Carnival Cruise Lines responds after man charged with assaulting 14yo on-board ship

A major cruise line has responded after a 14-year-old girl was allegedly grabbed by a stranger on a ship off the Australian coast.

A major cruise line has responded after a 71-year-old man was charged with assaulting a teenage girl aboard one of its ships off the Australian coast.

Police allege the man approached the 14-year-old girl near a lift on the Carnival Encounter cruise ship and grabbed her shortly before 11pm on Thursday.

The man was not known to the teenager, police say.

Police allege the 14-year-old was grabbed by the man while on the cruise ship off the coast of Queensland. Picture: supplied

She quickly alerted nearby staff, who intervened. She was not physically harmed.

In a statement released on Monday, a Carnival Cruise Lines spokesperson said the company was co-operating with police.

“Carnival Cruise Line is co-operating with police after an (alleged) incident involving one of our guests,” the spokesperson said.

“The alleged victim was offered support and counselling.

“Our commitment to the safety and security of all our guests and team members is demonstrated through the implementation of various measures to assure that our ships are a welcoming, family-friendly place.”

The ship was off the coast of Queensland at the time of the alleged assault.

Detectives from the Gateway Child Protection and Investigation Unit arrested the man at the Port of Brisbane on Saturday morning.

He has been charged with deprivation of liberty and two counts of common assault.

Police objected to the man’s bail. He was due to appear in Brisbane Magistrates Court on Monday.