Carnival Cruise Line has barred 16 passengers from future voyages after a violent brawl erupted in a customs line at Port Miami.
The melee unfolded around 8 a.m. Monday as the Carnival Conquest returned from the Bahamas, with dramatic cellphone footage showing a crowd of unruly travelers surging toward one another as US Customs and Border Protection officers struggled to restore order, according to the Daily Mail. Two unidentified women appeared to ignite the confrontation when one, wearing a black strapless dress, ducked under a line divider and began swinging at a woman in polka dot pajamas.
Another woman in a yellow-and-white maxi dress then rushed into the fray, grabbing the others hair as the pair grappled barefoot on the terminal floor while onlookers shouted in alarm. Several men and women piled into the fight, suitcases and personal belongings were hurled aside, and at one point a man was seen hoisting a stanchion over his head as the chaos escalated.
After several minutes, officers and bystanders managed to break up the clash and passengers attempted to resume their day, though witnesses claimed on video that a child had been involved, a detail that has not been confirmed. The Miami-Dade Sheriffs Office told the Daily Mail the violent disagreement involved two families, adding that no one was arrested because neither side chose to press charges.
As a result of the brawl 16 people have been placed on Carnival Cruise Lines Do Not Sail List, a company spokesperson told the Daily Mail. The incident occurred in the debarkation area under the authority of US Customs and Border Patrol [sic], the company said, adding, We are appreciative of law enforcements swift response and handling of the matter. We do not tolerate such behavior.
According to Cruise Mapper, the Carnival Conquest docked at 8 a.m. and departed again at 3 p.m. the same day, as authorities and port officials declined immediate public comment on the disturbance. The episode follows a March altercation aboard the Carnival Spirit, where Lisa Horace, 51, and Tonya Nelson, 58, are accused of slapping one another after Nelson allegedly confronted the couple for standing in the wrong line, with a US magistrate warning their simple assault case will be dismissed only if they avoid arrest and contact with each other for three months ahead of an August 12 decision.
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