A Carnival cruise passenger has accused a jet ski operator of assaulting her while on a recent voyage, according to media.
The alleged assault took place at Junkanoo Beach in Nassau, Bahamas,
The U.S. Embassy issued a recent warning to women after several concerning incidents in which jet ski operators in The Bahamas have allegedly raped tourists. The harrowing incidents have been linked to jet ski operators in Nassau, including Paradise Island beaches, Junkanoo Beach, Saunders Beach and Cabbage Beach.
Two women were assaulted in 2024 by people tied to jet ski rentals and two more have been assaulted since March, according to recent media reporting.
Arrests have been made in the 2024 incidents, USA Today reported. Both women in those incidents were allegedly traveling on a Carnival cruise ship when they said they were drugged and raped.
The women, both 31, said that they were not aware of any travel advisories nor warnings given from their cruise ship. On the day of the alleged assaults, they were on an excursion and were taken to the island by a shuttle arranged for them by their cruise ship.
Crimes on Ships
As common carriers, cruise ships have a heightened responsibility when I comes to ensuring the safety of passengers, and this includes safeguarding them from criminal activity.
Pursuant to the CVSSA – Title 46 U.S.C., Section 3507(g)(4)(A) – cruise lines are required to report crimes on board to the FBI. These crimes can be anything from assault with serious bodily injury to theft or suspicious deaths.
In Q4 2024, which ran from Oct. 1 through Dec. 31, 2024, the alleged incidents that were reported included 18 rapes, seven sexual assaults, one death, one missing person, six assaults with serious bodily injury and five cases of theft. Carnival Cruise Line was the company with the most reported incidents having had 17 alleged incidents on board including 10 rapes, three sexual assaults and four assaults with serious bodily injury. The cruise line with the second-most alleged incidents, according to the data, was Royal Caribbean Cruise Line. RCCL reported nine alleged incidents in all including two thefts greater than $10,000, four rapes, one sexual assault, one missing person and one death.
Leesfield & Partners
While on vacation, lounging under the sun with the sea breeze going by on a cruise ship deck, the last thing any passenger wants to think about is danger. But, even in paradise, accidents and crimes can and do occur.
At Leesfield & Partners, our attorneys understand that a cruise ship vacation should be a time of relaxation, not risk. Unfortunately, the open seas cannot shield passengers from hazards like unsafe conditions, negligent staff, or even criminal activity aboard ships. With over 48 years of experience, our attorneys have represented countless victims of cruise ship injuries, from medical negligence to gruesome shore excursions and on-board assaults.
Litigating cruise ship injury cases can be a complex process and often involves navigating federal maritime law and international jurisdictions. With decades of experience, Leesfield & Partners attorneys have handled virtually every type of cruise-related personal injury case imaginable, fighting tirelessly to ensure every client received the best possible outcome in their case. In that time, Leesfield & Partners has become one of the country’s leading cruise ship injury law firms.
Previous Cases
Previously, Leesfield & Partners represented a woman traveling on a ship who was brutally raped in her private cabin by a crew member. This man abused his employee status and keycard access, which he used to enter the woman’s cabin where he assaulted her.
A multi-million-dollar recovery was obtained for the woman in that case.
The firm also handled the case of a cruise ship passenger who was descended upon by a violent group of passengers who violently assaulted our client.
In a case being handled by Bernardo Pimentel II, a Leesfield & Partners Trial Lawyer, a cruise line employee was planting hidden cameras in the private rooms of passengers to film them without their consent. Some of those who were filmed included minors. That employee was sentenced to 30 years in federal prison for producing child sex abuse material.
Our client, who was among those who were filmed, was left emotionally scarred following the ordeal.
In a conversation with local media about the case, Mr. Pimentel called for accountability.
“Terminating the employee is not enough,” he said. “That does not stop this from occurring in the future.”
That case is ongoing.