Judge Threatens To Block Carnival Cruises From Docking In The U.S. For Probation Violation

Carnival Corp. has been plagued with legal problems over the last few years. The company's issues continued on Wednesday when a federal judge threatened to temporarily block its cruise ships from docking in ports across the U.S.

According to Miami Herald, the judge threatened to block ships from docking stateside as a punishment for violating probation from a previous legal settlement.

The probation, itself, was part of a 2017 settlement Carnival agreed to that saw the company pay out $40 million and serve five-year probation. The settlement came about because of Carnival’s Princess Cruise ships illegally dumping oil into the ocean for eight years and lying about it to authorities.

Since then, court filings have revealed even more problems contributing to Carnival’s recent legal troubles. Carnival has reportedly prepared ships for court-ordered audits so auditors wouldn't find anything unfavorable, falsifying records, dumping plastic garbage into the ocean and illegally discharging gray water into Alaska’s Glacier Bay National Park. Prosecutors also allege Carnival tried to change the terms of the settlement by lobbying the U.S. Coast Guard.

During a hearing on Wednesday in front of U.S. District Judge Patricia Seitz, Carnival acknowledged these incidents and did appear to push back a bit. Carnival’s Chief Communications Officer Roger Frizzell issued a statement after the hearing, saying, “It appears there were some mischaracterizations made by others to the court. We intend to fully address the issues raised at today’s court conference”.

Seitz issued a statement of her own, scolding Carnival’s higher-ups for not attending the hearing on Wednesday. She said, “The people at the top are treating this as a gnat. If I could, I would give all the members of the executive committee a visit to the detention center for a couple of days. It’s amazing how that helps people come to focus on reality.”

Seitz will be the one to decide whether or not to revoke the probation and punish Carnival during the next hearing, scheduled for June. She has requested that Chairman Micky Arison and President Donald Arnold attend the hearing.