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News & Current Events Apr 16, 2026 at 1:43 AM

Injured passenger awarded $300,000 after a Miami federal jury finds Carnival overserved her alcohol

Posted by KimJongFunk

Injured passenger awarded $300,000 after a Miami federal jury finds Carnival overserved her alcohol
AP News
Injured passenger awarded $300,000 after a Miami federal jury finds Carnival overserved her alcohol
Carnival Cruise Line must pay $300,000 to a former passenger after a federal jury in South Florida found that the company was negligent in serving the woman more than a dozen shots of tequila before she fell and suffered a possible traumatic brain injury.
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BirdLawyer50 3 days ago +519
Feels like this was less about overserving and more about a missing set of surveillance footage from a restricted area she found herself in?
519
bluemitersaw 3 days ago +255
"missing". Ya, everyone knows it's not just missing but they deleted it. Something happened inside those 30 min and they figured it was better to delete the evidence and take their chances. Depending on what happened in those 30 minutes, $300k might be a bargain.
255
MetikMas 3 days ago +90
You’d be shocked how many camera systems on cruise ships just don’t work at all. It’s insane
90
thenasch 2 days ago +17
If they thought it was a bargain they wouldn't be angling for a new trial.
17
Kind_Advisor_35 2 days ago +19
It's not the judgement amount they're worried about so much as the precedent. They don't want the next person that suffers a similar injury in similar circumstances on one of their ships to have an easier time suing them for it. Their ideal situation is being able to get cases like this dismissed before trial, and it's harder to get it dismissed when they've been found liable before.
19
_Ban_Evader 2 days ago +44
Yeah, isn't Carnival's alcohol package 18 drinks per day? She did 14 over most of the day, mid-afternoon to midnight. The amount of alcohol seems in line with their policies. Also, pretty normal for a hard drinker on a cruise. When we went we tried drinking everything offered to us and exhausted our cards without ever getting properly drunk, so the next day we saved em up until evening. Granted we were f****** alcoholics, but still. 1 drink on a cruise doesn't mean straight liquor unless you go out of your way to order that. Most of these drinks are gonna be half fruit juice and blue shit.
44
PogoMarimo 2 days ago +11
No. It IS about over-serving. The missing footage is just convenient mens reas for the claimant's case and a consideration for sentencing. Without the footage obstruction, the case for gross negligence still exists. Without the over-servicing, there is no case. She would just be a sober person who fell down and hit her head.
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KimJongFunk 3 days ago +221
Full article text: > MIAMI (AP) — Carnival Cruise Line must pay $300,000 to a former passenger after a federal jury in South Florida found that the company was negligent in serving the woman more than a dozen shots of tequila before she fell down some stairs and suffered a possible traumatic brain injury. > The Miami federal jury decided last Friday in favor of Diana Sanders, a 45-year-old nurse from Vacaville, California. > “Taking on a corporate giant like Carnival is a massive undertaking, and I have enormous respect for my client’s resilience throughout this 18-month litigation,” Sanders’ attorney Spencer Aronfeld said in an email. “This case highlights the inherent dangers of all-inclusive drink packages, which encourage excessive consumption and pressure underpaid servers to prioritize tips over safety.” > A statement from Carnival Corporation said it respectfully disagrees with the verdict and believes there are grounds for a new trial and appeal, which it will pursue. > According to the lawsuit, Sanders was a passenger aboard the Carnival Radiance on Jan. 5, 2024, when was served at least 14 shots between approximately 2:58 p.m. and 11:37 p.m. She experienced a fall some time between 11:45 p.m. and 12:20 a.m. that caused her to suffer a concussion, headaches, a possible traumatic brain injury, back injuries, tailbone injuries, bruising and other injuries, the complaint said. > Aronfeld said jurors were presented with evidence of 30 minutes of missing surveillance video from the time Sanders left the C***** bar until she was found unconscious in a crew only area. > In a separate case that is still ongoing, the fiancée of a man who died on a cruise ship filed a wrongful death lawsuit last year against Royal Caribbean, alleging it negligently served him at least 33 alcoholic drinks and was liable for his death after crew members tackled him to the ground and stood on him with their full body weight.
221
Primsun 3 days ago +373
>**Aronfeld said jurors were presented with evidence of 30 minutes of missing surveillance video from the time Sanders left the C***** bar until she was found unconscious in a crew only area.** Yeah ... as with these cases usually something more then the headline going on. A lot of questions packed into that sentence. Juries aren't handing out 300,000 dollar judgements simply for getting drunk and falling down stairs.
373
EPZO 3 days ago +101
That's the part that stood out to me, something very fishy there.
101
Wloak 2 days ago +13
The official story is she had 14 shots, 15 is the max they should serve. But bartenders like tips, and if you do they might leave that bottle upside down over your cup a little longer than they should, and every single bar has cameras on it.
13
Xnut0 3 days ago +97
Deleting evidence like that, while not proof in itself, is surely suspicious.  Makes me speculate in if there could have been crew involvement as she fell in the crew area. Attempted sexual assault comes to mind, something that would cost the company way more than what could be expected from a simple fall down the stairs.  Still the company's shouldn't be convicted based on lack of evidence.
97
Codfish_Smoothie 3 days ago +86
>Still the company's shouldn't be convicted based on lack of evidence. They should if they're the ones who are responsible for keeping the evidence. That line of thinking creates a perverse incentive, it's why cops constantly have "bodycam failures" whenever they're doing something illegal. If lack of camera footage leads to acquittal, then the company will simply always delete any camera footage that would hurt them in court.
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juicius 3 days ago +24
> company's shouldn't be convicted based on lack of evidence. It's called [spoilage](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tampering_with_evidence) and could be very disadvantageous to the other party, the reason being that they knew a claim was coming, and was asked to preserve it (the article doesn't say but a preservation letter *always* goes out), and through negligence or an intentional act, made the evidence unavailable. And of course, no one is **convicted** as this is a civil case, and in a civil case, you can recover against negligence.
24
Kind_Advisor_35 2 days ago +4
Yeah, civil juries can't base their verdict solely on missing evidence, but they are told to assume missing evidence may be damaging evidence if it was clearly not properly preserved.
4
hatemakingnames1 3 days ago +7
The evidence is that they're lacking that specific recording, when they have all the other recordings
7
idontknowjuspickone 3 days ago +356
45 years old and still blaming others for her bad decisions, shameful
356
TrojanThunder 3 days ago +108
Nurse. Ugh. Why is it always nurses?
108
roox911 3 days ago +47
Nurses have a reputation for a reason
47
backtojacks 3 days ago +39
Bartenders are generally legally obligated to stop serving alcohol to visibly intoxicated patrons in most places in the U.S.
39
roox911 3 days ago +116
14 drinks after 9 hours though.. like there are loads of people that wouldn't be visibly drunk after that session. I don't even drink much and I could power through that without looking or feeling too awful as long as I had a glass of water every hour or so. Not to mention there are a dozen bars to go to on a cruise, so it's not even plausible that one bartender sat there watching her drink all day.
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ShittyPostWatchdog 3 days ago +99
How is everyone just ignoring the 30 mins of missing security footage and ending up in a crew only area?  Crew staff are sketch as f***, something stinks here. 
99
Orleanian 3 days ago +24
Meh, this is worded in a sketchy way, but I'm inclined to think that crew came across her faceplanted ass stumbling to get up, and escorted her to a staff lounge, or something of that nature, to be out of harm's way.
24
Alive_kiwi_7001 3 days ago +35
Why is the footage missing? Maybe bad maintenance, but it's hard not be suspicious of these two things together.
35
obvilious 3 days ago +15
Sure, just make up a story that suits your comfort level.
15
Professional-Cap-495 3 days ago +7
Or make up a story to fit your narrative, you don't gotta assume the worst.
7
fresh-dork 3 days ago +5
given how wired up any modern cruise ship is, missing a chunk of time is automatically suspicious
5
Primsun 3 days ago +7
Yeah, like most of these cases usually there is something more then the headline which makes the point
7
psuedopseudo 3 days ago +31
I have to think the 30 minutes of missing surveillance footage played a big part in the verdict. 14 drinks over a day, voluntarily taken, might not outrage jurors, but shady looking stuff like that certainly does.
31
mrjim87x 3 days ago +1226
Damn imagine being on a cruise where they limit you to 3 drinks because this happened. I would never go one a cruise before this tbh but the whole vibe I got was being shit faced for a week on a boat.
1226
eriverside 3 days ago +185
Fine print on the all you can drink package limits you to 14 alcoholic drinks per day.
185
Wartburg13 3 days ago +54
Not on Royal.
54
chubbytitties 3 days ago +35
I was about to say, I 100% went over 14.
35
rodmandirect 3 days ago +19
So, 28 drinks?
19
skatastic57 3 days ago +13
And if you compare the package to just buying them one at a time, you've got to drink like 11/day for it to be worth it.
13
seancbo 2 days ago +3
Yeah exactly, it's a steal
3
eriverside 3 days ago +2
On carnival.
2
mrjim87x 3 days ago +39
That will probably be lowered after this.
39
MiaowaraShiro 3 days ago +8
Y'know... I'm *real* tired of straight up lying in advertising... there's no way to interpret that as anything but a limit of 14 drinks, not "all you can drink" in any way.
8
RoadkillVenison 3 days ago +4
15 for carnival, although thats 15 covered drinks. So if you have to pay for a drink before that limit then it isn’t counted, however no additional drinks can be bought after 15.
4
KimJongFunk 3 days ago +172
The experience depends on the cruise line and length of the sailing. A short trip on Carnival will be a booze cruise, but a 10 day sailing on Princess will be more like a retirement home. Then there are the exciting adventure cruises that go to places like Antarctica :)
172
wvblocks 3 days ago +201
All Carnival Cruises fall somewhere between a walmart and a trailer park depending on the length and location.
201
IAmDotorg 3 days ago +15
Carnival is basically being locked in a Golden Corral for a week with the People of Walmart.
15
KimJongFunk 3 days ago +76
Carnival is the Walmart of the Seas, Royal Caribbean is Target, and MSC is IKEA.
76
mrjim87x 3 days ago +71
That all sounds awful
71
waitthissucks 3 days ago +13
Idk I'd like to party in an ikea. I actually have gotten drunk in an ikea with some friends before and then we ate some meatballs and looked around the little installations. I'm fun ok!!
13
LemonPuckerFace 3 days ago +4
I learned my lesson about drunk ikea'ing after I bought 3 identical kitchen carts, a bunch of loose dinner plates that didn't survive the trip home, and more USB-C cables than I will ever need in 10 lifetimes.
4
praetorian1979 3 days ago +12
What's Margartaville?
12
KimJongFunk 3 days ago +32
Family Dollar
32
mav194 3 days ago +10
Virgin is dope though.
10
UnicornFarts1111 3 days ago +28
Until they send you to Canada when you were expecting Bermuda, lol.
28
wvblocks 3 days ago +8
Eh MSC YC is like a really fancy IKEA.
8
CoryTrevorLaheyPoop 3 days ago +24
I've always thought of cruises as a floating walmart you can't leave. Never been on one and likely never will. And if they start limiting drinks that is a 100% never will because I am not gonna be sober at floating walmart.
24
RustySheriffsBadge1 3 days ago +19
I think it’s highly dependent on your period of life. I’ve gone with my children and it’s a blast for them. Us parents aren’t exactly boozing with small children around.
19
ArdillasVoladoras 3 days ago +19
Parenting toddlers while hungover is basically self mutilation as well
19
nerevisigoth 3 days ago +4
Yeah but have you been in a retirement home lately? They have bars!
4
mrjim87x 3 days ago +9
I mean I would love to go to Antarctica im also a bartender soooo. (I wouldn’t do it sober lmao)
9
ArboristTreeClimber 3 days ago +3
But it’s also insanely expensive. I know someone who took a one week cruise and had to pay like $1,000 for a “drink package”.
3
Fritzkreig 3 days ago +3191
Yo, 14 shots in like 9 hours is not that insane‽
3191
roox911 3 days ago +1754
Yeah, 1.5 drinks an hour isn't exactly wild for a party type session.
1754
eSue182 3 days ago +489
Wisconsin has entered the chat
489
MinocquaMenace 3 days ago +289
Live born and raised in Wisconsin. 14 shots over 9 hours isn’t abnormal. Could do 3-4 shots just in the first 30 minutes as a warm up while having my first drink or 2. I don’t even drink a lot.
289
Still-Cash1599 3 days ago +71
Im in the great plains and I'm trying to figure out the abnormal part and I don't really drink. I would wager 25% of my clients have 3-4 shots before noon.
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Fritzkreig 3 days ago +18
You in oil?
18
Still-Cash1599 3 days ago +41
That doesn't exist here. The ag folks are alchys in addition to the republican establishment.
41
elite0x33 3 days ago +66
Neighbor was from Wisconsin, he introduced me to death cup. I only remember moonshine and fireball, no idea what else was in there. Wasn't regular moonshine either, shit tasted like it could power a jet turbine and I swear it removed a layer from my throat. Anyway, I threw up, just stuck to beer after that.
66
PurpleCoat6656 3 days ago +28
Death cup is not a thing. You got played. Or worse.
28
meggan_u 3 days ago +74
We called it kings cup. And it was a college drinking game. And it was a bit of everything everyone was drinking. Born and raised in Wisconsin. Went to college at Point.
74
The14thWarrior 3 days ago +21
This was/is a college drinking game on the west coast as well
21
evilmonkey853 3 days ago +9
It was all fun and games until guy that “liked cocktails” poured some of his White Russian in.
9
BettyKat7 3 days ago +11
“Could do 3-4 shots just in the first 30 minutes…while having my first drink or 2. I don’t even drink a lot.” [You don’t](https://media4.giphy.com/media/v1.Y2lkPTZjMDliOTUybjFnMTR0eW42Y3FoanVrdzRiZnNsYXVmdjJzYTJzbHllajQwcmdtMiZlcD12MV9pbnRlcm5hbF9naWZfYnlfaWQmY3Q9Zw/RILsqUte1MME7TzQJ9/giphy.gif)?!
11
Secludedmean4 3 days ago +16
I think they mean comparatively in Wisconsin
16
Fritzkreig 3 days ago +5
I don't know the reason for it; but there is honestly all the seasons for it; and I am from Indiana!
5
Secret_Cow_5053 3 days ago +3
Can confirm. Married a Wisconsin girl.
3
Boing_Boing 3 days ago +42
Let alone a carnival cruise.
42
Windturnscold 3 days ago +44
Pretty sure 1/hr is sobriety for people above a certain size
44
Momoselfie 3 days ago +14
Maybe she's 90 lbs
14
strewthmate 3 days ago +22
Almost legal driving limit if they're spaced evenly over the time..
22
Secret_Cow_5053 3 days ago +7
Over 9 hours? This is an international flight, not a rave. Oh wait….a cruise line? In Miami? Uhm….isn’t that the point? This actually sounds like just good customer service.
7
kenyard 3 days ago +19
The case says there's 30mins of missing footage and she's found unconscious near the crew area. Honestly sounds like this is being passed off as booze covering something an assault up so it's swept over. There won't be any policy changes
19
mrjim87x 3 days ago +262
That’s a Tuesday in the service industry.
262
cloud9surfing 3 days ago +71
Lol my first thought was I’m pretty sure I’ve drank more then that during a shift not even a double shift
71
mrjim87x 3 days ago +16
I’m like bender from futurama.
16
butcher_666 3 days ago +11
Give me your strongest, cheapest drink
11
Channel250 3 days ago +4
Mix them all in a big jug.
4
cloud9surfing 3 days ago +4
Fueled by booze? I guess I’m Flexo then cuz I’m right with you
4
Daratirek 3 days ago +2
I have definitely drank a lot more than this in a lot shorter time but that was 25 year old me being an idiot.
2
IdiotMD 3 days ago +9
Just a long shift.
9
taemyks 3 days ago +172
For a seasoned drinker not really. Especially if youre eating
172
TSL4me 3 days ago +27
Especially those cruise ship shots.
27
ImpressionTough2179 3 days ago +31
Exactly. Those 14 shots were probably a lot closer to 7 actual shots.
31
jason2354 3 days ago +321
Certainly not enough to warrant a $300K verdict. Those 14 shots were probably served by multiple people. Why would they have an obligation to notice? I’m not even sure I’d expect Carnival to flag it in their computer system (assuming it’s being tracked for other reasons) if it was over the span of an entire day. I bet this gets reduced on appeal.
321
ameliacanlove 3 days ago +72
I used to run a bar (not on a cruise ship, nor have I been on one) & in my state, legally bartenders & permit holders of liquor licenses have the obligation to not serve someone who is “visibly intoxicated”. Dram Shop laws primarily exist with the intention of preventing drunk driving so I’m a little surprised similar laws apparently apply on ships. I’m not saying I agree with it, just giving an answer.
72
hatemakingnames1 3 days ago +25
> Aronfeld said jurors were presented with evidence of 30 minutes of missing surveillance video from the time Sanders left the C***** bar until she was found unconscious in a crew only area. Mysteriously missing evidence is enough to convince me that she was visibly intoxicated Large companies that record everything always seem to be missing evidence when they're being sued for negligence, except when it proves they're not at fault
25
Fritzkreig 3 days ago +73
100^^% Yo, I buy drinks for others; this case is silly IMHO!
73
jason2354 3 days ago +58
The only thing I can think of to justify it is the fact that there is 30 minutes of security footage that is conveniently missing that would show her state of being prior to and during the fall. It’s still her fault and I bet they assigned like 90% of the fault to her accordingly. The 10% going to Carnival is the convenience tax for the missing video. That’s why the award is only $300K. If they found carnival to be more at fault, she would have gotten a lot more.
58
iritchie001 3 days ago +7
Yeah, she had a good lawyer.
7
kenyard 3 days ago +9
This settlement smells like an assault but being glossed over as booze and a fall. 30 minutes of missing footage. Saying she fell down a stairs. Not enough evidence for either side so basically an in between settlement. Give the payout and hope the story dies.
9
OnTheEveOfWar 3 days ago +14
I honestly don’t think I would feel buzzed if I drank that much over 9 hours. 1.5 shots per hour isn’t much to get most people blacked out drunk. Unless you weigh 90 lbs and don’t eat food or drink water.
14
praetorian1979 3 days ago +20
I was expecting to read 14 shots in an hour or maybe ninety minutes. 14 over 9 hours is nothing unless it's 151 or everclear...
20
CoryTrevorLaheyPoop 3 days ago +64
Yea wtf. I'm guessing she had other drinks and unless they have to swipe a card there is no way to track how much someone drinks, I am certain there are dozens of bars on the ship so nobody knows to cut them off unless they are visibly hammered, which I am very good at hiding. And if one bar rejects you then you go to another and straighten up better and try again. Just gonna cause them to implement a system to electronically count drinks and ruin cruises for responsible drunks like myself. If I get so drunk I fall down some stairs that's on me, wouldn't be the first time.
64
Notablueperson 3 days ago +24
I guess I have no idea for sure, but I think that some cruises do track how many drinks you have in a day with your room number or something. And I know plenty of cruise ships have limits on how many drinks they’ll serve you in an hour, but no idea how they keep track of it.
24
MinocquaMenace 3 days ago +19
I thought all purchases made on the ship are done through your access card. Same card that gets you in your room. You pay out at the end. Also if a bartender cuts you off I think they just disallow your ability to buy alcohol with your card for x amount of time, so going to another bar wouldn’t work. I had a friend get cut off and I think that’s what they did to him and made him go to his room for 3-5 hours or something.
19
Rod_Belding 3 days ago +28
Carnival has a 15 drinks in a 24 hour limit. She would have had to swipe her card for each drink unless someone else gave her theirs. Regardless if she had the drink package or not 15 is the official limit.
28
SonOfMcGee 3 days ago +4
I happened to know that because I just saw a funny video of a guy recording himself working his way up to 15 on a cruise. It’s surely an unhealthy thing to do with any frequency. But on a vacation where your main activity is lounging around, if you space it out with plenty of food in between you’re not falling-down drunk.
4
Fritzkreig 3 days ago +21
Obviously she was not driving; I don't want to put any glory in here, but I would be a millionaire with all the bars that over served me. Have a DD and be yourself, but f****** take responsibility for your own actions; is say you call down some stairs or something!
21
Easy_Olive1942 3 days ago +48
Depends on your body weight and how the volume was distributed over that time. For a short/small woman, 3-4 in an hour could be way too much.
48
DeltaShadowSquat 3 days ago +90
Which is why it's incredibly stupid to put the responsibility on the server.
90
TheAndrewBrown 3 days ago +25
For what it’s worth, it was *at least* 14 and they showed evidence that 30 minutes of surveillance footage was missing, likely meaning Carnival was intentionally trying to hide something. Plus, I feel like the quantity isn’t really what’s in question, it’s whether or not to keep serving someone who’s obviously becoming a danger to themselves and possibly others. Quantity is a terrible measure given how differently people can react to the same amount of alcohol.
25
Shopworn_Soul 3 days ago +11
Kinda depends on how you take 'em. 2 shots at noon and then 12 between 8pm and 9pm is a somewhat different proposition than a couple every hour throughout the day.
11
Puzzleheaded-Bed4682 3 days ago +3
Id be fine after 14 shots in 9 hours but sign me up for that class action!!
3
Lopsided-Equipment-2 3 days ago +3
na, thats like a normal fishing trip for some people
3
HSIOT55 3 days ago +3
Shit in my 20s that was just a Tuesday. 
3
anormalgeek 3 days ago +8
9 hours is a long time. That's probably not THAT bad. Standard rule of thumb is that your body metabolizes one standard drink in about 1 hour. If those 14 shots were evenly spaced out, they'd likely be drunk, but not "throw up on yourself" drunk. However, if that breaks down to like 13 shots in hour one, then one shot in hour 9, it's a very different story.
8
UnicornFarts1111 3 days ago +10
This rule applies to men. It takes women longer to process it than men. Women usually tend to have a lower body weight, so it takes less alcohol to get them to the same BAC as men.
10
Sorry-Belt-3514 3 days ago +2
Was she a little person? I didn’t read the article.
2
MagicPistol 3 days ago +2
That's normal for my friends and I when partying...
2
myychair 3 days ago +2
Well it’ll def be against the rules now
2
royalenocheese 3 days ago +2
With food that's a completely normal party day. F***, during covid that was just game night which was maybe half that time.
2
Daratirek 3 days ago +2
I expected far more than that. Im surprised the jury awarded anything.
2
weareeverywhereee 3 days ago +2
It’s definitely a lot but it’s less than the size of a standard bottle of booze This person was definitely wrecked but in my heyday of drinking this was pretty doable in a shorter time frame Additionally they are cruise ship shots which often are like half juice
2
taemyks 3 days ago +1980
The problem customer f****** it for the rest of the drinkers.
1980
AudibleNod 3 days ago +425
Now I'm going to have to steal half full drinks off of other people's tables like I'm a damned middle schooler.
425
taemyks 3 days ago +72
I had an ex like that. Worst decision ever
72
snarktopusrex 3 days ago +37
What was the bad decision, to date them or dump them?
37
G-I-T-M-E 3 days ago +63
Not getting in on the drink stealing thing
63
AllMyExesRTXs 3 days ago +8
They coulda had a real good thing going.
8
greatgoogliemoogly 2 days ago +5
I tried this move as a freshman in high school. I chugged the remainder of a bottle of wine at a wedding. It was disgusting and I almost threw up, but I was going to get drunk for the first time! After I finished I looked at the label and realized it was non-alcoholic wine.
5
DylanRed 3 days ago +28
I threw house parties in college and would go around drinking the 'opened but barely sipped' or 'poured but barely sipped ' treasures the morning after during clean up.
28
vr1252 3 days ago +37
I did this in high school and drank way too many cigarette butts 🤮
37
I_Am_Day_Man 3 days ago +25
Cigarettes and dip spit 🤢
25
SayerofNothing 3 days ago +10
Reminds me of the guy that ate all the peanuts left out at the nursing home he worked at, until he realized they used to be chocolate covered peanuts.
10
Interesting-Ice7313 3 days ago +36
Ladies and gentlemen… I’ve found patient zero for Covid
36
the_blackfish 3 days ago +5
Like Spaulding from Caddyshack!
5
Anal_Herschiser 2 days ago +2
"I'm not an alcoholic; I'm addicted to frugality."
2
_Magnolia_Fan_ 3 days ago +32
Cruises are about to get a lot more square on their alcohol policies.
32
renegrape 3 days ago +12
It tolls for thee, dude
12
Capital-Mine1561 3 days ago +501
Passenger awarded for their own stupidity
501
fartonisto 3 days ago +67
Finally getting rewarded for alcoholism!
67
Unumbotte 3 days ago +5
Damn I wish I could get in on that. But my stupidity gets in the way of my ability to cash in on my stupidity.
5
think_up 3 days ago +105
> Aronfeld said jurors were presented with evidence of 30 minutes of missing surveillance video from the time Sanders left the C***** bar until she was found unconscious in a crew only area. That’s a bit weird. But otherwise, if you drink too much then that’s on you. Now the cruise lines have to track how much every single person drinks and limit you. So much for “unlimited” drink packages.
105
snark-owl 3 days ago +86
Oh I don't like that. I'm pretty sure I was roofied via a lemon shot from a bartender in Italy, so the idea of this lady doing shots, ending up in a crew area, and missing footage would have had me siding with her on that jury from the pure fact that is fishy. 
86
OddBranch132 3 days ago +77
I suspect this will be another McDonald's coffee incident where shit is much worse than *just* over serving.
77
psuedopseudo 3 days ago +27
And, like the McDonalds case, corporations will use it to ask for legal reform and say “because of lawyers you’re not allowed to party anymore!”
27
kobylaz 3 days ago +18
I see this quoted from time to time as a joke but the women was basically burnt down to the bone no? 🥴
18
OddBranch132 3 days ago +15
Yeah that's what I'm saying. This 30 min of no security footage is a weird thing to add
15
Codfish_Smoothie 3 days ago +13
Yes. And McDonald's had previously been warned multiple times that they were serving coffee at an unsafe temperature. The fucked up part is that they served the coffee too hot on purpose because it would make people take longer to drink it, so fewer people would take advantage of free refills.
13
LF3000 18 hr ago +3
Yeah, and apparently she alleged she had bruising on her inner thighs, which raises even more red flags to me.
3
AudibleNod 3 days ago +324
[Carnival Cruise lines has CBP agents roaming the halls and detaining American citizens without probable cause. ](https://www.cruiselawnews.com/2026/01/articles/legal/u-s-veteran-wrongfully-detained-by-cbp-agents-on-carnival-cruise/) Something to consider when planning a vacation.
324
Flash_ina_pan 3 days ago +36
Yet another reason not to go on cruises.
36
moreobviousthings 3 days ago +60
Those ships are all foreign flagged. How is that allowed?
60
KimJongFunk 3 days ago +48
That’s true of almost all major cruise ships. The sole exception is Norwegian Cruise Line’s Pride of America which sails exclusively in Hawaii.
48
cyanidelemonade 3 days ago +29
If the ship is entering US waters, CBP can search it and anyone on board.
29
ktr83 3 days ago +19
Article says the boat was docked in Miami and the man was mistaken for someone they had a warrant for. Foreign flagged ships still have to obey local laws wherever they are.
19
KimJongFunk 3 days ago +26
Thank you for sharing this. I had no idea and I have some booking scheduled with them that I now have to revisit.
26
cyanidelemonade 3 days ago +20
They don't roam the halls. They get info from the cruise line (edit: EVERY cruise line that docks in US ports), then if they think there is a person of interest on board, they go and get that person. Not defending, just explaining.
20
svbstvnce 3 days ago +12
Stop spreading misinformation to fit a narrative. Did you bother reading the article? They don’t roam the halls and they’re not detaining citizens without probable cause. The cruise was docked at a port at the time that they went aboard to apprehend someone. Yes it ended up being mistaken identity which isn’t good, but it’s worlds apart from the picture you’re trying to paint.
12
gimpers420 3 days ago +116
To be honest, every bartender has over-served a customer every shift they have ever worked, whether they knew it or not.
116
2012Tribe 3 days ago +183
The term “over-served” is a wild way of transferring agency from the drinker to the server
183
Abradolf1948 3 days ago +37
It makes zero sense that if you drink that much at home and fall down some public steps, it's your fault. But if you drink that much at a bar and fall down those same steps, it's the bartenders fault.
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adnelik 3 days ago +8
In the state of Washington, servers can be held liable for over serving. It's learned while getting your permit to serve.
8
nethingelse 3 days ago +10
IL is like this too. I had to take their state training when I worked at a gas station that sold liquor and they were very scummy about offloading the responsibility of alcohol consumption onto the point of sale.
10
KnotSoSalty 3 days ago +12
It’s a reverse logic sort of judgement. The server has to anticipate if the customer will regret their decisions.
12
chanciehome 3 days ago +12
Truth. At least on a cruise they are not driving home. (Im a recovering alcoholic that just can't say no, and have no "whoa, I'm getting lit, better stop." filter. I will be walking and talking normal, be at what must be a.200+ and have absolutely no memory of the binge. I cannot imagine how hard it is to keep track of patrons and stop serving when you have dozens of people at the bar, not to mention relying on your servers to help monitor. Unless some one is being belligerent or falling down it is impossible for them to gage how inebriated ​someone is.)
12
gimpers420 3 days ago +6
That was my thought, especially something with multiple bars with multiple bartenders at each spot. And keep on keeping on, I have no self control when it comes to drinking and had to stop buying it because if it was at the house it would’ve gone. Woke up a few months ago and had drank 20 beers in like 6 hours and didn’t even realize it. Now I only buy whiskey and a 1/5 will last me a couple weeks instead of a night.
6
chanciehome 3 days ago +4
I didnt even consider all of the different bars/servers. ugh yeah, you get it... I've taken on the motto of "if i don't buy it i can't have it" I still crave it like mad, but have stopped going to my spots and stopped buying it. I might have a drink at dinner, but I just can't have it in the house without popping another one. my wallet and liver are happier, so there's that!
4
gimpers420 3 days ago +4
It’s those small things that really help! I used to love Jameson but would just burn through it because it tasted so good in the drinks I made. I just stopped buying it ($22-$26) where I live and started buying more expensive bottles to discipline myself that way I wouldn’t just drink it all in 1-2 days. The current 1/5 I have is about 2/3rds full and I’ve had like 5 drinks from it the last 2 weeks. That being all said I went to a Metal Music Festival Cruise 2 years ago, got the drink package and probably had easily 20 drinks a day. But we were also eating properly and drinking water like mad. This is such a tricky situation and probably one of the many reasons it took 18 months to settle. I can’t really blame either party in this one. Did she go to the same bartender all day? Was she on her phone/distracted when walking down the stairs? I was sober as a goose last night and tripped down 3 steps because I was stupidly on my phone and not paying attention. I’m glad she won the case either way and hope she can recover. But I still don’t really know which way I lean on who’s at fault. There’s just too many scenarios.
4
nouniquenamesleft2 3 days ago +10
this is bad news for cruise drunks
10
PriestofAlvis 3 days ago +74
Rewarded for a pathetic lack of personal responsibility
74
EPZO 3 days ago +40
Y'all need to read the full thing: >**Aronfeld said jurors were presented with evidence of 30 minutes of missing surveillance video from the time Sanders left the C***** bar until she was found unconscious in a crew only area.** That's pretty scary stuff, that's probably why they granted the 300k, not the fall down the stairs.
40
akindofuser 3 days ago +88
Imagine getting paid to be a zero self disciplined drunk.
88
Primsun 3 days ago +69
>Aronfeld said jurors were presented with evidence of 30 minutes of missing surveillance video from the time Sanders left the C***** bar until she was found unconscious in a crew only area. Imagine grabbing a drink at the bar at a rate of \~1.5 an hour, then reappearing after some missing footage with a whole host of injuries. Honestly, 50/50 if drugs/something else was involved. Like most cases like this, the jury ain't simply handing out checks for being "drunk" any more then McDonalds got hit after someone had 3rd degree burns all over their lower body from McDonald's coffee (which was known to be dangerous to McDonald's and irresponsibly over 190 degrees when served).
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teal_ninja 2 days ago +5
14 shots over 9 hours is not that bad, lol.
5
CantAffordzUsername 3 days ago +32
How dare you give me the drinks I asked for….
32
nv-erica 3 days ago +58
Ridiculous. Full-ass grown adults need to take responsibility for their own behavior - not just drinking that much so quickly, but not being responsible enough to have somebody to chaperone you in case you get out of control. I’m sure it was her first time drinking way too much, right?
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Pingy_Junk 2 days ago +2
Did you read the article? She drank a very reasonable amount but got inexplicably intoxicated (a sign of roofies) then there is 30 minutes of missing footage before she appears again, injured and unconscious in a crew only area.
2
lalaharmany 3 days ago +12
The fact she was found in the crew area seems fishy
12
Mayor__Defacto 3 days ago +7
This is why every restaurant and bar and liquor store carries (at least!) $1 Million in Liquor Liability Insurance.
7
ComprehensiveFox3268 3 days ago +5
The sad thing about the drink cards is that unless you are like an actual alcoholic that consumes over 12 drinks every day, it is cheaper to just buy drinks individually. even if you have one night where you drink 25 drinks, most people will just not drink and spend some time recovering on the following days. In the end it will almost always have been cheaper to just buy your drinks individually.
5
MrBigTomato 3 days ago +4
BRB gonna get wasted on a Carnival cruise ship
4
ClassyBroad33 3 days ago +3
I'm a pretty small human and I think 14 shots over 9 hours would definitely be doable for me.
3
Agreeable-Race8818 2 days ago +3
This is so American lmao in Spain they would just give you a tortilla de patata in the AM and some tap water 
3
physical-vapor 2 days ago +4
Here comes this idiot ruining cruises for the rest of us. Now the insurance companies and lawyers are going to make carnival enforce more strict drinking rules, and it will trickle to others. If I drink too much and fall and hurt myself. Kinda on me as an adult with agency
4
Mortis_XII 3 days ago +13
Lol now carnival is gonna cut back on the drinks for everyone to “practice safety.” That passenger ruined it for everyone
13
Khaldrod 3 days ago +9
It just takes one person to mess it up for all.
9
akmustg 3 days ago +3
[ Removed by Listnook ]
3
seancbo 2 days ago +3
Bro, f*** this, this is gonna just ruin getting drunk on cruises for everyone, f*** this stupid woman
3
Creepy-Floor-1745 3 days ago +5
This reminds me of the lawsuit with the hot coffee lady who was injured. We all laughed at her and then years later learned the details. Horrific.   I’ll withhold judgment on this one. I learned my lesson with that poor hot coffee Mac Donald’s lady. 
5
Bronzeshadow 3 days ago +4
Yeah...I get the sense there's a lot more to this story. They're not giving her that much because she got drunk and fell on a cruise ship. The crew did something fishy.
4
Jiggz056 2 days ago +6
Next time they cut you off at an all inclusive ….she is to blame.
6
Paper_Clip100 3 days ago +7
Yo. What? So she binge drank and tried to blame the cruise line? Why are you going on a cruise?
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R3D4F 3 days ago +8
I’ll take, “Not responsible for my own actions for $300k, Alec”
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danielrobertcampbell 3 days ago +2
They didn't even serve her that much. There's got to be some information we're missing from the case that caused the jury to to make this decision. It's likely related to the "30 minutes of missing security footage". I'm assuming Carnival tried to cover it up?
2
ithorc 2 days ago +2
$300k in onboard credit?
2
National-Ostrich-608 1 day ago +2
Why is she suing them for allowing her to get black ouf drunk? I got black out drunk before, so should I hold the pub responsible?
2
Austin_Native_2 1 day ago +2
If I'm the judge/jury, I'm making Carnival donate that money to AA or MADD. And I'm awarding the drunk a c**** bottle of tequila to drown her sorrows for being an adult idiot who knew better (or should have).
2
SwashbucklingWeiner 1 day ago +2
That’s just called making most of your drink pass.
2
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