A fight that broke out during Carnival Conquest’s debarkation in PortMiami has resulted in 16 guests being added to Carnival Cruise Line’s Do Not Sail list.

The incident happened on Monday, June 22, 2026, after the ship completed a 3-night Bahamas cruise. The Daily Mail reported that the disturbance began at around 8 a.m., shortly after passengers from the 2,980-guest vessel started making their way through the customs area.

Fight Broke Out in the Terminal During Debarkation

Video shared online shows a chaotic confrontation involving multiple people, including both men and women. In the footage, punches are thrown, hair is pulled, and several people appear to wrestle on the floor. There is shouting while others are trying to move through the terminal with their luggage.

The footage also appears to show loose belongings and luggage being tossed or knocked into the air. At some points, a few of those involved seem to be without shoes, and parts of the queue setup were left knocked over in the middle of the disturbance.

One person in the video appears to be very young, and someone can be heard shouting, “That’s a kid! That’s a kid!” But the identities and ages of those involved have not been released.

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Security stepped in and was eventually able to separate the groups. The Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office said the confrontation involved two families, though it remains unclear what sparked the fight.

Carnival shared a statement with the Daily Mail, saying: “The incident occurred in the debarkation area under the authority of US Customs and Border Patrol. We are appreciative of law enforcement’s swift response and handling of the matter.”

No serious injuries, no arrests, and no major damage have been reported.

Other Passengers Continued Debarking Around the Fight

Even as the situation was still unfolding, other guests continued leaving the terminal, wheeling bags past the scene and trying to carry on with debarkation.

Carnival has not said whether any of those involved had been warned, cited, or reported for unruly behavior during the sailing itself. Beyond the statement given to the Daily Mail, the cruise line has not shared more public details about the fight.

The sailing had left Miami on Friday, June 19, and called at Celebration Key in The Bahamas on Sunday before returning the next morning.

There was also no reported effect on the ship’s next cruise. Carnival Conquest departed later that same afternoon as scheduled.

The 110,000-gross-ton ship is the lead vessel in Carnival’s Conquest class and sails from Miami year-round. It most often operates 3- and 4-night Bahamas itineraries, with some longer Southern Caribbean cruises offered at times.

Carnival Confirmed 16 Guests Are Now on the Do Not Sail List

Even though the fight happened in the terminal rather than on board the ship, Carnival confirmed that 16 people involved have now been placed on the line’s Do Not Sail list, barring them from future Carnival cruises.

That outcome lines up with Carnival’s ticket contract, which says the line does not tolerate disruptive behavior. Section 9(j) states: “Any Guest whose conduct affects the comfort, enjoyment, safety, or well-being of other guests or crew will be detained onboard and/or disembarked at their own expense and will be prohibited from sailing with Carnival in the future.”

Carnival has not said how long the ban will last for the guests involved. Depending on the circumstances, those bans can range from a shorter suspension to a lifetime ban.

Similar Cruise Fights Have Happened Before

The PortMiami incident is also not the first large altercation involving cruise passengers, and similar scenes have played out in cruise terminals before.

In April 2025, a similar fight during debarkation at the Galveston cruise terminal led to 24 Carnival Jubilee guests being added to Carnival’s Do Not Sail list.

More recently, a separate fight at Nassau Cruise Port involved six Americans. While they were not confirmed to be Carnival guests, the group reportedly faced more than $50,000 in fines tied to damage at a local police station, attempts to escape police custody, and injuries to officers.

Other cruise lines have also dealt with similar incidents. In August 2025, a large fight broke out in a pool area at Perfect Day at CocoCay, Royal Caribbean’s private island in The Bahamas.

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Royal Caribbean’s Ovation of the Seas arrived in Seward, Alaska, on Friday, June 19, 2026, with a dead fin whale lodged across the ship’s bulbous bow.

Officials identified the animal as a 61-foot female fin whale. It is still unclear whether the whale was struck and killed during the voyage or whether it had already died before becoming caught on the front of the vessel.

The Quantum-class ship had sailed from Vancouver, British Columbia, on June 12 for a one-way Alaska cruise. Before reaching Seward, the itinerary included calls at Sitka, Juneau, and Skagway, along with glacier-viewing segments.

For the Alaska season, Ovation of the Seas is scheduled to continue sailing this north-south route through mid-September, alternating between departures from Vancouver and Seward.

What Happened After Arrival

When the ship came into Seward, the whale was visible on the rounded protrusion at the front of the hull below the waterline. That structure, known as the bulbous bow, helps with efficiency and stability.

After docking, the carcass was covered with a tarp. The goal was to keep it out of public view and protect it until investigators could examine it.

Later that evening, the whale was moved to a sheltered lagoon at Lowell Point, around three miles south of the cruise terminal. Specialists from the Alaska SeaLife Center and NOAA then began a necropsy to help determine what caused the animal’s death.

What the Investigation Will Focus on

A key part of the investigation is figuring out whether the whale died in a ship strike or whether the carcass was picked up only after the animal was already dead.

Investigators are expected to look for signs of illness, bacterial infection, and any physical trauma that could point to a collision. The examination should also help establish whether the injuries happened before or after contact with the ship.

Royal Caribbean later said, “We are saddened to hear that one of our ships struck a whale while on its way to Seward. We take any impact to marine ecosystems very seriously. The ship immediately reported the incident to the proper authorities.”

About the Whale

Fin whales, known scientifically as Balaenoptera physalus, are among the largest animals on Earth, second only to the blue whale. NOAA says they can grow to around 75 to 85 feet long and weigh between 40 and 80 tons.

In this case, the 61-foot whale was identified as an adult female, and initial reporting said she may have been pregnant.

That makes the loss even more troubling. Fin whales are listed as endangered, so the death of an adult female, especially one that may have been pregnant, is especially concerning for conservation efforts.

Why This Incident Has Drawn Extra Attention

The timing has made the incident stand out even more. Seward’s new Dale R. and Carol Ann Lindsey Alaska Railroad Terminal had only just opened to cruise passengers on June 10.

Ovation of the Seas is also the first Royal Caribbean ship assigned to that new terminal. Even so, the incident did not appear to interrupt operations, and the ship left on its next voyage as scheduled.

The vessel carries up to 4,180 guests.

Similar Cases Have Happened Before

As unusual as the sight was, this was not the first time a fin whale has been found on the bow of a cruise ship arriving in Seward.

A similar case happened in 2016 involving Holland America Line’s Zaandam. In that incident, a young male fin whale was discovered in nearly the same area. Investigators later found the cruise line had not acted negligently because the ship had been traveling at recommended speeds and using posted lookouts.

The size difference between the ships is hard to ignore. Zaandam measures 61,396 gross tons, while Ovation of the Seas comes in at 168,666 gross tons.

That gap has renewed questions about whether the growing size of modern cruise ships may create added risk for marine wildlife.

Another widely reported case happened in May 2024, when MSC Cruises’ MSC Meraviglia arrived in New York with a whale on its bow. That ship is slightly larger still, at 171,598 gross tons.

Why These Collisions Can Be Difficult to Avoid

Cruise lines use several methods to reduce underwater noise, including hull design changes, coatings, and slower operating speeds in some areas.

Those measures are intended to reduce disruption below the surface. But there is an uncomfortable reality here: quieter ships may also give large animals less warning that a vessel is approaching.

That may help explain why whale strikes still happen, even as ships adopt measures meant to reduce their environmental impact.

Public Reaction Has Been Divided

Reaction to the incident has been mixed.

A Reddit discussion about the whale quickly filled with comments from people who were saddened by what happened, while others pointed out that these kinds of accidents are not unheard of in maritime operations.

One commenter wrote, “Former maritime worker. This is a not uncommon cruise ship reality.”

Others compared it to collisions involving deer on roads, or wildlife incidents involving planes and trains. The general point was the same: tragic, but not always intentional.

Investigators will likely examine how Ovation of the Seas entered the harbor, the speed it was traveling, and the route it followed.

No official cause of death has been released so far, and final results may not be available for some time.

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Cruise travelers visiting Nassau may want to be extra careful before booking a jet ski excursion.

On June 15, 2026, the U.S. Embassy in the Bahamas issued a security alert warning about weak enforcement of safety rules for jet ski operators, especially in and around Nassau, the country’s capital and one of the region’s busiest cruise ports.

The alert follows a series of reported assaults involving U.S. women. According to the embassy, there have been seven reports of sexual assaults linked to jet ski operators in areas near Nassau Cruise Port, including Junkanoo Beach, Saunders Beach, Cabbage Beach, and beaches on Paradise Island.

In those cases, the women had rented jet skis and followed operators out on excursions before the assaults reportedly took place on isolated islands near Nassau.

The embassy also raised concern about other dangers tied to jet ski rentals, including unlicensed operators and accidents.

One earlier incident drew attention in February 2025, when a Royal Caribbean passenger was injured in a jet ski accident at Perfect Day at CocoCay. In that case, the guest was reportedly struck at high speed by one of the guides.

Since August 2024, six U.S. citizens have been hospitalized in Nassau after jet ski accidents. Three of those travelers needed emergency medical evacuations back to the United States for treatment.

The alert also says a U.S. citizen was killed in August 2025 while riding a jet ski off Paradise Island after colliding with an unlicensed operator driving an unregistered boat. It has not been confirmed whether that person was a cruise passenger.

The embassy is now advising U.S. citizens not to rent jet skis, especially in the areas that have already raised concern.

“Beware of solicitations from jet ski operators near the Cruise Port, Junkanoo Beach and Arawak Cay, and the small islands east of Paradise Island,” the advisory reads.

Travelers should also be aware that jet skis cannot legally be rented to anyone under 18 in the Bahamas. Any operator offering rentals to younger visitors is breaking local law.

For U.S. government employees stationed in the Bahamas, the rules are stricter. They are fully banned from renting or using jet skis on New Providence, which includes Nassau, and on Paradise Island.

State Department Advisory Repeats the Concerns

The U.S. Department of State has also flagged boating and jet ski safety in its travel advisory for the Bahamas, which remains at Level 2: “Exercise Increased Caution.”

The advisory states, “Boating is not well regulated. Injuries and deaths have occurred. Sexual assaults by jet ski operators have also been reported.”

It also warns that rented jet skis may not be properly inspected, some operators may not be licensed or insured, and weather conditions may be ignored even when they are unsafe for smaller vessels.

Cruise Lines Warn Guests About Booking Independently

Cruise passengers are free to explore ports on their own and are not required to book excursions through the cruise line.

Even so, cruise lines have long warned that using independent operators can carry more risk. Providers recommended by the cruise lines have usually been checked for compliance with local laws, as well as licensing and insurance rules.

That does not mean cruise line-approved excursions are risk-free. Guests are often still asked to sign waivers. Still, booking through an approved operator can add an extra layer of protection.

For travelers heading to Nassau, the warning is a clear one. Staying aware of travel alerts and safety advisories before booking water activities could help prevent a vacation from being disrupted by an accident, assault, or serious injury.

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Some cruise stories are about missed ports or rough seas. This one was different.

A rare earthquake off western Cuba sent shaking across a huge stretch of the region on Monday afternoon, and cruise guests felt it too. Reports came from ships at sea, major Florida cruise ports, and parts of Mexico, but so far there have been no reports of major damage or any cruise disruption.

What Happened Off Cuba

The earthquake struck at about 2 p.m. Eastern on June 8, 2026, off the northwestern coast of Cuba near Mantua.

The U.S. Geological Survey measured it at magnitude 6.1 and placed the epicenter about 65 miles west-northwest of Mantua. Seismologists described it as an unusual quake for that part of the Gulf of Mexico because it happened within the North America plate rather than right along an active plate boundary.

USGS also said it was the largest instrumentally recorded earthquake in the Gulf of Mexico since 1950. Reuters reported that the strongest previous quake in the same broad area was an 1880 event near San Cristóbal, Cuba, which was also felt in Florida.

Cruise Guests Said the Ship Shook Hard

The clearest firsthand cruise account came from Joe Millender, a passenger on Margaritaville at Sea Islander. He told WCTV that the ship suddenly began shaking while it was on the way to Cozumel.

“Everything was going well and all of a sudden the ship started shaking,” he said, adding that things were falling from shelves and people were “trying to hold on.” Millender also said his first thought was that the ship had run aground or that something had gone wrong with the propeller.

That lines up with some of the early guest reactions that appeared online just after the quake. One passenger wrote, “Some of you may have heard that an earthquake happened near Cuba. Our cruise ship was almost right over it when it struck. The ship shook hard.”

The same guest added, “Many people on the upper decks were frightened and some thought they should go to their muster stations.” They said the captain later came on the intercom and explained that the ship had experienced an earthquake and was not damaged.

That mix of fear and relief came through in a lot of the early reactions. For a few seconds, plenty of guests did not know what was happening. But once the shaking stopped, the main message was that the ship was safe and the voyage continued.

Which Ships and Ports Were in the Area

The closest confirmed ship account came from Margaritaville at Sea Islander, which had left Tampa on June 6 and was sailing a five-night Key West and Cozumel itinerary.

At Cozumel, three cruise ships were in port on June 8 when the earthquake hit: Disney Destiny, Carnival Jubilee, and Carnival Paradise.

In Florida, PortMiami was busy with seven ships in port that day: Freedom of the Seas, Wonder of the Seas, Resilient Lady, Norwegian Getaway, MSC Seaside, Carnival Sunrise, and Carnival Conquest.

Port Canaveral had three ships in port during the shaking: Utopia of the Seas, Disney Wish, and Carnival Glory.

Port Tampa Bay had Carnival Paradise in port, while other western Caribbean ships were already out at sea on their regular sailings.

Florida and Mexico Felt It Too

This was not a ship-only story.

The earthquake was felt in South Florida and beyond, with reports from Miami, Tampa, Orlando, and other parts of the state. Some office buildings were evacuated as a precaution, and local officials in Miami said fire crews responded to calls tied to the shaking.

The tremor was also reported in parts of Mexico’s Caribbean tourism zone, including Cancún, Playa del Carmen, and Tulum. That matters for cruise guests because even when a ship is fine, the bigger question becomes whether ports, terminals, or local infrastructure were affected.

So far, there is no sign that happened in any major way. Authorities in Florida and Mexico treated it seriously, but the response appears to have been largely precautionary.

Was There a Tsunami Risk?

That was probably the next question for a lot of cruise guests.

Thankfully, tsunami warning agencies said there was no warning, advisory, watch, or threat tied to the earthquake for the U.S. East Coast, Gulf Coast, or eastern Canada. Reports from Reuters, AP, and local Florida outlets all said the same thing: there was no tsunami danger expected from this event.

That does not mean the quake was minor. A 6.1 earthquake is still a strong event, and it was powerful enough to be felt across a wide area. But it did mean there was no sign of a larger coastal threat that would have caused much bigger concerns for ports and nearby destinations.

Cruise Operations Are Continuing Normally

As of Tuesday, June 9, no major injuries, serious infrastructure damage, or cruise cancellations had been reported in connection with the earthquake.

The shaking was unsettling, especially for anyone who felt it on board, but cruise operations appear to be continuing as normal both at sea and in port.

It is still possible there could be light aftershocks, and seismologists have said that is normal after an earthquake of this size. But experts also said Florida should not expect strong aftershock shaking from this event.

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