Report a Tip
Retain our Firm

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.

Have a comment or question? Please leave one below or join the conversation in our Facebook page.

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

The popular Crew Center published a video showing what it described as “chaos” which “erupted at the Galveston Cruise Terminal when a massive brawl broke out in the luggage pickup area, after guests disembarked from the cruise ship Carnival Jubilee.” The video had apparently been posted on the Facebook page – COPs – Cruisers Opinion Page.

Crew Center described the post cruise melee which shows a “large group of people aggressively punching and hitting at least two men, while several kids are standing nearby watching the scene. In the midst of the brawl, a security staff member can be seen rushing to intervene, followed moments later by two officers attempting to break up the fight. However, tensions remained so high that one officer was visibly pushed back during the scuffle, struggling to bring the situation under control “

The incident follows reports from passengers posted in the Facebook “Cruisers Opinion Page” that altercations had already occurred during the cruise. “Fights reportedly broke out on Decks 4 and 10 of the Carnival Jubilee, with mention of property damage on Deck 10.”

Carnival has not issued a statement regarding any arrests or injuries from the violent incident.

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

April 29, 2025 Update:

Carnival Cruise Line issued the following statement after the brawl:

“The incident occurred in the debarkation area under the authority of U.S. Customs and Border Patrol. The matter was turned over to law enforcement. We will not tolerate such behavior, and 24 people have been placed on our Do Not Sail list.”

April 30, 2025 Update:

Galveston Daily News published an article about the only arrest – Man arrested after pushing elderly cruise passenger at Galveston port.

Image: Brawl in Galveston involving passengers from Carnival Jubilee – Crew Center; Carnival Jubilee – Carnival Cruise Line.

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) went to social media last Friday to make a point with a former crew member.

It announced that a cruise ship employee from northern Florida, Theodore “Banks” Pappas, Jr., previously employed by Norwegian Cruise Line on the Norwegian Bliss as the “Head of Broadcast” (broadcast technician), was extradited from Los Angeles on charges related to child sexual abuse material (CSAM). Pappas was arrested on April 4, 2025 at the Port of Los Angeles on CSAM charges after the FDLA began an investigation on July 24, 2023, when agents received a cybertip from the National Center for Missing and Endangered Children (NCMEC) about Pappas’ online account uploading files depicting children being sexually abused. 

The FDLA posted on Twitter (X) taunting Pappas: “Welcome back to Florida, Theo! Turns out, even 2,500 miles isn’t far enough to hide from FDLE. Next time, pick a better hiding spot.“

The FDLE posted images of FDLE agents escorting Pappas, who was cuffed and shackled, off a jet which flew him from Los Angles to Jacksonville. The FDLE then transported Pappas to the Nassau County Jail north of Jacksonville, Florida where he had his mugshot taken.

Pappas was booked on fifteen felony charges. The online booking information indicates that he was charged with 13 counts of possession of “child pornography,” although news accounts reported that he is subject to 13 felony counts of possession of “child sexual abuse material.” He is also charged with one count of transmission of CSAM and one count of unlawful use of a two-way communication device, for a total of 15 felony charges.

A bond was set in the total amount of $1,125,030.00, which is comprised or $75,020.00 for each of the 15 felony charges. It is the highest bond I have seen for the last 20 or so crew members arrested for possession of CSAM.

It’s clear that after nearly two years of investigation leading to 15 counts involving child pornography / sexual abuse materials, a cross-country extradition via private plane, a bond of over a million dollars, and some healthy smack-talk via Twitter, the FDLE is ready to send this pedophile cruise ship employee to jail for a long, long time.

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

Image credit: Theodore Pappas and FDLE agents – FDLE; Theodore Pappas, Jr. – Nassau County; Norwegian Bliss – Sea Cow CC BY-SA 4.0, commons / wikimedia.

An 18 year-old cruise passenger is facing a felony charge in Broward County after he and a gang of others beat and bloodied another passenger to the point of unconsciousness while on the Royal Caribbean Liberty of the Seas last Friday, according to WPLG Local 10 News.

Broward County police officers boarded the Liberty of the Seas after it returned to Port Everglades from a cruise to the Bahamas and arrested Michael White of Siler City, North Carolina.

At least two men were arrested (including White), although that person’s name did not appear in the Broward county court records according to the news account.

The Broward Sheriff’s arrest report indicates that the arrest followed a violent encounter in and around an elevator on the Royal Caribbean cruise ship. A couple of other passengers asked a group of teenagers and young men to “stop jumping up and down on the elevator” which was causing it to sway.

Investigating officers said the group started yelling and saying, “Bitch, who are you talking to?”

When the elevator stopped on the eighth floor, the couple tried to exit the elevator but were attacked.

“Once (the victim) got out, he said he started getting struck by individuals in the face area, causing him to stagger backward. After staggering backward, he fell to the floor and that’s when he started getting kicked. Also, at this point, (the victim) said he blacked out and the next thing he knew, he woke up in a pool of blood on the floor.”

White was arrested on a felony charge of aggravated battery causing bodily harm.

BSO records show he was released from jail on Saturday after posting a $5,000 bond.

This violent attack follows at least one other dangerous incident when the CEO of a financial services company choked and threatened to kill a fellow passengers who was dancing on a Virgin Voyages cruise ship (the Resilient Lady):

Carnival Cruise Line has essentially cornered the market, so to speak, on shipboard violence in its nightclubs and pool bars over the years. Not surprisingly, Carnival has the most physical assaults “leading to serious bodily injury” as per the language of federal law with a total of a least fourteen (14) physical assaults with serious bodily injury reported to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in 2023. (In comparison, there are only eight (8) physical assaults with serious injury on all other cruise lines combined making the fleet of Carnival cruise ships by far the most violent cruise ships sailing on the high seas).

Another Brawl Breaks Out on the Carnival Paradise

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

Image credit: Liberty of the Seas – WikiEK at English Wikipedia GNU Free Documentation License; Michael White – browardcountymugshots via WPLG Local 10 News.

According to a local news station in Houston, Texas, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) in Galveston found drugs while performing a baggage examination of a cruise passenger following the return of a cruise ship to the Port of Galveston Cruise Port on April 20th.

While checking the baggage, CBP officers reportedly found several vape pens with marijuana THC and several prescription pill bottles. Two of the bottles reportedly contained a powdery substance which tested positive for fentanyl and heroin, according to a press release by CBP. 

Another local news station in Houston reported that the cruise passenger was apprehended with more than 70 grams of heroin mixed with fentanyl and nearly 100 grams of THC vape oil, according to CBP officials.

CBP caption: Heroin and fentanyl were seized from a cruise passenger in Galveston on Sunday, April 20th.

CBP did not release the name of the passenger arrested. USA Today reported that the passenger, a 63-year-old U.S. citizen, was turned over to local authorities after he was arrested. The Port of Galveston Police Department identified the man as a resident of Henderson, Texas who was charged with possession of a controlled substance, a second-degree felony.

Although USA Today decided not to identify the passenger, a review of a database showing the identity of people arrested last Sunday by the Galveston Police Department, indicated that one 63-year-old man was arrested at the port of Galveston for possession of drugs. Jeffrey Don Conkey, age 63, was identified in the online database. A search of his name revealed that the Galveston County Daily News covered the drug arrest in more detail than all other newspapers. It confirmed that Conkey, of Henderson, Texas was returning from a cruise to Mexico when “federal law officers reported finding 2.5 ounces (over 70 grams) of heroin mixed with fentanyl, and 3.4 ounces (over 95 grams) of THC vape oil in his luggage Sunday at the Port of Galveston.”

Credit: Busted Newspaper.

“Conkey, a passenger on a Royal Caribbean ship, was picked for a more detailed than usual screening because he had been ‘encountered for bringing marijuana through a border crossing back in 2018,’ according to a probable cause affidavit.”

Conkey was booked in the Galveston County Jail and later released after he posted a $75,000 bond.

The CBP did not identify the name of the cruise ship where the person disembarked. However, the only cruise ship to arrive at the port of Galveston on Sunday, April 20th was Royal Caribbean’s Harmony of the Seas which returned from a seven day cruise to Roatan, Honduras and Costa Maya, Mexico. It is not unusual for federal law enforcement to not disclose the name of the cruise ship to avoid causing embarrassment to the cruise line.

According to the CDC and the CBP, synthetic opioids like fentanyl are the primary cause of overdose deaths in the United States.

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

April 24, 2025 Update: Conkey was also arrested in July 2021 on drug charges.

Image credit: Drugs – CBP press release via KHOU 11 (Houston); CBP press release; Jeffrey Don Conkey – Busted Newspaper; Harmony of the Seas – Kees Tom commons / wikimedia; Harmony of the Seas at Galveston port – Houston Public Media.

On April 8, 2025, we reported on the arrest of a Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) crew member on the Norwegian Bliss who was apprehended at the port of Los Angeles at 8:30 a.m. on April 4th for possession and transmission of child sexual abuse materials (CSAM).

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) stated in a press release that its investigation began almost two years ago (on July 24, 2023), “when agents received a cybertip from the National Center for Missing and Endangered Children (NCMEC) about an online account uploading files depicting children being sexually abused.” FDLE stated that the uploads of child sexual abuse materials (probably videos) “originated from Pappa’s account that is registered in Nassau County (FL), and that Pappas was employed by Norwegian Cruise Line.”

NCL has released very limited information about its pedophile ship employee working on its cruise ship. It released this cursory statement in response to an inquiry from USA TODAY about the arrest:

“The employee was dismissed from the company with a Do Not Rehire status as we have zero tolerance for this behavior.”

NCL is not revealing the pervert’s job title, how long he worked for NCL, or the possibility that he has videos of children who sailed on NCL cruise ships. We have inquired whether any NCL crew members know his job title or have access to any photographs of him.

Several NCL ship employees responded. All wish to remain anonymous fearing reprisal from NCL for speaking with our firm. We have learned that Pappas worked as the “Head of Broadcast” (i.e., a broadcast technician) aboard NCL’s Norwegian Bliss cruise ship. A colleague of his on the ship wrote: “This is truly horrifying — this man was onboard with unfettered access to children and Wi-Fi (in his position as head of broadcast he had more access to WiFi than regular crew) for the entire time he was under investigation.”

One of his colleagues provided us with a link to his Facebook page. He goes by “Banks Pappas” (Theo) and uses the photograph below on his home page.

We are in the process of obtaining a copy of the court file in Florida (where he will be prosecuted for his sex crimes), as we were unable to obtain any records or even a mug shot from the criminal and police files in Los Angeles.

We are still trying to determine how long Pappas worked aboard NCL cruise ships or whether he worked for other cruise lines in the past. If you have this information, we promise to protect your anonymity and will not reveal your identity under any circumstance.

April 16, 2025 Update:

I’m told by a reliable source (a P&O Australia crew member) that Pappas “worked for P&O Australia as well. He was video manager and made the cruise video back in the day. He was fired in 2012.”

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

Image credit: Child Sexual Abuse Materials Image – Addressing Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM): A Comprehensive Perspective; Theodore Burbank Pappas, Jr., – Facebook.

Cruise stocks rallied following President Trump’s announcement on Truth Social that all reciprocal tariffs will be paused for 90 days. This comes after cruise stocks dropped considerably last week with some major brands falling as much as 13 to 16 percent (in one day) after Trump’s initial tariff announcement on over 90 countries on his self-proclaimed “Liberation Day.” Read: Trump Tariffs Cause Cruise Stocks to Tumble.

A breakdown of major cruise stocks as of today is as follows:

Cruise Stocks Closing Prices April 9th:

  • Carnival Corporation: $19.61, up 17.50%
  • Royal Caribbean Group: $209.51, up 16.27%
  • Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings: $18.39, up 18.34%

Cruise stocks have been more volatile than the average S&P 500 companies in response to Trump’s tariff announcements. The S&P 500 jumped 9.5% today while major cruise stocks almost doubled that.

Notably, Cruise CEOs down-played (or played dumb) the potential negative effect tariffs had on the cruising industry at Seatrade Cruise Global’s event in Miami Beach, as reported by Cruise Industry News. In response to tariffs, Josh Weinstein CEO of Carnival Corporation said “The uncertainty and ripple effect absolutely has an impact. As of now the answer is we don’t know. It takes some time for people to get comfortable with the uncertainty.”

Drops in cruise stocks are due to more than just uncertainty. Concerns over consumer discretionary spending are front and center with the recent volatility. Cruise vacations will be the first item many families cut if they face financial insecurity due to the inflationary nature of tariffs. Investors have similar concerns regarding consumer discretionary spending for major U.S. airlines as their stocks dropped last week and mostly recovered today.

The 90 day pause on tariffs may bring stability to the global economy and industry outlook on cruising. Uncertainty will still prevail with Trump excluding China from the pause and raising its tariffs to 125%. The response from China, the internal backlash Trump will face, and the effects on the stock market remain to be seen.

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

A Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) ship employee has been arrested at the port of Los Angeles, California and charges with 13 counts of possession of child sexual abuse material, according to a release from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE). 

Theodore Burbank Pappas, Jr., age 47, was arrested by the Los Angeles Port Police and is currently being held at the Los Angeles Police Department Detention Facility with no bond. He will be extradited to Florida and prosecuted by the Office of the State Attorney, Fourth Judicial Circuit.

A review of the booking information show that Pappas was arrested at 8:30 a.m. on April 4, 2025, and then booked at the Los Angeles County Jail on the afternoon of the same day. On April 4th, 2025, the Norwegian Bliss was the only NCL cruise ship to arrive in Los Angeles, for a 5-night Mexican Riviera cruise. 

FDLE says they began investigating Pappas in 2023 when agents received a cyber-tip from the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children which had flagged an online account, registered to Pappas, uploading files with images of children being sexually abused, according to FDLE.

In addition to the child sexual abuse material charges, Pappas is also charged with one count each of transmission of child sexual abuse material and unlawful use of a two-way communication device (i.e., a cell phone), which are all felonies. 

FDLE obtained an arrest warrant and the Los Angeles Port Police arrested Pappas on April 4th. He is currently being held at the Los Angeles Police Department Detention Facility without bond, awaiting extradition to Florida.

Last year, there were at least 17 arrests of crew members for possession of child pornography / sexual abuse materials involving a number of cruise lines. Crew members from six companies were arrested on child pornography charges: Carnival – 7; Royal Caribbean – 4; Disney – 3; Celebrity – 1; Holland America Line – 1: and World Explorer -1.

In the past, we have referred to these type of cases as involving “child pornography” as opposed to “child sexual abuse materials.” While the term child pornography is still widely used by the public, it’s more accurate to call it what it is: evidence of child sexual abuse. That’s why many organizations stopped using the term child pornography and switched to referring to it as CSAM — child sexual abuse materials. We will now refer to these cases as involving “child sexual abuse materials.” As one sexual assault victim organization explained:

“While some of the pornography online depicts adults who have consented to be filmed, that’s never the case when the images depict children. Just as kids can’t legally consent to sex, they can’t consent to having images of their abuse recorded and distributed. Every explicit photo or video of a kid is actually evidence that the child has been a victim of sexual abuse.”

April 9, 2025 Update:

We have learned that Pappas worked as the “Head of Broadcast” (broadcast technician) aboard NCL’s Norwegian Bliss cruise ship. A colleague of his on the ship wrote: “This is truly horrifying — this man was onboard with unfettered access to children and Wi-Fi (in his position as head of broadcast he had more access to WiFi than regular crew) for the entire time he was under investigation.”

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

Image credit: Norwegian Bliss – Sea Cow CC BY-SA 4.0, commons / wikimedia; Child Sexual Abuse Materials Image – Addressing Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM): A Comprehensive Perspective.

Due to cuts by the Trump Administration, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is now lacking the staff and resources to continue cruise ship health inspections under the Vessel Sanitation Program (VSP).

“Restructuring plans” by U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (RFK, Jr.) wiped out the VSP’s ability to control and monitor illness outbreaks on cruise ships.

Cruise Industry News reports that there were significant layoffs earlier last week in the CDC’s Division of Environmental Health Science and Practice, which oversees the VSP.

Cruise Industry News reports that “the VSP was put in place to inspect health standards on cruise ships, issuing a very public score on how well ships are operating and maintaining public health standards across eight areas. It also monitors data on illnesses onboard and responded to outbreaks.”

CDC May Stop Inspecting Cruise Ships

The cut back comes at a crucial time for the cruise industry which is experiencing an unprecedented number of gastrointestinal outbreaks on cruise ships.

As we reported last week, this year there have been 12 outbreaks of gastrointestinal illness on cruises calling on U.S. ports. Ten of these outbreaks were caused by the very contagious norovirus. Last year (2024), there were 16 gastrointestinal (GI) outbreaks on cruise ships. In 2023, there was a total of 14 cruise outbreaks. At the current rate, on an annualized basis there will be 48 GI cruise ship outbreaks if the cruise sicknesses continue at this record rate.

The Street reported “with the recent uptick in cruise ship norovirus outbreaks, the loss of a program designed to prevent and control public health issues on cruise ships is concerning news for cruise passengers.”

CBS News reported that the most recent outbreak report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention founds that 224 of 2,538 passengers became ill from norovirus while on board the Cunard cruise line ship Queen Mary 2, along with 17 crew members. The outbreak comes on the heels of the worst year for cruise ship-based gastrointestinal outbreaks in over a decade, according to CNN.

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

April 13, 2025 Update:

This story has been picked up by the national press:

CDC Cuts Cruise Ship Health Inspectors as Puke-Filled Year Rages On

CDC’s cruise ship inspectors laid off amid bad year for outbreaks

HHS Lays Off All Full-Time Cruise Ship Health Inspectors Amid Illness Outbreaks: Report

Image Credit: Queen Mary 2 – Ahecht CC BY-SA 4.0, commons / wikimedia; gastrointestinal outbreak – CDC VSP.

Following President Trump’s tariff announcement yesterday (April 3) and the market downturn, cruise stocks have dropped across the board. Cruise Industry News reports today that the major cruise line traded “considerably down at market close compared to other major companies and the S&P 500 index.”

U.S. Tariffs Send Cruise Stocks Plummeting

“While the S&P 500 average ended the day at almost 5 percent down, that was far better than the three cruise lines below on the stock exchange as Wall Street worries about consumer spending on discretionary items was front and center.” Royal Caribbean, Carnival and Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings stock prices all dropped between eleven and seventeen percent.

Cruise Stocks: Closing Prices April 3:

  • Carnival Corporation: $17.28, down 13.69 percent;
  • Royal Caribbean Group: $188.33; down 11.17 percent; and
  • Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings: $16.31; down 16.36 percent.

It is clear that the tariffs will continue to affect discretionary spending, plus there’s the issue of tourists outside of the U.S. boycotting travel to U.S. ports.

I don’t pretend to be a financial analyst but these factors will undoubtedly cause cruise stock to continue to fall, as least in the short term. The S&P 500 average ended the day down five and one-half percent (5.50 %) after losing over 2,200 points. The three major cruise stocks continued to fall today but not as much as the Dow Jones.

Today’s Cruise Stocks Closing Prices:

  • Carnival Corporation: $16.50, down 4.46% percent;
  • Royal Caribbean Group: $177.93, down 5.86 percent; and
  • Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings: $15.69, down 3.74% percent.

As the conservative Wall Street Journal reported, “after the tariff announcement was made, Wall Street was plunged into a two-day rout that erased $6.6 trillion in stock-market value.

Readers of our Face Book page left us the following comments regarding these issues:

  • No doubt the tariffs will definitely affect discretionary spending, plus there’s the issue of tourists outside of the U.S. boycotting travel to U.S. ports.
  • Planes are full going to Europe. Not so much on return.
  • The tourist market out of Australia has seen Japan and Korea become top tourist destinations. The US lost its lustre a long time ago.
  • The sentiment towards traveling from Europe to the US is quite negative. Not yet a “ban” but people are discussing those matters a lot.

The president says that he is committed to imposing these tariffs, so it appears that consumer prices will continue to rise and discretionary spending will tighten. Canadians and Europeans may continue to be hesitant to travel to the U.S. and travel on cruise ships based here. Read: “I feel utter anger”: From Canada to Europe, a movement to boycott US goods is spreading.

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

Image credit: PortMiami – PortMiami