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Published on: May 14, 2025

Skydiver Suffering Parachute Malfunction Saved by Daring Instructor. Then, He Needed Saving, Too.

A skydiving instructor made a daring rescue to save one of his students after a midair parachute malfunction.

No serious injuries were reported in the incident, which left the skydiving instructor dangling from a tree, The Miami Herald reported Monday.

First responders were notified of the incident around 5:30 p.m. on May 2 when a 911 caller reported that a skydiver had gone missing east of Palatka Municipal Airport. When the instructor noticed that the student’s parachute had failed, “he did not pull his own chute in order to reach the student,” officials with the Putnam Sheriff’s Office said via a Facebook news release.

Published on: May 7, 2025

Royal Caribbean Set to Purchase Resort in Bahamas. What to Know.

By Leesfield & Partners

Royal Caribbean has been given the greenlight to buy a 40-acre property that has sat dormant since 2011, according to Cruise News Today.

The Bahamian government authorized the cruise lines to purchase the Xanadu Beach Resort south of Freeport as part of a $348 million project. The companies plan to update the site and turn it into an “entertainment center” for passengers. The property – once the epicenter of grandeur and a playground for some of Hollywood’s elite –has been empty and on the market since at least 2011.

The project contributes to the growing cruising presence in the area, joining Carnival Celebration Key – another resort scheduled to open in summer 2025. These expansions are emblematic of a boom in the cruise sector, which has made an impressive recovery following the industry-wide shut down during the pandemic.

Published on: May 7, 2025

Health Officials Warn of a New Strain of Norovirus Following Three Recent Outbreaks on Cruise Ships

By Leesfield & Partners

Over a hundred passengers and dozens of crew members across three cruise ships reported symptoms of norovirus as health officials warned of new strain.

Officials with the Centers for Disease Control have warned about a “newly dominant strain” of norovirus, which they said could be driving the uptick in recent cases seen on land and on cruise ships. This comes after significant cuts to the CDC’s Vessel Sanitation Program’s (VSP) workforce last month. These employees were tasked with investigating outbreaks and conducting routine health inspections on cruise ships before their dismissals, which were a part of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s plan to issue layoffs to public health agency employees.

Following these cuts, CDC officials called the move “frustrating” and has exacerbated the already taxing issue of being short-staffed. When the news first broke of the layoffs, the agency was already in the middle of responding to two outbreaks.

Published on: May 7, 2025

Man Convicted of Cruise Ship Sexual Assault Sentenced. What to Know.

By Leesfield & Partners

A man was sentenced to 20 years in prison and five years of supervised release for a sexual assault that took place on a Baltimore cruise ship, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland said Thursday.

Jalen Kelley, 22, of Abingdon, Maryland, was found guilty in December of aggravated sexual abuse, sexual abuse and assault while aboard a Baltimore cruise ship.

Kelley raped the victim, a minor, on Jan. 1, 2023, aboard the ship. In reporting from The Miami Herald, the teen allegedly needed to use the restroom, and Kelley allowed the minor to use the bathroom in his cabin. When the minor finished using the restroom, Kelley attacked the teen.

Published on: May 7, 2025

Passengers Banned from Carnival Cruise Lines After Brawl Breaks Out on Ship in Galveston, Texas.

By Leesfield & Partners

Approximately two dozen people were banned from sailing with Carnival Cruise Line after an all-out brawl broke out as passengers disembarked from a ship over the weekend.

The incident, which was filmed and posted online, happened on April 26, 2025, inside a terminal as passengers disembarked in Galveston, Texas. The footage shows a horde of people pushing at one another, tackling and launching fists as multiple security guards attempted to break up the scuffle.

A spokesperson for Carnival told USA Today reporters Tuesday that police are investigating the incident and that the 24 people involved will no longer be able to sail with the cruise line.

Published on: April 24, 2025

Teen Faces Felony Charge After Violent Outburst on Cruise Ship Elevator. What to Know.

By Leesfield & Partners

A North Carolina teenager faces a felony charge after raging in a cruise ship elevator in which he allegedly beat another man into unconsciousness.

Michael White, 18, was taken into custody in Fort Lauderdale Friday after the incident aboard Royal Caribbean’s Liberty of the Seas. He was charged with felony aggravated battery, causing bodily harm.

At least one other person was listed as a co-defendant, according to reporting from local media, but that person’s name did not appear in Broward court records.

Published on: April 24, 2025

CDC’s Cruise Ship Health Inspectors Laid Off. How Will This Impact the Cruise Industry?

By Leesfield & Partners

In a year rife with outbreaks, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Vessel Sanitation Program’s workforce has been entirely slashed.

All full-time employees with the program have been laid off, a move that will greatly impact the agency’s ability to investigate outbreaks and conduct health inspections on cruise ships, according to reporting from CBS Miami. The team inspects large vessels at least twice a year.

The dismissals are a part of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s plan to issue layoffs to public health agency employees. This plan includes over 2,400 employees at the CDC. Despite the cuts, officials with the Department of Health and Human Services claims that the cruise ship work “will be able to continue.”

Published on: April 24, 2025

Carnival Cruise Passenger Allegedly Raped by Junkanoo Beach Jet Ski Operator. What to Know.

By Leesfield & Partners

A Carnival cruise passenger has accused a jet ski operator of assaulting her while on a recent voyage, according to media.

The alleged assault took place at Junkanoo Beach in Nassau, Bahamas,

The U.S. Embassy issued a recent warning to women after several concerning incidents in which jet ski operators in The Bahamas have allegedly raped tourists. The harrowing incidents have been linked to jet ski operators in Nassau, including Paradise Island beaches, Junkanoo Beach, Saunders Beach and Cabbage Beach.

Published on: March 6, 2025

Passenger Could Face Criminal Charges After Trying to Board Ship in Aruba. What to Know.

By Leesfield & Partners

A cruise passenger in Aruba attempted to board the ship with a firearm and could now faces criminal charges.

The incident happened on Feb. 26 when a Royal Caribbean passenger attempted to board Oasis of the Seas following a stop at the cruise port in Aruba. Security discovered the firearm during a routine security screening conducted when passengers return to the ship.

Local law enforcement took the passenger, whose name has not yet been released by authorities or cruise ship officials, in for questioning.

Published on: February 26, 2025

Viral Video of Thrill-Seeking Cruise Ship Activity Leaves Viewers Skeptical. What do You Think?

By Leesfield & Partners

A video showcasing a passenger testing out a new slide advertised as the “quickest way” to travel eight floors on a cruise ship has gone viral.

The video, which has over 460,000 likes, thousands of comments and has been shared nearly 60,000 times, shows a passenger getting inside a tube-like slide and securing himself in a sack. Once the passenger was loaded up, the tube door closed, and the floor vanished from underneath him.

The man can be heard yelling all the way down, his laughter echoing through the tube. The camera then pans to the side of the ship where the slide curves off the edge, suspended over the pool deck for a moment of adrenaline-spiking danger.