A 19-year-old man has been jailed for 8 months after emailing in a bomb hoax to a cruise over a trivial disagreement.
Joshua Lowe, a Michigan resident, has been sentenced to 8 months in a federal prison after the hoax, which was attributed to him being upset that his girlfriend cruised without him, leaving him to look after the pets.
The threat, sent via email to the Carnival Sunrise in January 2024, prompted immediate and widespread emergency action.
More than 1,100 crew members onboard were forced to conduct an urgent search of over 1,000 staterooms as the ship followed security protocols.
The Sunshine-class vessel was also escorted by the US Coast Guard and Jamaica Marine Police during the scare.
The cruise, which had departed from PortMiami, was carrying thousands of passengers when the threat caused panic and operational disruption.
Ultimately, the email was traced back to Lowe, who confessed he was angry about being left behind to pet sit while his girlfriend vacationed with her family.
“We take every threat of mass violence seriously,” said US Attorney Mark Totten following Lowe’s sentencing on April 14, 2025, in Kalamazoo, Michigan.
“Hoaxes can endanger lives, incur needless costs, and divert public safety resources needed to address real threats. My office has zero tolerance for wrongdoers who intentionally convey false and misleading information,” Totten added.
Although Lowe received an eight-month sentence, the punishment could have been more severe.
Under Section 35 of Title 18 of the US Department of Justice’s Criminal Resource Manual, making a false bomb threat carries penalties of up to five years in prison and/or a $5,000 fine.
In a comparable case in 2010, a Florida woman was sentenced to a full year behind bars after falsely claiming a female terrorist with a bomb was aboard Carnival Fascination.
Despite the disruption and wasted resources, Lowe expressed remorse. In a letter to US District Judge Paul Maloney, he wrote, “This is all my fault and [I] take full responsibility.”
A Costly Mistake
Lowe’s actions not only caused fear and confusion aboard Carnival Sunrise, but also resulted in the unnecessary deployment of emergency services.
Given the heightened sensitivity surrounding cruise ship security, hoax threats are treated with full seriousness, regardless of the motivation.
“Anyone making a bomb threat should expect to be taken at his word. Fortunately, this particular hoax did not result in physical injury,” said Assistant US Attorney Nils Kessler.
The Carnival Sunrise scare wasn’t the only recent cruise-related bomb threat.
On 3rd March 2025, PortMiami – one of the world’s busiest cruise hubs – experienced chaos after an unrelated threat disrupted port operations for hours. Though no explosive was found and no one has been arrested, the investigation remains ongoing.
Five cruise ships were in port that day, including Independence of the Seas, MSC Divina, Norwegian Joy, and both Carnival Sunrise and Carnival Conquest.
The key takeaway: real threats should always be reported to cruise security teams or authorities. But making false reports – even in moments of anger or jealousy – can result in serious legal consequences.
Carnival Cruise Line and other operators have strict security protocols in place for any kind of threat, with teams trained to handle emergencies both onboard and ashore. While most cruises are safe, enjoyable experiences, safety will always remain the top priority.
For Lowe’s girlfriend, if her pet is a dog then she may wish to consider a dog-friendly cruise in future instead of leaving any partner behind where they might be so upset as to fake a bomb!
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Jenni Fielding is the founder of Cruise Mummy. She has worked in the cruise industry since 2015 and has taken over 30 cruises. Now, she helps over 1 million people per month to plan their perfect cruise holidays.
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