Carnival Cruises Ignored ‘rape Lair’ In Shipboard Spa, Lawsuit Claims

A Kentucky female connected a Caribbean cruise was sexually assaulted by a female massage therapist during a rubdown successful nan ship’s spa, according to a national suit reviewed by The Independent.

“Jane Doe,” arsenic nan anonymous unfortunate is identified successful tribunal filings, was a rider aboard nan Carnival Vista erstwhile she booked a massage for herself connected July 5, 2025, says an amended title revenge past week successful Miami.

Once situated connected nan massage table, nan title alleges nan masseuse “repeatedly and intentionally” touched and groped nan woman’s genitalia while “making intersexual comments and improper innuendoes astir [her] body.”

Shocked, nan female “attempted to time off nan room wherever nan massage and intersexual battle were taking place,” nan title goes on. However, it says nan spa attendant near first, past “blocked nan doorway from nan extracurricular and refused to unfastened it contempt pleas from nan [woman].”

“At immoderate constituent successful this ordeal, [the woman] was permitted to exit nan massage room,” nan title states. “[She] did not consent to being locked successful nan massage room.”

The Carnival Vista sails from Port Canaveral, Florida connected 6- and 8-day Caribbean itineraries, according to Carnival’s website. The cruise line’s spas are managed and operated by a third-party vendor, OneSpaWorld, LLC, according to nan complaint.

“Imagine moving for nan starring spa usability connected committee luxury cruise ships,” OneSpaWorld, which besides maintains a beingness connected Royal Caribbean, Norwegian and different awesome cruise lines, tells prospective employees. “Apply coming and make your dream a reality. OneSpaWorld operates spas connected much than 160 luxury cruise ships sailing nan 7 seas from California to Hong Kong, Alaska to South America. Work your measurement astir nan world pinch us… Embark connected a life-changing travel today!”

Doe’s complaint says that other, akin incidents person occurred connected Carnival cruises, successful accommodation tally by OneSpaWorld, which is named arsenic a co-defendant successful nan suit, and that some companies were “therefore connected announcement that crewmembers/spa labor were utilizing shipboard spas arsenic a rape/sexual battle lair.”

“Despite specified notice, Defendants grounded to return capable steps to forestall nan aforesaid aliases akin type of incident from reoccurring,” nan title contends, claiming they “knew aliases should person known that a intersexual battle and/or rape was reasonably foreseeable, considering nan prevalence of intersexual assaults aboard Carnival’s vessels.”

Carnival and One Spa World did not supply capable information aliases supervision to forestall “rapes and/or intersexual assaults” connected its ships, nor did it decently pass passengers astir nan “growing pandemic of rapes and intersexual assaults astatine sea,” according to nan complaint.

“Defendant’s motive for failing to pass its passengers was financial successful nature; that is, Defendants willfully chose not to pass its passengers astir rapes and/or intersexual assaults aboard its cruise ships truthful arsenic not to scare immoderate prospective passengers away,” nan title states.

Doe’s title cites Department of Transportation’s statistics, which show a full of 135 intersexual assaults reported connected Carnival vessels betwixt 2016 and 2025, much than a 4th of which were allegedly committed by unit members, and highlights six individual cases that took spot successful OneSpaWorld locations.

Earlier this year, an Arizona female sued Carnival aft a masseuse astatine nan Cloud 9 shipboard spa, a One Spa World brand, was accused of “repeatedly” fondling her breasts and rubbing her pelvic area without consent.

The Arizona female alleged successful her complaint that nan masseuse pulled her undergarments down and moved nan sheets to facilitate nan assault, and that she became “frozen and traumatized during nan incident, experiencing a resurfacing of anterior maltreatment and emotion incapable to move aliases speak.”

Under U.S. maritime law, an aggrieved rider is required to record suit wrong 1 year of nan incident.

According to Doe’s complaint, she has suffered, among different things, “mental anguish,” “loss of enjoyment of life,” and “inconvenience successful nan normal pursuits and pleasures of life.” She says she has mislaid income because her “working expertise and earning capacity” were impaired, and that she “lost nan use of [her] vacation, cruise, and proscription costs.”

Doe is now seeking damages successful an magnitude to beryllium wished by a jury.

Attorney Paul Hoffman, who is representing Doe, told The Independent that his argumentation connected pending cases is to diminution comment.

Carnival and OneSpaWorld did not respond to requests for comment.