Two Carnival Cruise Line passengers are suing the company, alleging that a bedbug infestation aboard Carnival Horizon left them with painful bites, emotional distress, and financial loss.
The lawsuit, filed on 28th October 2025, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida, comes from Catherine Shockley and William Maycock, who sailed aboard Carnival Horizon on its 15th February 2025 departure – an eight-night Southern Caribbean cruise from Miami.
Guests Claim Infestation and Negligence
According to the complaint, just two days into the voyage, both passengers began experiencing intense itching and clusters of insect bites on their arms and legs.
By the next morning, the bites had spread to their shoulders, hands, and faces.
Fearing bedbugs, Shockley reportedly inspected the cabin and discovered live insects, faecal stains, and eggs on the bedding – signs the plaintiffs claim showed an existing and untreated infestation.
The pair allege they notified crew members but were not relocated or given adequate assistance.
They further claim they saw nearby cabins being fumigated, suggesting the ship’s staff may have been aware of a wider problem.
“Plaintiffs suffered numerous intensely itchy bites resulting in large, painful welts that required medical treatment and medication, multiple dark splotches, loss of sleep, mental distress, loss of personal property and economic loss,” the suit states.
They are seeking damages for medical expenses, scarring, emotional trauma, and other ongoing impacts.
Carnival’s Bedbug Protocol
Carnival Cruise Line has not yet commented on the lawsuit, but the company maintains a detailed pest-control protocol.
The process includes routine inspections of mattresses, bedding, drapes, and carpeting, with chemical treatments and re-inspections if evidence of infestation is found.
“If signs of infestation are present, the room is chemically treated along with all other cabins within that section,” the policy states. “Frequent re-inspection continues for the next several months.”
Carnival Horizon last underwent dry dock maintenance in 2021 and is scheduled for its next refurbishment in spring 2026, which will include “extensive pest control treatment.”
Bedbugs at Sea – Rare but Not Impossible
While unsettling, reports of bedbugs are not unheard of aboard cruise ships – or in hotels on land.
The insects, typically no more than a quarter-inch long, thrive in dark crevices, such as mattress seams or behind headboards, and can easily be transported in luggage.
Bedbugs are not linked to poor hygiene and do not transmit disease, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
However, reactions to their bites can vary widely, from mild irritation to severe allergic responses.
Carnival Horizon can carry up to 4,000 guests and 1,400 crew members and operates Caribbean itineraries from PortMiami year-round. The case could take months to move through the courts.
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