Carnival Cruise line will launch an internal investigation following the actions taken by their security personnel during the incident onboard Carnival Legend. “The actions seen on the video by our security team are not in line with our values and policies. We are conducting a full investigation and will take appropriate corrective action as necessary.” Carnival Cruise Line said as a replay of the comments made after video was released showing shipboard security kicking a passenger while on the floor.
The news made headlines across the world as “Cruise from hell” after a family of 23 passengers involved in four brawls across the ship was removed and handed over to police. Passengers onboard Carnival Legend who have been terrorized by this family during their vacation recorded several videos from the incidents. Shipboard security was professional in handling the incidents, stopping them from further escalation, until the final incident at the nightclub when everything went out of control.
From the footage recorded when the group physically attacked other guests at the nightclub, you can see a number of security officers responding to the scene. Security members struggle to quell the violence as people punching each other until finally, they managed to control the incident when something very strange happen. Suddenly security guards started kicking the men which was already on the floor using unnecessary excessive force. At one point, an officer tries to smack the cellphone out of the hand of the passenger who was recording this video.
The people who needed to maintain law and order on Carnival Legend failed to do so. What trigger them to these actions remains to be seen from the Carnival internal investigation. One thing is certain that this family managed to tarnish Carnival reputation in Australia, and many people are canceling their cruises because they feel that Carnival does not provide a safe environment on board their ships.
One more thing comes to attention and that is why this family was not removed after the first incident or confined to their cabins until the end of the cruise? Australian press says that passengers asked the captain to do something about this group and according to them his response was “What do you want me to do? Throw them overboard?”
If only he knew what damage this group will do later during the cruise he would definitely consider some swift actions.
Did the family took advantage of Carnival’s hospitality and had a hidden agenda behind all their savage behavior? All sign point to this direction.
Imidietlye after the incident at the nightclub photos by a member of the violent family George Barkho, surfaced in the Australian Media showing his injuries. He was the most aggressive, and a person behind all the confrontations onboard. The media reported that he contacted his father who told Melbourne radio station 3AW that his son was begging him to call the Australian Federal Police to come on board.
The violent Assyrian family from Melbourne have a different side of the story. Family patriarch, businessman David Barkho, denied they were responsible for the trouble. 'It's all lies. None of what is being said is true. It's all in the hands of our legal team.” He says. Another member of the Barkho family said the trouble started with another group over stepped flip-flop and being instantly apologized and that his family was being unfairly targeted.
