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A crew member employed on the Carnival Valor pleaded guilty to possession of Child Sexual Abuse Material (“CSAM”) in a federal district court last week. Reza Heta Pratama, a citizen of Indonesia, was arrested in July of last year when the Carnival Valor docked in New Orleans following a cruise to Mexico. Carnival instructed Pratama to exit the cruise ship after terminating him due to sexual harassment complaints filed by coworkers. While at the Erato Street Cruise Terminal, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers discovered videos that appeared to be child sexual abuse materials on Pratama’s laptop and cell phone. A subsequent forensic examination revealed that Pratama used Telegram instant messaging service to receive child pornography from his aquitances. 116 videos and 54 images were on his devices depicting the sexual exploitation of minors, as revealed in a public filing by the prosecution.

Pratama waived his Miranda rights and admitted that he received and stored child pornography on his devices and showed the arresting officer his Telegram groups where he shared the pornography. Law enforcement’s investigations like this where they learn how child pornography is shared using Telegram and WhatsApp have undoubtedly led to the arrest of many perverts on cruise ships.

Pratama now faces sentencing in September for his crimes. He faces up to 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and supervised release which could extend to a lifetime.

Pratama’s arrest came just four days after Homeland Security officials in New Orleans arrested another Carnival crew member, Abdhul Rouvoof Shaik of India, for possession and transportation of child pornography after he disembarked a different Carnival Cruise Line ship, the Carnival Liberty. The arrest affidavit in Shaik’s criminal case (No. 2:24-mj-00105-DM filed in federal court for the Eastern District of Louisiana) states that crew member Shaik was a member of a group of men in a WhatsApp group who would share images of “children having sex.” He would chat with his friend from Indonesia and send and receive “porn videos” involving children. The Indonesian friend (likely Pratama) was referred to in the arrest affidavit as a “co-conspirator.” Shaik waived his Miranda rights against self-incrimination and admitted to the arresting special agent on July 14th that he knew the video included children and that child pornography was illegal.

It appears that crew member Pratama was directly implicated by Shaik and/or by transmissions on Shaik’s cell phone. Pratama was arrested four few days later, on July 18th.

Last July, we wrote about the arrest of these two Carnival crew members:

Two Carnival Cruise Crew Members Arrested for Child Pornography: Fifteen Cruise Ship Employees Arrested in Last Six Months

There have been at least twenty-nine (29) crew members arrested and charged or deported following arrests on cruise ships for possession of child sexual abuse materials in the last fifteen months. Earlier this month, we reported on one crew member being arrested and ten cruise ship employees being deported on charges of possession of child sexual exploitation. None of these crew members were publicly identified by Customs and Border Protection (CBP). These eleven crew members are in addition to the eighteen crew members who have been arrested and imprisoned during the same time period.

The eighteen crew members identified who have been arrested on child pornography charges have been employed by six companies: Carnival – 7; Royal Caribbean – 4; Disney – 3; Celebrity – 1; Holland America Line – 1; HAL – 1; and World Explorer -1.

Blurred Faces and Omitted Names: Customs and Border Protection Arrest One and Deport Ten Crew Members for Child Exploitation

CBP did a public disservice by not identifying the cruise ships where these eleven crew members were apprehended and by omitting their names and blurring their faces in the photographs it released. The public has the right to know where these pedophile perverts worked and were apprehended.

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Image credit: Carnival Valor – Mason Piscitelli – CC BY-SA 4.0 commons / wikimedia.

Carnival maintained its reputation as the most violent cruise line leading all cruise lines in crime for 2025 per the recent report from the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT). The last time a cruise line had more crime than Carnival was Royal Caribbean from April 1st to June 30th of 2022.

The DOT releases cruise crime data quarterly in accordance with the Cruise Vessel Security and Safety Act. The data includes only crimes that were reported to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

The DOT reported 48 crimes for all cruise lines from January 1st to March 30th 2025. A breakdown of crimes by cruise line is as follows:

  • Carnival Cruise Line: 12
  • Royal Caribbean Cruise Line: 9
  • Princess Cruises: 6
  • Disney Cruise Line: 6
  • Norwegian Cruise Line: 5
  • MSC: 5
  • Celebrity Cruises: 3
  • Virgin Voyages: 2

The crimes include assault with bodily injury, sexual assault, sexual assault-rape, and theft over $10,000. The most common crime was sexual assault-rape with 23 total incidents. Unsurprisingly, Carnival was the leader with 7 such incidents. The most notable sexual assault incident was on Royal Caribbean’s Independence of the Seas. Two cruise passengers Daniel Mondragon Leal (left photo), age 37, and Jose Juan Prudencio Diaz (right photo), age 36, molested a 14-year-old boy in the public sauna of the ship.

Diaz was HIV positive when the incident occurred. Both men were held without bail.

Cruise apologists will point out the cruise crime rates per capita are below some states in the United States. A simple retort is why do cruises, which should be fun relaxing vacations and cost several thousand dollars, have any crime at all? The answer is alcohol, tight living quarters, and opportunistic predators such as Diaz and Leal.

Robert McDonald, a criminal justice lecturer at the University of New Haven summarized why cruise lines suffer from high levels of crime in a Fox News story. He said the following in reference to cruise crimes, “I think anytime we get large numbers of people together… whenever there’s alcohol involved, whenever there are people being able to let loose a little bit from their normal personality, I think that exacerbates the ability for numbers to rise in that regard.” Highlighting McDonald’s summary of cruise crime is the massive brawl that occurred at the Port of Galveston after a Carnival ship disembarked. After the fight Carnival placed 24 people on its “Do Not Sail” list. Reports indicated fighting had previously broken out on the ship and tensions spilled over into the port.

Carnival has refused to acknowledge its reputation of violence on its ships. We previously reported how Carnival overstated its fleet size to downplay the number of crimes.

Carnival stated they operated a bigger fleet with more guests than their competitors. This is not true. Both operate 27 cruise ships. Royal Caribbean is the industry leader and carries a maximum of over 166,000 passengers while Carnival Cruise Line has a maximum of around 130,000 passengers at any given time.

In addition, crimes, especially sexual assaults, are underreported on cruise ships. While the Cruise Vessel Security and Safety Act (CVSSA) requires cruise lines to report certain crimes to the FBI, there are factors that can contribute to underreporting. These include the fact that the victim is away from home in an unfamiliar environment, the lack of a formal law enforcement presence, and the fact that the FBI tracks only crimes that meet its investigation threshold. Crimes reported to local law enforcements on ports in Florida are not included in the Department of Transportation database.

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Image Credit: Carnival funnel – Cruzely; Ricardo Daniel Mondragon Leal and Jose Juan Prudencio Diaz Sauzo-Batiz – Miami-Dade County Police Department via Local News 10

A second man was arrested for the death of a 60-year-old British man on the MSC Virtousa during its May 3rd–5th voyage. The man was identified as a 56-year-old from Richmond, London. The man’s name was not released by authorities. The first man arrested was a 57-year-old man from Exeter. Both men were released on bail.

The victim has been identified as James Messham, a grandfather and former stunt performer.

As previously reported by CruiseLawNews, the tragedy occurred just two hours into the ship’s voyage and there was heavy drinking among the passengers. The victim and the first man arrested were reportedly part of the same group going on the cruise.

Authorities have released few details about the incident, but some have emerged. Messham was on the dance floor moments prior to his death. Furthermore, a medic tried to save his life after the altercation.

The investigation is still ongoing. Police had the following to say regarding the incident, according to USA TODAY, “We remain keen to hear from anyone who was aboard the ship, which had departed Southampton around 6pm on Saturday and was still in British waters at the time. Anyone with information should call 101.”

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Image Credit: MSC Cruise – Travel Age West James Messham – Facebook

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published a report in October 2024 stating there were at least twelve Legionnaires’ disease occurrences on two cruise ships. Ten cases were serious enough that cruise passengers required hospitalization. The CDC did not identify the cruise line(s) involved.

This story was first reported by Travel + Leisure.

The CDC concluded, based on “epidemiologic, environmental, and laboratory evidence” that private hot tubs are subject to “less stringent operating requirements than are public hot tubs, and operating protocols were insufficient to prevent Legionella growth.”

Travel + Leisure magazine explained the CDC’s findings in its article: “Hot tubs can be a source of Legionella growth and transmission when they are inadequately maintained and operated. It is important for cruise ship operators to inventory hot tub–style devices across their fleets, evaluate the design features that increase the risk for Legionella growth and transmission, and test for Legionella,” a CDC spokesperson told Travel + Leisure.

The CDC included the information below in its report:

  • Private hot tubs found to be the source of disease outbreak by the CDC.
  • Twelve cases of Legionnaires’ disease over course of twenty months in hot tubs on cruise guests’ private balconies.
  • Poor cleaning standards on private hot tubs led to rapid bacteria growth.

The New York Post dramatically writes, “Cruise ship passengers splash out big bucks for private hot tubs in their own staterooms all the time — but the Center for Disease Control is warning against the exclusive amenity, calling them a bubbling breeding ground for Legionnaires’ disease.”

The New York Post also chimed in an article titled Don’t splash out for this coveted cruise ship extra — it’s a breeding ground for disease, experts warn on another disease that cruise passengers are increasingly facing, fast-spreading norovirus: “Meanwhile, Legionnaires isn’t the only unwelcome guest on deck. Norovirus — a notorious cruise ship nemesis — is also making waves . . .”

Norovirus outbreaks on cruise lines are pacing at record levels with 16 gastrointestinal (GI) outbreaks already in 2025 compared to just 18 total in 2024. The CDC reported the spike is likely due to a new norovirus strain.

This all comes as the CDC’s Vessel Sanitation Program (VSP), which inspects cruise ships and responds to GI outbreaks, recently experienced staffing cuts at the Department of Health and Human Services under the Trump administration. Read more: New Norovirus Strain, Public Health Program “Mistakenly” Cut, and Sixteen Gastrointestinal Outbreaks on Cruise Ships in First Four Months of 2025

Will Legionnaires disease and record-breaking GI outbreaks cause the cruise lines to overhaul their sanitation processes and take responsibility for their passenger’s wellbeing? Or will the CDC cuts embolden the cruise lines to continue to shift the blame to passengers because of their “poor hygiene?”

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The popular Crew Center blog published an article last week titled Smoke From First Cruise Ship of Alaska Season Alarms Juneau Residents. It mentioned that in mid-April, Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL)’s cruise ship, Norwegian Bliss, sailed into Juneau, becoming the first ship to arrive in the Alaskan capital and officially launching the 2025 cruise season. “While the ship’s return was greeted by many with excitement, its arrival sparked controversy after concerns were raised about the amount of smoke coming from the vessel.”

Crew Center mentioned that a local resident in Alaska, Scott Ranger, posted a letter together with a photo taken by environmental advocate Kate Troll which brought attention to the unusually heavy emissions coming from the Bliss. His letter discussed NCL’s irresponsibility and poor community relations.

“Much of Juneau was excited to welcome the first visitors of the year. A significant part of Juneau was not. I’m pretty much in the first category as I take folks whale watching from the cruise ships. Yesterday, I immediately moved into the second category. The attached photograph shows why. I’m used to the Norwegian Jewel and Sun spewing copious amounts of exhaust, but not the Bliss or the Encore as they are much newer ships. This is not good.

Norwegian doesn’t have the best reputation in Juneau for “community relations” and the Bliss’s entry yesterday was published widely in our town. Folks like me were astonished and maddened that, in an era when cruise ship overload for communities like Juneau is growing rapidly, a major cruise line with a “new” ship would enter with such little regard to the air of our pretty darned pristine place.

If the cruise line continues operating like this, polluting one of the nicest places on the planet, opposition will grow rapidly. We have a second initiative to place legal, hard limits on cruise ships to Juneau. What the Bliss did yesterday will pretty much insure that enough signatures will be gathered to put it on the ballot and that many more people will vote for it than last year’s initiative.

This is an ignominious way to begin the 2025 cruise ship season.”

NCL has not issued a public response.

The spectacle of the NCL ship smoking up the port in Juneau reinvigorated the debate over the future of the oversized cruise tourism in Alaska. Last year, voters in Juneau rejected a ballot initiative to ban cruise ships from docking on Saturdays. Images like the Norwegian Bliss bellowing smoke over the port seemingly has motivated efforts to continue its push for regulations over the cruise industry.

Crew Center also mentioned that in March of this year a plume of smoke from the Norwegian Epic raised alarm while the ship was docked in the British Virgin Islands. The local Environmental Health Division conducted an air quality assessment, ultimately finding the emissions were allegedly within “safe limits” but urging the cruise line to consider switching to low-sulfur fuel while at berth to improve port air quality.

Apologists for the cruise line will undoubtedly argue that the smoke is just “water vapor” from the scrubbers installed on the NCL cruise ship. That what you are seeing is actually not toxic smoke but just some harmless vapor. Cruise ship advocates argue that you “shouldn’t trust your lying eyes,” essentially a variation of the question posed by Groucho Marx (or, more recently, Richard Pryor) – “Who are you going to believe, me or your lying eyes?”

“It’s not pollution, it’s just harmless water vapor” or similar blatherskite is the common refrain whenever NCL, Royal Caribbean or one of the Carnival Corporation brand ships belch emissions over a port due to burning high sulfur fuel.

NCL and other lines have done this before many times and will continue to pollute in the future. Will you be really choose to ignore your own eyes and believe the cruise lines when they tell you everything is fine?

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Photo credits: Norwegian Bliss – Kate Troll; Norwegian Epic – Jacqueline Archibald; Norwegian Pearl in Juneau / Photo credit Tim Olson / KTOO Public Radio,.

British police arrested one man, 57 years old, for the suspected murder of a 60-year-old man aboard the MSC Virtuosa. The MSC Virtuoso was on a two-day cruise sailing from Southampton, England.

The cruise was just two hours into its voyage when the incident took place. The cruise continued its scheduled voyage after the incident.

Reports indicate that the victim and perpetrator were part of the same party and that a fight broke out within the group. The Metro reported there was excessive drinking on the cruise with one passenger stating, “It was carnage on the ship there were a lot of people drinking a lot. I thought I was a party animal until I saw this lot. People were jolly but it was a bit like a modern Wild West with stag and hen dos everywhere.”

Excessive alcohol consumption and violence go hand in hand on cruises. Cruise lines incentivize passengers to drink excessively with drink packages that require passengers to consume 10+ drinks to “get their money’s worth.” This paired with the close living quarters of a cruise often leads to disputes and conflicts between passengers.

CruiseLawNews recently reported about a group fight in the Galveston Cruise Terminal, when passengers disembarked a Carnival Cruise Line ship. After prior altercations between groups of passengers during the cruise, fighting erupted in the cruise terminal resulting in 1 arrest and 24 passengers being added to Carnival’s Do Not Sail List. Read more: Carnival Cruise Line Proves Once Again That It Has, By Far, the Most Violent Passengers On the High Seas

The remainder of the MSC Virtuosa Cruise was conflict free. The Senior Investigating Officer, Matt Gillooly, said: “We want to reassure you that this appears to be an isolated incident on-board, and we want to thank the crew for their cooperation and assistance with our enquiries.”

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Image credit: MSC Virtuosa – Wikipedia MSC Virtuosa – Cruise Mapper

Customs and Border Protection (CBP) recently issued a press release described as a “cruise ship crack down” involving “child exploitation offenders during joint operation.”

The press release stated that the CBP’s Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport human trafficking unit collaborated with the Port of Galveston in Texas and Port Canaveral in Florida in an operation that caught 11 cruise ship crew members involved in child sexual exploitation. The release states, “One arrest was made after disturbing content was found, while ten others were removed from the U.S. following investigations.”

This multi-agency operation involved the CBP Miami/Tampa and Houston Field Offices, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Transportation Security Administration (TSA), the Federal Air Marshal Service, and local law enforcement.

The press release contained a number of images of the unidentified crew members which did not show their faces. Several of the mug shots were blurred so that the cruise ship workers could not be identified. The CBP Office of Field Operation posted the release and the images on its Facebook page. The reactions on Facebook thank the officers for apprehending the men but overwhelmingly ask why the CBP blurred their faces and which cruise line employed them on which cruise ship.

  • “They are older than 17. Show their faces and name the cruise line.
  • Whoaaaa… how do we get more details? I cruise with my kids and this makes me nervous! Is this from a certain cruise line, kids clubs, etc?!
  • Why are we giving these people privacy and blurring their mugshots???
  • Don’t protect these people show their faces let the public see.
  • I want to know what cruise line had these people working! 
  • Thankful they were caught BUT why are their faces blurred as if they deserve some kind of privacy??!!!
  • Show their faces. Maybe someone will recognize them from other incidents.
  • They didn’t protect the innocent why are we protecting the guilty?
  • What’s the point of putting the picture on here if you can’t see who they are?? Why blur their faces and protect them?”

The press release provides limited information, including an ambiguous statement regarding exactly what criminal charges led to these these eleven ship employees’ apprehension. The release refers to “child exploitation offenders.” It sounds like these men may have been apprehended for possession of “child sexual abuse materials” which is sometimes referred to as child pornography. But the charges could potentially involve creating child pornography (by filming children via a spy cam) or include a sexual act like molestation. In most cases where a crew member is arrested and a criminal case is opened, the arresting officer will file a probable cause affidavit explaining the details of the sexual materials. Here, there are no court files to read.

The CBP also says that “one arrest was made after disturbing content was found…” The CBP also mentions “ten others were removed from the U.S. following investigations,” but provides no explanation why one one crew member was arrested yet the remaining ten crew members were “removed” (i.e., deported) from the U.S.

Many people will celebrate the news of a child sexual pervert being deported, but the reality is these crew members will likely not be prosecuted in their home country. Furthermore, they will not be prosecuted for crimes on a U.S. based cruise ship after being deported and probably will continue to commit sexual crimes against children in their home countries.

This is the first I have ever heard of the U.S. deporting, but not arresting and charging, a crew member who engages in child pornography or sexually abusing a child on a cruise ship. We have written about as many as 17 crew members in the last year who were arrested and charged with possession of child sexual abuse materials. (Read: Epidemic of Child Pornography on Cruise Ships Continues As Two More Crew Members Are Arrested and Two Carnival Cruise Crew Members Arrested for Child Pornography: Fifteen Cruise Ship Employees Arrested in Last Six Months.) Their names and job positions together with mug shots and details of their crimes are typically disclosed by the U.S. Justice Department and/or local law enforcement. One of the best examples was the arrest of Theodore “Banks” Pappas, Jr., previously employed by Norwegian Cruise Line on the Norwegian Bliss as a broadcast technician, who was extradited from Los Angeles on charges related to child sexual abuse materials. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) posted a mugshot of Pappas as well as images of him being arrested and flown back to Florida from Los Angeles.

It is a disservice to protect the image and identity of men who are engaged in the victimization of children and keep the identity of the pedophile pervert’s cruise line employer and cruise ship secret.

The issue also arises where these ten crew members were deported. Thousands of immigrants have been deported by the U.S. to the maximum security prison in Tecoluca, El Salvador (CECOT). Were their names omitted and faces obscured so that no one would know that they were sent in a plane to CECOT and denied legal representation and any semblance of due process?

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Image credit: Pedophile crew members – CBP Office of Field Operations.

Yesterday U.S. District Judge Julie R. Rubin sentenced Jalen Thomas Kelley, 22, of Abingdon, Maryland, to 20 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for raping a minor who was sailing with her family on a Carnival cruise ship out of Baltimore, Maryland. This news comes from a press release by the U.S. Justice Department. Kelly was previously convicted, following a two-week trial, on December 12, 2024, of “aggravated sexual abuse, sexual abuse, and assault.”

According to the court file and evidence presented at trial, between January 1 and January 2, 2023, Kelley, then age 21, forcibly raped and assaulted the teenage girl aboard the Carnival Legend.

We first reported on the sexual assault in September of 2023 when Kelly was arrested. When we first reported on this case, we mentioned that “the cruise industry refuses to disclose, generally, when the victim of a sexual assault on a cruise ship is a minor. However, testimony of the FBI before Congress indicates that approximately one-third of sex crimes on cruises are committed against children.”

According to the court file, Kelley was a junior at Wingate University vacationing on the Carnival Legend which sailed out of Baltimore, when he met the 17-year-old victim on the Carnival cruise ship after a New Year’s Eve party on the early morning of Jan. 1, 2023.

According to the Miami Herald and New York Post, the minor became intoxicated at the party on the cruise ship. “Kelley saw that (she) was intoxicated (by his own admission), realized she was vulnerable, and offered to take her to the bathroom. When she stepped outside the bathroom (in his cabin), Kelley pushed her on the bed, ‘face first,’ and raped her. After raping (her), Kelley asked, ‘you good?'”

None of the news accounts explain how the minor had access to the party where alcohol was served on the cruise ship. Most sexual assaults which occur during cruises on Carnival ships involve an intoxicated victim. There is a direct correlation between excessive alcohol sold on cruise ships and shipboard crime, in general, and sexual crimes against women, in particular.

After the cruise returned to Baltimore, the victim returned with her family home to Virginia, where she reported the rape to her parents and police. A medical examination at a hospital revealed bruises on her arm and shins, as well as “vaginal abrasions, tearing and bruising.”

Additionally, during the trial, prosecutors presented testimony from six other individuals who claimed that Kelley had sexually assaulted them on separate occasions. In 2019, Kelley was convicted as a minor in a sexual assault case, according to the Miami Herald. While the FBI was investigating him following the rape on the Carnival Legend, he allegedly raped a classmate at Wingate University in North Carolina where he played played varsity football, prosecutors said. The Daily Mail reported Carnival Cruise Rapist Unmasked As College Football Star With Habit of Sexually Assaulting Girls.

In 2010, the International Cruise Victims (ICV) organization was successful in having Congress pass the Cruise Vessel Security and Safety Act into law. The law required cruise lines to report certain crimes which occur with regularity, which include sexual and physical assaults on cruise ships.

The data required by the Cruise Vessel Security and Safety Act of 2010 show that Carnival Cruise Line had thirty-nine (39) sexual assaults and rapes on its cruise ship for 2024. A breakdown by quarter is as follows:

  • Quarter 1 (January 1 – March 31st): 9
  • Quarter 2 (April 1 – June 30th): 9
  • Quarter 3 (July 1st – September 30st): 8
  • Quarter 4 (October 1st – December 31st) 13

We most recently wrote about Carnival Cruise Line crime here: Recent Cruise Crime Data Shows Carnival Cruise Line Remains the Most Dangerous Cruise Line at Sea. For the first quarter of this year (2025), Carnival Cruise Line continued to lead all cruise lines with nine sexual assaults and rapes on Carnival ships.

The purpose of mandatory public reporting of sexual assaults, rapes, and physical assaults with serious bodily injuries on cruise ships is to “educate and warn the traveling public of dangers on cruise ships.” By all accounts, Carnival remains the most dangerous place to take your family on a vacation cruise. In past articles, we have reported that the average per capita sexual assault and rape rate on Carnival cruise ships is higher than 20 to 25 states in the United States. Read: Final DOT Cruise Crime Data For 2023: Carnival Cruise Line’s Per Capita Sexual Assault / Rape Rate Is Higher Than 27 States.

This is not the first sexual assault on the Carnival Legend. One of the most notorious sexual assault cases on this ship occurred in 2018 when an 18 year-old with special needs (and with the mental capacity of a 13-year-old) was sexually assaulted by man during a cruise to the Bahamas. The incident occurred in a hot tub aboard the Carnival cruise ship. The victim was travelling on a birthday cruise/girl’s trip with her grandmother. The rapist “watched her then targeted her in the hot tub.”

Carnival has consistently led the cruise industry with the most shipboard rapes and violent physical assaults leading to serious physical injuries. Going back to 2017, 35 passengers and crew members reported being victims of sexual attacks on Carnival Cruise Line ships, for an an average of three a month.

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Image credit: Carnival Legend – Carnival Cruise Line website; Jalen Kelley – Gaston County Jail via Recently Booked; Carnival funnel  – Cruzely; Jalen Kelley football uniform – @NicoleMastrogiannis via Daily Mail.

A month ago, we last discussed gastrointestinal illness (GI) outbreaks on cruise ships when Cunard Line’s Queen Mary 2 and Seabourn Cruise Line’s Seabourn Encore both sickened 226 passengers and crew members. These two outbreaks brought the total number of CDC-reportable cruise ship-related illnesses to twelve for 2025. Since that time, a lot has occurred in the world of cruise ship hygiene, on-board sicknesses, and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

There have been four additional GI outbreaks that have met the CDC’s criteria for public reporting.

Viking Polaris

Two weeks ago, forty-three (43) passengers and crew members became ill in a GI outbreak on a small Viking Cruises expedition cruise ship. Among 355 passengers on the Viking Polaris ship, 37 guests reported being ill with vomiting and diarrhea, along with six crew members, according to the CDC.

The CDC initially said the cause of the GI outbreak was “unknown” but subsequently updated its opinion to blaming “norovirus” as the causative factor. The Viking ship had been on a twelve-day cruise to Canada.

Viking claims to have implemented heightened cleaning and disinfection measures and isolated sick passengers and ship employees.

This was the thirteenth (13th) GI outbreak documented by the CDC requiring public notification this year. Most of the 13 cases were caused by norovirus which is often associated with cruise ships.

HAL’s Eurodam

Among the 2,038 guests on the Holland America Line (HAL) Eurodam ship, 64 (3.1%) reported ill with GI symptoms (vomiting, abdominal cramps and diarrhea), together with a dozen crew members, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported.

The CDC determined the outbreak was caused by norovirus.

HAL corporate communications team characterized the cases as “mostly mild and quickly resolved” (similar to how cruise lines spin fires during cruises as mostly “small, causing slight damage and quickly extinguished.”) This was the fourteenth GI outbreak on a cruise ship reported by the CDC.

HAL’s Zuiderdam

Fifty-five of the 1,149 guests (4.8%) aboard HAL’s Zuiderdam ship became ill, in addition to 14 crew, with their main symptom being diarrhea. The CDC could not determine the causative agent of the GI outbreak which was the fifteenth outbreak on a cruise ship this year.

Lindblad Expeditions’ National Geographic Sea Lion

A GI outbreak was also reported aboard Lindblad Expeditions’ National Geographic Sea Lion. Five of its 43 guests and two crew members reported being sick with GI symptoms (fever, vomiting and diarrhea), according to the CDC which could not determine the causative agent.

These four latest GI outbreaks bring the total to sixteen outbreaks of gastrointestinal illness on cruises which meet the CDC’s threshold for public notification in 2025, most of which were caused by norovirus. There were 18 outbreaks in all of 2024, and 14 in 2023.

HAL Leads All Cruise Lines with six GI Outbreaks

Incredibly, there have been six GI outbreaks on HAL ships so far this year. No other cruise line has had more than two disease outbreaks in their fleet this year. The Eurodam and Rotterdam have experienced two outbreaks each, and the Zuiderdam and Volendam have both experienced one. Read: Over 500 Passengers Sickened with Norovirus on HAL Cruise Ships in Less Than Three Months This Year.

In 2024, HAL also led all cruise lines with four GI outbreaks in its fleet. The Eurodam, Rotterdam, and Zuiderdam had outbreaks, as well as the Koningsdam. Over 500 were sickened, primarily by norovirus, on these four HAL in just the first three months of last year.

Why Norovirus Outbreaks Occur

Both the CDC and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) concluded that the most common cause of norovirus outbreaks is from contaminated food and/or water. The CDC also concluded it is also possible to contract the virus by touching surfaces or objects contaminated with the virus. The virus can also be released into the air by an infected person. Read: Norovirus Spreads by Air on Cruise Ships.

A guest can wash their hands and use hand sanitizers all day long but still become ill if the food is prepared by an infected galley hand. Recent federal studies show that sick employees are behind a majority of food contamination and food borne illness outbreaks in the United States. And of course, once a guest becomes infected and begins puking, other passengers who inhale the norovirus molecules can become ill as well.

There are many cruise apologists who often bring up stories that norovirus is often associated with hospitals, nursing homes, and daycare facilities. I have always chuckled at this thought, that places where the sick elderly or kids with poopy diapers congregate is a comparable location as a vacation cruise.

Norovirus can strike anywhere that is crowded and people congregate. The virus is prevalent on cruise ships because of the large numbers of people living and eating in close proximity. Cruises are basically floating communities with limited space and high volume of food handling.

CDC: New Dominant Norovirus Strain

The CDC said that the sickness data shows a “newly dominant strain” currently associated with norovirus outbreaks on land. Read: New ‘Dominant’ Strain of Norovirus Sparking Outbreaks on Cruise Ships.

Trump Guts the Department of Health and Human Services

The CDC’s Vessel Sanitation Program (VSP), which inspects cruise ships and responds to GI outbreaks, recently experienced staffing cuts at the Department of Health and Human Services. This was part of the zealous cuts initiated by President Trump and Elon Musk. The gutting of the national health department has effectively wiped out some of the most important existing public health programs, including the one that aids in controlling disease and illness outbreaks on cruise ships.

The popular cruise blog Cruise Hive added an interesting perspective on this issue in an article – CDC Layoffs Could Impact Cruise Ship Inspections. A new restructuring plan was implemented by Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, where the CDC laid off employees on April 1, 2025. After the mass layoffs, Secretary Kennedy claimed that some of these public health programs were cut mistakenly and will be reinstated at some point, while others will become part of existing programs.

This flip-flop reminds me when Elon Musk was invited to a cabinet meeting and claimed that the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) “accidentally canceled Ebola prevention.” Musk claims it was just a “mistake.” But numerous news organizations raised substantial questions about Musk’s credibility. Read: Musk says work to stop Ebola was accidentally cut but restored. Experts raise doubts (“U.S. efforts against were indeed interrupted” but “U.S. support has not been fully restored.”)

An unidentified CDC spokesperson claims in a statement to USA Today that the health agency and its VSP program “will remain intact” because the VSP is “primarily staffed by USPHS commissioned officers who were not subject to the reduction in force.”

It make no sense for health inspections to be cut by Trump, Musk or RFK, Jr. for cost-concerns in the first place. Health inspections of cruise ships are not funded by U.S. tax dollars, as the popular Dr. Rubin explains on TicTok:

@rubin_allergy

CDC’s cruise ship inspectors laid off. #cruise #tiktokdoc #learnontiktok

♬ original sound – Dr. Rubin, MD

LADbible’s “Doctor Explains Worrying Reason Why He Would Never Go On A Cruise Ship” explains that “Dr. Rubin went on to say how stupid he thought this was, as it was the cruise ships which had to pay for the health inspections so it was making things worse on ships while not saving taxpayer cash. So that means there could be more cruise ships which are not properly inspected for health issues, and these hotbeds of disease could get even worse.”

As the cruise-fan Cruise Hive blog noted, “hopefully, all cruise lines operating within the US choose to operate like these (CDC) standards are still in place, but only time will tell if they choose to.” It added “until then, cruise sanitation regulations, inspections, and outbreak reports will be paused.”

With sixteen GI outbreaks so far in the first four months of 2025 (and eight months to go), it will be interesting to see how shutting down or slowing inspections will affect the sanitation and monitoring of hygiene of ships at sea.

Have a comment or question? Please leave on below or join the discussion on our Facebook page.

May 2, 2025 Update:

US Cruise Industry Shaken as Over One Hundred Fall Ill On Holland America in Devastating Gastro Crisis at Sea.

Image Credit: Viking Polaris – Viking Cruises; HAL’s Eurodam – Michael Elleray CC BY 2.0, commons / wikimedia; HAL’s Zuiderdam – Quahadi Añtó CC BY-SA 3.0, commons / wikimedia; upset stomach – CDC’s Vessel Sanitation Program (VSP)

A cruise passenger who was installed a secret WIFI camera on a cruise ship sailing from Miami to the Caribbean and recorded more than 150 individuals, including many children, was released from prison last month after serving less than one year in a low security institution in Florida and paying only a $25 fine.

Jeremy Jonathan Froias previously pled guilty to installing a hidden Wi-Fi camera in a public bathroom on the Harmony of the Seas during a cruise in April 2023. The arresting FBI agent noted in an affidavit that Froias recorded “more than 150 individuals, including what appear to be at least 40 minors . . . some of the minors appeared to be as young as four or five years old.” The FBI agent who interviewed Froias also commented that Froias’s camera captured these individuals in various stages of undress, including capturing videos of their naked genitals, buttocks, and female breasts.”

You can read our initial reporting of this crime: FBI: Cruise Guest Arrested For Using Hidden Camera in Public Bathroom on Harmony of the Seas To Videotape More Than 150 Individuals Including At Least 40 Minors.

Froias previously worked as a “Cyber Security Officer” for the City of Kissimmee, Florida. Froias’s LinkedIn profile discloses that he worked in this capacity since November of 2022. Previously, Froias worked for the City of Kissimmee for the past nineteen years, first as a computer expert from 2004-2009 and then as a network engineer from 2009-November 2022. Froias’ photograph on LinkedIn is below:

Although criminal charges were filed against Froias for violating 18 U.S.C. §§ 1801 (video voyeurism) and 18 U.S.C. § 2252A(a)(5)(B) (attempted possession of child exploitation material), a plea bargain resulted in the U.S. government dismissing the charges involving the sexual exploitation of minors. Froias was required to admit guilt only for a single count of video voyeurism. The federal judge in Puerto Rico, Senior Judge Francisco A. Bebosa, sentenced Froias to just one year in a federal corrections facility, and recommended that he serve his time at “Coleman FCI” (Federal Correction Institute).

Coleman FCI is a far cry from a crowded, maximum security prison with prisoners facing hard time. Coleman FCI is a “Federal Correctional Institution designed for low security. These facilities are more likely to have dormitories or cubicle housing (divided into two and three-person pods), a higher staff-to-inmate ratio, and strong work and program components.” The sentencing judge specifically recommended that Froias be “provided with any available vocational training courses.” Coleman FCI is considered to be one of the “best federal prisons because it is known as a safe and easy place to do time.”

The judge’s lenient sentence also included a “special monetary assessment” of just $25.00, despite the fact that the federal video voyeurism statute carries a fine up to $100,000.00 per count on conviction. Putting aside the fact that the government could have charged Froais with as many as 150 counts of video voyeurism, each with up to a $100,000.00 fine (because he videotaped that many passengers and children), it is remarkably lenient to see him pay only one total fine of just $25.

The criminal judgment does not include any restitution to Froias’ numerous victims. The judgment reads “Restitution is applicable in this case. However as of today (May 23, 2024), victim impact statements have not been received.” It is difficult to understand how and why the court file didn’t contain a single statement from any of Froias’ 150 victims, other than to conclude that the government attorneys and the court were asleep at the wheel. The plea agreement specifically obligated the government to “advocate on behalf of any identified victim and comply with its obligations under the mandatory Victim Restitution Act of 1994.”

Froias seems to have essentially dodged any harsh treatment throughout his interaction with the legal system. Froias’ lenient treatment started when he was arrested and initially released on a minimal $25,000 bond. I was quoted discussing the inappropriately light bail amount at the time by the New York Times in its article titled F.B.I. Says Video Voyeur Hid Camera in Cruise Ship Bathroom:

“Jim Walker, a Miami-based maritime lawyer who has represented victims in other voyeurism cases, questioned the amount of the bond. ‘A $25,000 bond might be appropriate for a single victim, but considering there are at least 150 victims and many dozens of children, according to the F.B.I. affidavit, a bond should not be less than $1,000,000,’ he said.”

Unlike other sex offenders, Froias was initially released and permitted to live with his family and allowed to voluntarily surrender to begin his sentence at the institution designated by the Bureau of Prison. He was not handcuffed and shackled and taken against his will (like a recent crew member Theodore “Banks” Pappas, Jr., previously employed by Norwegian Cruise Line on the Norwegian Bliss, who was handcuffed and shackled, extradited, flown from los Angeles to Jacksonville, charged with 13 counts of possession of child sexual abuse materials and then subjected to a bond of $1,125,030.00).

Norwegian Bliss Ship Employee Extradited to Florida, Facing $1,125,030.00 Bail for 13 Counts of Possession and Transmission of Child Pornography

Froias’ light sentence of just one year is to be sharply contrasted with the recent sentence of another video voyeur on a Royal Caribbean cruise ship, cabin attendant Arvin Joseph Mirasol, who hid spy cameras in passenger cabins on the Symphony of the Seas. A federal district court in Miami sentenced Mirasol to 30 years in prison.

Royal Caribbean Room Steward Sentenced to 30 Years in Prison for Producing Child Pornography With Spy Camera on Symphony of the Seas

Froias’ criminal court file contains numerous files deemed not for public viewing. We attempted to obtain insight into his unusually light sentence and accommodating treatment from his criminal defense lawyer Leonardo Aldridge. Mr. Aldridge refused to respond to our inquiries whether there were extenuating circumstances for the light sentence, why there was no financial penalty other than $25, and why the court did not receive any victim impact statements.

Froias is subject to supervised release now that he served his short incarceration. He commenced his term of supervised release on March 14, 2025 after he obtained a “Good Conduct Term Release” for reasons not evident in the court file.

Florida Sexual Offenders and Predators Database – JEREMY JONATHAN FROIAS

A final part of Froias’ sentence is that he has to register as a “sex offender” and his status would be made public. A database shows he has an address in Orlando with the caption “Offender, Minor Victim” and shows a mug shot (above).

As part of his favorable plea agreement, Froias had to stipulate that he placed a spy camera in the bathroom on the top deck of the Harmony of the Seas which recorded “several hours of .mp4 video files depicting numerous individuals, including minors, coming into the bathroom to either use the toilet or change out of their swimsuits.” His spy camera and SD card “revealed 12 hours worth of video footage portraying individuals of all ages in various stages of undress . . . including capturing videos of their naked genitals, buttocks and female breasts.”

Sentences for federal video voyeurism involving multiple minors may vary, but a minimum of 15 to 20 years seems more appropriate to me. Federal sentencing guidelines consider the age of the victim and the number of victims, among other factors. Given the barebone facts alleged in the complaint, which Froias pled guilty to, its appears that his sentence was grossly lenient. This may explain why the U.S. Attorneys Office, which routinely issues press releases when sexual offenders are sentenced for their crimes, did not see fit to release a press statement mentioning Froias’s sweet deal.

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Image credit: Jeffrey Froias – LinkedIn; Spy Camera in Bathroom – FBI; Jeremy Froias – Florida Department of Law Enforcement via TCPalm.