One group of passengers on a Carnival cruise ship started a large fight when an argument escalated very quickly.
Video of the fight - which is around six minutes long - was first shared to TikTok and then uploaded to YouTube by fellow passenger Nick Richardson. In the clip, a large fight appears to break out inside the buffet area of Carnival Paradise in the early morning hours. The incident apparently took place on the final night of the cruise, meaning the ship was due to return to Tampa within hours.
The 43-year-old was cruising with his wife and three children on Carnival Paradise, one of the oldest ships in Carnival Cruise Line's fleet. Carnival Paradise was sailing on a 5-night round-trip itinerary from Tampa. The ship visited Mahogany Bay, Honduras and Cozumel, Mexico before spending one day at sea returning to Tampa, Florida.
Richardson filmed the incident and shared the video to both YouTube and TikTok; however, Richardson stated that TikTok removed the video. The shocking video shows about 10 to 15 passengers wreaking havoc in the ship's buffet area. The group can be seen screaming, slapping and tackling one another to the floor in the footage.
As the fight continues to escalate, passengers started throwing chairs and hitting each other during the brawl. Some of the women in the video can also be seen violently pulling one another’s hair and slamming each other into the ground.
Other guests, including Richardson, begin backing away from the fight while others seemingly run to join the brawl. The video shows one woman charging another, coming closer to camera filming the incident. At one point during the fight, Richardson can be heard exclaiming, “I just wanted some pizza! This is too much. Come on, guys!”
In the video, security then starts running to deescalate the fight. However, many of the guests continued screaming and throwing arms at one another. One man tells Richardson that he came to help his mom, who was apparently involved in the large fight.
According to news reports, Richardson woke up at 3 in the morning looking for a late-night snack. He made his way to the buffet for some pizza on the final night of the cruise. Upon arrival, Richardson told USA Today that he found security guard addressing a group of fellow passengers.
Richardson states that the guests in the buffet area on Carnival Paradise were “talking trash to each other” although he is not entirely sure how the incident started escalating.
In the video, passengers can be seen starting another brawl towards the entrance of the buffet - even after security has intervened. More security officers arrive to the scene to continue deescalating the large fight among the group of passengers.
“Can I get a slice of pizza before going to bed?” asks Richardson as he begins walking away from the fight.
In an interview with the New York Post, Richardson shared how he could see the fight escalating quickly, likely because the passengers had been drinking too much. He stated, “It just got out of hand very, very quickly. And that’s how it happens. You’re just drinking too much. It was a misunderstanding.”
Richardson noted how the rowdy passengers did not care about who was watching the fight, as they continued to throw fists even as a small group of spectators was watching. Richardson said to the New York Post, “They didn’t care. They just kept going.”
Eventually, the brawl came to an end when security escorted two groups away from the buffet area. The aftermath of the fight shows disarray in the dining room, with tables and chairs overturned. Dishes were also thrown and broken during the brouhaha.
In an emailed statement to USA Today, Carnival Cruise Line confirmed the fight took place onboard Carnival Paradise. In the statement, Matt Lupoli said, “Carnival Paradise’s security team intervened in an incident that took place on June 6. As is our policy, we will not tolerate such behavior and the guests involved were fined and will not sail on Carnival Cruise Line again.”
Although Richardson witnesses the large fight, he claims it didn’t dampen his cruise experience and he considers this an isolated incident. In fact, this was Richardson’s first cruise, according to his interview with USA Today. The father of three shared that he already has another Carnival cruise booked because of the “amazing” time he had onboard.
In particular, Richardson raved about the service provided by Carnival Paradise’s crew members. He shared with the New York Post, “The entirety of the cruise, everybody was friendly with each other, everybody was enjoying themselves. The Carnival [crew] made sure everyone was having a fantastic time.”
And if you’re wondering, Richardson did get pizza before going to bed, according to TikTok.
Allie Hubers
Allie Hubers has been cruising since she was a tiny toddler. What started as a yearly vacation with family quickly turned into a passion for travel, cruising and adventure. Allie's been on over 45 cruises all over the world. She even studied abroad on Semester at Sea, sailing the world on a ship while taking courses for college and visiting 4 continents.
