Terrified passengers tell of ‘cruise from hell’ aboard Carnival Legend
FRUSTRATED passengers have begun disembarking the Carnival Legend cruise ship, with many demanding refunds for their “ruined holidays”.
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FRUSTRATED passengers have begun disembarking the Carnival Legend cruise ship, with many demanding refunds for their “ruined holidays”.
Newlyweds Brandon and Ashleigh spent half of their honeymoon locked in their cabin after violence marred their holiday.
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“It was one family that disregarded every single rule there was and just made it hell for everyone,” Brandon said.
The couple said they witnessed members of the family spitting in the pool and choking a young man near the children’s area of the ship.
“You could just see it escalating every day ... but they (security) kept saying there was nothing they could do,” he said.
Ashleigh said the couple had spent the past five nights in their room, spending money on room service because theyvwere too scared to go down to the restaurants.
“The security just told everybody to watch their back,” she said.
Melbourne woman Jacinta Attard said she was woken one night by a boy crying and glass smashing outside her cabin room.
“Hearing those things ... people crying and swearing, you’re not sleeping at night,” Ms Attard said.
Ms Attard said she had approached management on-board asking for compensation but was “not hopeful”.
“They just gave me a letter telling me to call management,” she said.
Earlier this morning cruise line operators issued an apology to passengers but would not say whether compensation or refunds would be offered.
The Herald Sun understands some passengers that were directly targeted by the brawling offenders have already received refunds.
Cruise liner Carnival Legend docks at Station Pier after what passengers described as “holiday from hellâ€. Police presence nearby as first passengers begin to disembark @theheraldsun pic.twitter.com/1C3WttLFcj
— Genevieve Alison (@GenevieveAlison) February 17, 2018
Carnival Cruise Line Vice President and General Manger Australia, Jennifer Vandekreeke “sincerely apologised” to everyone impacted by the “disruptive behaviour” and said their Care Team was supporting guests.
The apology, released in a statement to media, comes as the troubled cruiseliner docks in Port Melbourne this morning.
Ms Vandekreeke said: We want to reassure all embarking guests today, and in the future, that the safety and security of our guests and crew is our number one priority,”
She said they company was “fully co-operating” with NSW police and would conduct a “full investigation and take corrective appropriate action as necessary”.
The cruise company would not say whether compensation would be offered to passengers abroad the 10-day South Pacific cruise.
The wilbrawl on-board a cruise ship led to police boarding the vessel and ejecting nine members from the same family off the coast of New South Wales on Friday.
Some members of one large family on-board the Carnival Legend have been accused of causing the “bloodbath” by allegedly fighting on several different occasions.
Terrified passengers claim they had to resort to locking themselves and their families in their cabins.
NSW Police said security detained several men before notifying the Marine Area Command.
“Six men and three teenage boys were removed from the ship at Twofold Bay, Eden,” a police spokesman 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.”
According to Carnival Legend officials the family were involved in a series of “isolated instances” throughout the 10-day cruise.
The alleged sustained anti-social behaviour is understood to have culminated in a wild brawl at 12.45am on Friday which involved other guests, security personnel and crew members, forcing officials to contact police.
“Police are investigating an alleged fight on-board a cruise ship while it was about 220km off Jervis Bay,” a NSW police spokesman said.
“Police have been told a fight involving several men took place on board the ship after an argument.”
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NSW Police Marine Area Command boarded the ship at 8am yesterday and removed the passengers around 1.30pm.
Video emerged on Friday capturing shocking scenes of violence on-board the ship.
The Carnival Legend is due to dock in Melbourne at 8am Saturday. Relieved passengers cheered as police arrived to eject the unruly guests.
Jennifer Vandekreeke, Carnival Cruise Line vice president, said a full investigation was now under way.
“We are deeply concerned by the incidents that occurred on-board Carnival Legend ... we apply a zero tolerance approach to excessive behaviour that affects other guests.
“In line with this policy, we contacted the NSW Police to attend Carnival Legend at Eden to remove a large family group from the ship that had been involved in disruptive and violent acts.
“The group has been disembarked from the vessel and we are co-operating fully with the authorities.”
Passengers describe ‘bloodbath’ as cruise turns to hell
Passenger Naomi told the Herald Sun security guards put the offending family under “house arrest” before police arrived.
“There are about 20 of the family, older people, teenagers and young kids with them,” the passenger said.
“They were loud, alcohol affected and things like that.
“Two nights ago there was a fight in one of the nightclubs and there was another fight in an elevator yesterday.
“And there was a big fight on the Lido deck, which went on for about 45 minutes.
“Lots of people were yelling and being threatened. They were being called dogs in the smoking area.
“A pool was full of children, people were pulling their children out of the pool because they were crying and scared.”
Passengers on-board the 10-day cruise recounted terrifying clashes, with one witness claiming a group threatened to stab passengers and throw them overboard.
Another passenger, Kellie Petersen, said the trouble had been brewing for days.
“We have been told to watch our backs, ” she said.
We’re scared to go anywhere alone in the ship. (The trouble) started when they got onto the ship. They were trying to own the area,” she claimed.
Ms Vandekreeke said she was confident the ejection of the unruly passengers meant the rest of the guests on-board could now enjoy the rest of their holiday.
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