FBI Investigates Female Fight On Gulf Coast Cruise

(KMDL-FM) Gulf Coast cruise fans have three departure ports within a few hours' drive of Louisiana. You can set sail from the Port of Galveston, the Port of New Orleans, or the Port of Mobile in Alabama. Carnival Cruise Line provides sailings from all of those ports, and believe it or not, we've got another physical altercation to tell you about on a Carnival ship.

READ MORE: Carnival Cruises Just Got More Expensive - Here's Why

Many of you have asked, "Who has the jurisdiction" when it comes to lawsuits at sea? In this case, because the incident occurred at sea, the FBI, Federal Bureau of Investigation, took over the investigation. This is common as the FBI is usually the lead investigator for major crimes at sea involving United States citizens.

How Did The 'Girl Fight' on Carnival Cruise Line Get Started?

And in this case, the incident did involve two Carnival Cruise guests from Alabama. From what we understand, the incident began in a VIP Line at Guest Services. Apparently, there was a disagreement between the two women as to who was "allowed" to be in the VIP line.

The altercation became physical, and both women were charged with simple assault and ordered to appear in Federal Court in Mobile this past Wednesday. In that court appearance, both women pleaded guilty to the charges.

The court withheld adjudication but did place the pair on good behavior for three months. According to the U.S. Attorney's office in Mobile, if during those three months there haven't been any new crimes committed or the pair has not had contact, the court will likely drop the charges.

Which Cruise Line Has the Most On-Board Violence?

As we mentioned, Carnival Cruise Line is no stranger to physical violence among guests. The line has the highest number of reported fights and violent crimes among the major cruise lines that serve U.S. ports. The cruise line has led the industry in crime reports, including assaults, for the past 30 months. That's almost three years.

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The catalyst for the physical altercations can almost always be traced back to alcohol. Since many of Carnival's itineraries are short in nature, many guests go into "full party mode". That and the fact that there are a lot of people on board usually leads to long lines, short tempers, and an overinflated sense of entitlement.

READ MORE: Cruise Guest Banned For Life For This On-Board Behavior

We should also note that some of these numbers for Carnival Cruise Line could be skewed since the company operates one of the largest fleets of commercial cruise ships. Personally, my sailings with Carnival have always been well beyond adequate. I have not sailed with Carnival in several years, though.

Incidentally, Carnival is not the only cruise line that serves Gulf Coast Ports; you can also book passage on Disney Cruise Line, Norwegian Cruise Line, Celebrity Cruise Line, MSC Cruise Line, and Princess Cruises. Not all lines serve all ports, so check with the line or with your travel professional for specific cruise details.

Oh, and don't fall overboard or you might meet one of these creatures, trust us, you'd rather stay on the ship and fight other passengers than one of these.