Yesterday, the Chief Judge for the Southern District of Florida fined Carnival Corporation $1,000,000 for violating the terms of its criminal probation which it has been serving for the past five years. In response, Carnival dipped into its petty cash fund and promptly paid the fine with a $1,000,000 check.

The probation arises out of the nearly decade practice of widespread dumping of oil from five Carnival-owned cruise ships operated by Princess Cruises. The case is commonly referred to as the “magic pipe” scandal where engineers fabricated a metal pipe to secretly bypass the oily water separation systems on Princess cruise ships to dump millions of gallons of lubrication/engine oil from the ship’s bilges. Thereafter, the Southern District of Florida levied a record $40,000,000 against Carnival and placed all of its cruise brands on criminal probation. Carnival violated the terms of its probation after it was discovered that Carnival ships were engaged in widespread discharge of plastics throughout the Caribbean waterss. The most recent million dollar fine, in my view, will accomplish little in encouraging Carnival and its brands, which include Princess, HAL, Costa, Cunard, Carnival Cruise Line, AIDA, P&O, P&O Australia, and Seabourn, to change their illegal and morally reprehesible conduct.

For additional indormation, read:

Deliberate Dumping, Cover-Up and Lies: DOJ Fines Princess Cruises $40,000,000

Federal Court Lets Carnival Corporation Off the Hook Again

You can read the official court documents regarding Carnival’s latest probation violation here:

Proposed Agreement to Resolve Petition for Summons for Offender Under Supervision Dated November 23, 2021 – DE 253 and Exhibit

Joint Factual Basis for Defendant’s Guilty Plea to the Petition for Summons for Offender Under Supervision Dated November 23, 2021 – DE 254

Order Accepting Proposed Settlement and Reinstating Probation – DE 255

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Read:

Miami Herald: Carnival, its Princess Cruise Lines plead guilty to second probation violation connected to 2017 criminal case

Compliance Week: Carnival to pay $1M for environmental probation violation