cruising for more than 25 years and for many years oversaw USA TODAY's award-winning cruise site, USA TODAY Cruises. He's sailed on nearly 150 ships.

Feature photo by JEAN-FRANCOIS MONIER/AFP/Getty Images.

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10 Worst Cruise Ship Disasters in History

Cruises are a very popular way to vacation.   Because they are all-inclusive and travel to exciting and exotic places, they are the reasons why 23.63 million passengers each year decide to spend their vacations at sea.

But what happens when something goes wrong on a cruise?   Have there been tragedies at sea aboard cruise ships? 

The answer is yes, sometimes things go awry for vacationers on cruise ships.   These floating cities (average capacity of 3,000 guests but some are filled with 5,500) are likely to be at risk for many of the same things that travelers face on any trip…and more.  

Here are the 10 worst cruise ship disasters in history.

Costa Concordia : The Costa Concordia was a large cruise ship filled with 3,229 passengers when it ran aground on a reef off the coast of Italy in 2012.  

The 17-deck ship actually tipped over after it took on water.   In one of the most tragic accidents of its kind, 32 passengers were killed, 64 were injured, and one was missing and never found. In the costliest ship disaster in history, it took over a year and a half to bring the ship upright, after which it was taken to port and dismantled.

The accident was caused when the ship Captain Francesco Schettino decided to sail close to the shore to impress local residents.   The ship’s navigation system was disarmed when the ship struck rocks.   Then the captain committed the ultimate maritime sin: he abandoned ship while 300 passengers were still onboard. Capt. Schettino was convicted of manslaughter.

RMS Titanic: In probably the most famous cruise ship disaster of all time, this 1912 sinking has become legend, books and movies.

Originally touted as “unsinkable,” the ship proved quite sinkable on its maiden voyage from Southampton to New York City.   In the early morning hours, the ship struck an iceberg in the frigid north Atlantic waters.

Too few lifeboats (only enough for 30% of the passengers) and an isolated position in freezing water resulted in the watery deaths of over 1,500 people.

The plight has been memorialized in such Hollywood films as Titanic, A Night to Remember , and The Unsinkable Molly Brown.

S.S. Eastland : Only three years after the Titanic tragedy, the S.S. Eastland rolled over on its side while still docked. At the time, the ship held Western Electric employees celebrating an event. The disaster resulted in 800 deaths.

Seabourn Spirit: In November 2005 this luxury cruise ship was attacked by pirates off the coast of Somalia. Two boats of pirates neared the ship and fired machine guns and hand held rocket propelled grenades.

One crew member was injured by shrapnel.   The crew used evasive manoeuvres and a Long Range Acoustic Device (LRAD), a sonic device that blasts powerful sound waves, to stop the attack.   The ship has been renamed the Star Breeze.

MS Royal Pacific : In the early morning hours of August 23 1992, the Greek-owned cruise ship Royal Pacific was struck by a Taiwanese fishing trawler in the Straits of Malacca off southern Malaysia.

There were 530 passengers aboard of which 30 were killed and 70 injured.   Most passengers were asleep at the time of the collision. The casualties were compounded by a broken PA system and a crew that reportedly focused on saving themselves instead of passengers.

Star Princess : On March 23, 2006, the 3,100-passenger Star Princess was sailing from Fort Lauderdale toward Jamaica when at 3 a.m. a fire broke out on one of its decks.

A grand-class Princess Line cruise ship, Princess is owned by Carnival. Investigation revealed a cigarette left on the deck caused the fire, which took the life of one passenger from smoke inhalation and injured 13 others.

Carnival Triumph “poop cruise” : In 2013, a fire broke out in the engine room of the 2,700-passenger Carnival Triumph cruise ship.

This left the ship without power or propulsion for four days. This resulted in no air conditioning or working toilets for the passengers and crew. Human waste was piled in bags on the decks. After investigation, documents showed that the cruise line was aware that an engine fire was likely but continued to operate the ship.

Passengers described carpets soaked with more than two inches of raw sewage. It took four days for the Triumph to be towed from the Gulf of Mexico to Mobile, Alabama. Reports were that the human sewage problem was so bad that onlookers could smell the ship from the dock.

Celebrity Mercury : Celebrity Mercury, owned by Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines, was on a Caribbean cruise from Charleston, SC when in February 2010 413 passengers became ill with the Norovirus.

That’s nearly one out of every four passengers. The virus spreads quickly in confined spaces like cruise ships, and between 2010 and 2015 Celebrity Cruise ships experienced 15 of these outbreaks.

Royal Caribbean Explorer of the Seas : In January 2014 the Explorer of the Seas was forced to return to port two days early because so many passengers became violently ill, likely with Norovirus.

According to the CDC, it was the largest known number of people sick on a cruise: 630 passengers and 54 crew. Reports were that the numbers were probably higher since many passengers failed to report their illness for fear that they would be confined to their cabins.

SS Morro Castle:   Between 1930 and 1934, the SS Morro Castle was a ship that carried almost 500 passengers between Havana and New York. The attractiveness of the ship was that during Prohibition there were no limits to alcohol consumption on board.  

The ship was a regular “booze cruise.” But in September 1934 the ship was returning from Cuba to New York when everything seemed to go wrong. On September 7, the ship’s captain Robert Wilmott went to his cabin with what he thought was an upset stomach, but later died of a heart attack.

Chief officer William Warms took command and a few of hours later, around 3 a.m. on September 8, a fire started in one of the storage lockers. The crew failed to adequately address the blaze, which began to consume the vessel.

Many of the crew members abandoned the ship. Passengers were dazed and confused passengers in the wee hours in this smoke-filled ship. Some jumped from the deck to their death in the water. Rescuers lined up on the Jersey Shore to meet the lifeboats carrying passengers. Out of the 549 aboard the ship, 86 passengers and 49 crew were killed. 

The best way to protect yourself from the dangers of cruise ships is to pay attention to the risks.   To protect from Norovirus, the best protection is to wash your hands very often, use hand sanitizer, avoid buffets (use the dining room) and avoid crowded spaces. 

To increase your chances of surviving a fire or collision, pay careful attention to the muster drills that take place on every cruise, know where your life jackets are stored and where the nearest life boat is, and keep close watch of all family members.

Because tourists tend to drink more on cruise ships it is best to moderate alcohol use and watch out when others don’t. There are many instances of passengers going overboard or assaults taking place because of over-serving of booze.

Stay together on the ship.   When passengers go off alone there is a greater chance of problems.   That includes the risk of harm from other passengers as well as crew members who might decide to get too friendly.

Watch where you walk. The most common injury on a cruise ship is from a slip and fall.   Many times there are wet areas that are very slippery. Sometimes it is near the pool but other times it may be something spilled or someone who has walked with wet feet.

Even the spas and saunas can be a slip hazard.   Avoid the medical care onboard ships.   They are often staffed by health care providers who cannot get jobs stateside or by foreign doctors.  

Medical malpractice occurs aboard ships…don’t  become a statistic.   However, if you do require medical care it may be your best -or only – place to get care.   If you have repatriation insurance (insurance that will transport you home, sometimes available through your credit card company), use it.   If it’s anything serious you will want to get to a major medical facility stateside.

While cruises are popular, it requires constant vigilance, there are many other cases of worst cruise ship disasters, these are just a few examples to make sure you know the dangers. 

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A nationally-recognized trial lawyer who handles catastrophic injury and death cases. He manages Leighton Law, P.A. trial lawyers, with offices in Miami and Orlando, Florida. He is President of The National Crime Victim Bar Association, author of the 2-volume textbook,Litigating Premises Security Cases, and past Chairman of the Association of Trial Lawyers of America’s Motor Vehicle, Highway & Premises Liability Section. Having won some of the largest verdicts in Florida history, Mr. Leighton is listed inThe Best Lawyers in America (14 years), “Top Lawyers” in the South Florida Legal Guide (15 years), Top 100 Florida SuperLawyer™ and Florida SuperLawyers (14 years), “Orlando Legal Elite” by Orlando Style magazine, and FloridaTrend magazine “Florida Legal Elite

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Disappointing photos show what it's actually like to go on a cruise

• I took a seven-day voyage on one of the largest cruise ships in the world , my first cruise ever. 
• I found the reality of cruising didn't match my expectations from social media and promotional ads.
• I spent much of my time battling crowds, waiting in lines, and sitting on hot tour buses.

I booked my first-ever cruise aboard Royal Caribbean's Wonder of the Seas in April 2022. The seven-day Caribbean voyage on a mega-ship took me round-trip from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, to port stops in Honduras, Mexico, and the Bahamas. I expected breathtaking views of the world between relaxing swimming and sunbathing sessions.

But my experience didn't quite meet my expectations.

Instead, I sunbathed in a loud, crowded pool area when I was lucky enough to find a chair. I spent more time waiting in lines than I had anticipated, and I saw much of the world from behind other people's heads.

Here's an overview of the most disappointing aspects of my cruise, from getting to the port to sailing across the region

The disappointment started before I was even on the cruise.

Since I don't live near my cruise's departure city, my trip began with a flight and a budget hotel room near my departure port in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

When I arrived at my port city's airport, I waited 45 minutes for a hotel shuttle to pick me up.

This was the first of many crowded bus rides during my trip. Looking back, I wish I had called a cab — especially since the next morning, I piled into a hot bus with several other cruise guests as I headed to the port.

There was a long line to get inside the cruise terminal, and I should have known by this point that I'd stand in many more lines during my cruise.

Inside the cruise terminal , there was another long line to get through security. While I waited, I chuckled to myself as I read signs that said, "Adventure begins here."

Once aboard the ship, I was excited to view the ocean as we sailed away, but I was blocked by tall, thick glass and couldn't find a place to stand.

My obstructed view of the ship leaving Fort Lauderdale made me feel as frustrated as standing behind tall patrons at a concert. 

The ship was so large that I got lost several times during my stay.

But I found the maps on each floor to be helpful.

As I explored the ship, I was surprised that even a mega-ship could feel overcrowded.

While people seemed to enjoy themselves, many communal decks looked and felt like crowded malls.

The outdoor decks had 19 pools, plunge pools, and whirlpools accessible to guests. These spaces were crowded throughout the day. And even though there were rules against saving chairs with towels, I saw plenty of people doing it, so finding a spot to relax was stressful.

A Royal Caribbean representative told Business Insider crew members might remove items from lounge chairs after 30 minutes. Still, they must also consider families and groups who may be in the pool or going to the restroom when enforcing rules like these and must use their best judgment.

There were crowds and lines virtually everywhere I went.

From the buffet to activities like water slides and mini-golf, I felt like I spent more time waiting in line than enjoying the ship. For example, I waited in line for three hours to play a round of laser tag that was less than 20 minutes long. 

At port stops, I waited in lines to go through security every time I left and returned to the ship. I found this less annoying than the other wait times since it made me feel safer.

The lines continued at each port, crowded with others excited to begin their tours.

I often had to battle through crowds just to find signs for my excursions.

It was exciting to explore new places at each stop, though some of this exploration was from the window of another hot bus.

A Royal Caribbean representative told BI the cruise line worked with local tour operators for its excursions, so air conditioning standards varied.

And when I was finally doing the cool thing I booked, like walking across a suspension bridge amid the treetops, my view was sometimes blocked once more by everyone else who booked the tour, too.

I hoped to capture an empty image of this majestic jungle bridge, but it wasn't possible without losing my tour crew. 

According to a crew member I overheard, roughly 5,000 other people were aboard the ship, so I understand why the cruise felt so crowded.

I think that if I were to book a less crowded cruise next time, I might enjoy it more.

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Passenger dies after jumping off world’s largest cruise ship as it sets sail from Florida

The passenger was pronounced deceased sometime after he was found and bought back to the giant vessel, article bookmarked.

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A passenger has died after jumping overboard from the world ’s largest cruise ship after it set sail from Florida .

The male passenger, who has not been identified, reportedly jumped, according to the New York Post , from the 20-deck high Icon of the Seas after it left a Florida port on Sunday to embark on a seven-day cruise around the Caribbean , first stopping in Honduras.

The Coast Guard , who said they did not have much involvement in the incident beyond assisting in the search for the man, told the New York Post that “the cruise ship deployed one of their rescue boats, located the man, and brought him back aboard”.

The man has since been “pronounced deceased,” the Coast Guard added.

The world’s largest cruise experience was approximately 300 miles away from PortMiami, and around 30 to 40 miles north of Santa Lucia, Cuba, at the time of the incident, which occurred in the morning, according to Cruise Hive.

The Royal Caribbean, which operates the Icon of the Seas along with other groundbreakingly large cruise ships, told the outlet in a statement that their ship’s crew immediately notified the Coast Guard in the US and “launched a search and rescue operation”.

“Our care team is actively providing support and assistance to the guest’s loved ones during this difficult time,” the cruise company added. “For the privacy of the guest and their family, we have no additional details to share.“

The ship, which holds way over 5,000 guests and only made its maiden voyage in January of this year, had embarked on the cruise on Saturday, but after the incident on Sunday, the cruise halted and stayed put for around two hours while the search continued, the outlet said.

According to CruiseMapper tracking data, the Icon of the Seas is due to reach the port of Costa Maya, Mexico by noon on Tuesday.

The incident comes over a month after a similar tragedy on another Royal Caribbean cruise ship, the Liberty of the Seas when a 20-year-old man identified as Levion Parker is thought to have gone overboard during a trip around the Bahamas.

The cruise line immediately launched a search and rescue mission along with the US Coast Guard, but it was suspended after five days due to not being able to find him.

However, the cruise company has also witnessed some successful rescues in recent months, such as being able to recover a passenger who fell overboard from the Symphony of the Seas back in October.

The cruise, which had just left Barcelona at the time, said the guest was successfully brought back on board after falling shortly after it left the port.

The Independent has contacted Royal Caribbean for comment.

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NEWS... BUT NOT AS YOU KNOW IT

From shaking beds to gender-neutral toilets, we’re flying the flag for these inclusive cruises

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A holiday isn’t a holiday if it makes life more difficult, right? And for many, a cruising trip abroad can feel like a bridge too far.

If you’ve ever gone away and been tutted at or gawked at while enjoying a moment at the bar, you’d probably rather stay home instead.

Well, a number of cruise operators have been thinking about how to make their trips more inclusive and accessible to a wider variety of guests, and their efforts have not gone unnoticed.

Whether it’s gender-neutral toilets or sign language interpreters, we’ve plucked the boats that boast a better experience for everyone from the Sailawaze Excellence Awards .

Virgin Voyages

After a day of sightseeing, what can be more entertaining than a night of drag performance? It’s par for the course at Virgin Voyages, where all staff are encouraged to express their gender identity freely.

The company prides itself on being a welcoming space for LGBTQ+ passengers with its gender-neutral toilets and hospitable atmosphere.

Founder Richard Branson has a long history of supporting gay rights, beginning with legendary Heaven nightclub in London, and the celebrations on his ships ramp up in June as themed parties are thrown and guests are presented with pride-inspired cocktails and on-deck DJs.

Celebrity Cruises

If you thought cruises were only for the silver-haired, you’d be wrong. Celebrity Cruises are a riot of colour, flying every hue of the LGBTQ+ flag – especially in June, Pride Month.

The operation, which travels to every continent, even hosted the first legal same-sex marriage at sea in 2018 and regularly holds gay weddings.

Celebrity Cruises says it promotes diversity among both staff and guests and throws regular LGBTQ+ welcome events to get the party started.

Disney Cruise Line

Family-friendly operators Disney Cruise Line prides itself on making trips accessible to those with additional needs. Guests with disabilities have access to comfortable staterooms and suites, along with a full range of services, facilities, and amenities, including auxiliary aids.

Its liners are also home to specially designed communication staterooms for guests with hearing disabilities, including a vibrating bed shaker under the mattress and an indicating panel with light signals for the doorbell, telephone calls, general alarm and fire alarm.

The ships also provide sign language interpreters for shows and entertainment.

Saga Cruises

If a loud party isn’t for you, over 50s can enjoy a more sedate voyage, with Saga Cruises providing a number of options for guests with mobility issues. A chauffeur service to and from ports is provided as standard on all trips, rooms are equipped with hearing loop systems and hoists are available to help guests in and out of the pools.

Assistance is also provided to those who need help with baggage and large print is provided in the cinema guide and daily paper, alongside Braille playing cards.

A-Rosa Cruises

Meanwhile, A-Rosa Cruises are designed with families and multi-generational groups in mind. Under-15s travel for free and family rooms have been provided so up to five can share a room while they meander along Europe’s rivers, waking up in a different city each day.

Hosts are available to take care of youngsters in the kids club, where children can choose from a variety of activities, including crafting, T-shirt design and face painting while adults can enjoy a relaxing treatment at the spa.

The rest of the nominations

Food & beverage.

Aqua Expeditions

TUI River Cruises

Windstar Cruises

Explora Journeys

Regent Seven Seas Cruises

P&O Cruises

Riverside Luxury Cruises

Emerald Cruises

Amawaterways

Swan Hellenic

Princess Cruises

MSC Cruises

Royal Caribbean

Sustainability.

AE Expeditions

The Majestic Line

Portsmouth International Port

Hurtigruten

ENTERTAINMENT

Carnival Cruise Line

Marella Cruises

COLLABORATIONS

Ambassador Cruise Line

Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines

Oceania Cruises

Havila Voyages

Pandaw Expeditions

Holland America Line

CroisiEurope

VIVA Cruises

This year, European river specialist VIVA Cruises launched its inaugural LGBT voyage, which took travellers to Antwerp, Rotterdam and Amsterdam where they could visit the world’s largest archive of LGBTQ+ history by day and party at the city’s vibrant gay and lesbian bars by night.

VIVA is a member of the International LGBTQ+ Travel Association, an organisation built to promote equality and safety within LGBTQ+ tourism.

Autistic travellers, those with Down syndrome and other additional needs can benefit from a specially designed holiday with Royal Caribbean. Priority check-in, boarding and departure are available to those who need it and the Autism on the Seas programme offers ‘staffed cruises’ with specialised respite sessions and private activities and sessions.

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Guests can choose from Autism-friendly dietary menus and scooters, wheelchairs and walkers are provided for on shore excursions and service animals are welcome on board.

MORE : Are you a top or a bottom? How to navigate sexual identities in the bedroom

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MORE : The UK was once the most LGBTQ-friendly place in Europe – now we’re far from it

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