Carnival Leads DOT’s Q3 2025 Cruise Incident Report

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s latest quarterly cruise incident report shows Carnival Cruise Line recorded the most reported onboard incidents in Q3 2025, with 17 cases logged from July 1 through Sept. 30.

The DOT’s update lists 47 total incidents across cruise lines included in the U.S.-related reporting framework for the quarter, with Royal Caribbean next at 12 and MSC Cruises at seven.

What the DOT’s Q3 cruise incident report covers

The DOT’s quarterly statistics compile certain onboard incidents that cruise lines report under U.S. requirements for ships sailing itineraries connected to U.S. ports. The department notes the figures reflect reported incidents in defined categories, not court outcomes or determinations of guilt.

The dataset also has a key limitation cited in the reports: incidents are not captured when the victim is not a U.S. citizen. Critics argue this can underrepresent the scope of crime onboard, particularly for crew members who are often outside the reporting framework. Story reports also point to the Cruise Vessel Safety and Security Act (CVSSA) of 2010 as the requirement behind reporting crimes involving U.S. citizens to the DOT.

Quarterly totals by cruise line, and how Q3 compares with earlier in 2025

Across all categories summarized in the Q3 update, Carnival led the quarter after being briefly overtaken by Royal Caribbean in Q2, the first time in nearly three years that Carnival did not top the quarterly totals. The Q3 data also placed the quarter in a longer run of comparisons: Carnival previously held the highest quarterly total for 33 consecutive months from Q3 2022 through Q1 2025.

• Carnival Cruise Line: 17 reported incidents in Q3 2025, the highest total among cruise lines included in the DOT release.
• Royal Caribbean: 12 reported incidents, placing second for the quarter after leading the prior quarter’s totals.
• MSC Cruises: 7 reported incidents in Q3, the third-highest total in the DOT’s quarterly update.
• Norwegian Cruise Line: 3 reported incidents, including the only Q3 case categorized as firing or tampering with a vessel.
• Margaritaville at Sea: 3 reported incidents, including one case categorized as assault with serious bodily injury.
• Disney Cruise Line: 3 reported incidents listed in the Q3 release.
• Celebrity Cruises: 2 reported incidents, including one of the quarter’s two cases of theft above $10,000 (the other was listed under Royal Caribbean).

In year-to-date context cited alongside the Q3 update, the DOT listed 138 total reported cruise incidents so far in 2025 through the end of Q3.

Assault and sexual-crime categories drew much of the Q3 attention

Assaults with serious bodily injury

In the category of assaults with serious bodily injury, the DOT recorded six incidents across the industry in Q3. Carnival accounted for five of those incidents, while Margaritaville at Sea recorded one.

Historical figures cited with the Q3 release also showed a concentration of serious-injury assault reports on Carnival ships in recent years. Since 2022, 44 of 74 reported serious-injury assaults (59%) occurred on Carnival vessels; in 2024, Carnival recorded 18 such incidents, and in 2023 it accounted for 14 of the industry’s 22.

Other assault reports

Beyond serious-injury cases, the DOT listed Carnival with nine assault incidents in Q3, compared with six for Royal Caribbean and five for MSC Cruises.

Sexual crimes and the 2025 trendline

The DOT recorded 12 sexual crimes on Carnival ships in Q3 2025. The breakdown in the DOT figures listed 11 passenger victims and one victim categorized as unknown. Royal Caribbean reported nine sexual crimes in Q3, while MSC recorded five.

Across the cruise industry, the DOT has recorded 102 sexual crimes so far in 2025 through the end of Q3 (33 in Q1, 33 in Q2, and 36 in Q3). For comparison, the full-year totals cited alongside the data were 120 sexual crimes in 2024, 131 in 2023, and 93 in 2022.

On a year-to-date basis through Q3, the DOT figures cited were 29 sexual crimes for Carnival (8 in Q1, 9 in Q2, 12 in Q3) and 26 for Royal Caribbean (6 in Q1, 11 in Q2, 9 in Q3). Based on the year-to-date quarterly pace, one report noted 2025 could reach 136 sexual-crime reports if the pattern holds.

Other incident types were concentrated among a small number of lines

Several Q3 categories in the DOT update appeared under only one or two cruise lines, underscoring how individual events can shape a quarterly snapshot.

Royal Caribbean was the only cruise line in the Q3 figures with reported cases involving missing U.S. nationals, with two incidents listed, both recorded as passenger-related cases.

Norwegian Cruise Line was the only cruise line listed in Q3 for an incident categorized as firing or tampering with a vessel; the DOT entry described it as involving a passenger.

In the high-value theft category (theft over $10,000), Royal Caribbean and Celebrity Cruises each had one incident recorded in Q3.

Interpreting the data: reporting limits, passenger volume, and onboard environment

Two recurring cautions appear in coverage of the DOT data: the quarterly numbers are reports, not case outcomes, and the reporting framework excludes incidents where the victim is not a U.S. citizen, which can materially affect how comprehensive the totals are, particularly for incidents involving crew members.

Passenger volume is also part of the context. Royal Caribbean’s fleet capacity was cited at approximately 157,000 passengers, compared with approximately 128,800 for Carnival. Even with the larger cited passenger capacity, Royal Caribbean recorded fewer total incidents than Carnival in Q3.

Separately, one report pointed to ongoing scrutiny over whether high alcohol consumption can contribute to higher rates of physical and sexual violence on certain ships, noting Carnival’s longstanding “Fun Ships” branding and a party-centric reputation. The report also noted that any alcohol-related link is not explicitly quantified in the DOT data.

Carnival’s conduct expectations and the next quarterly update

No official statement from Carnival Cruise Line specifically addressing the Q3 DOT figures was included in the available reports. However, Carnival’s published guest conduct and safety guidance emphasizes passenger behavior and the captain’s authority onboard.

Carnival states: “Cruise ships are a shared space, and all guests are expected to treat others with respect. The captain has full authority for actions taken by the crew with regards to safety and security.”

The next DOT quarterly update will cover Q4 2025 (October through December). For now, the Q3 figures show Carnival leading the quarter in total reported incidents, with a notable concentration in assault categories, while several other incident types were recorded under only one or two cruise lines.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What dates are included in Q3 2025 for the DOT cruise incident data?

The Q3 2025 update covers incidents reported from July 1 through September 30, 2025.

Are DOT cruise incident totals the same as convictions?

No. The DOT figures summarize reported incidents in specific categories; they do not represent court outcomes or findings of guilt.

Why doesn’t the DOT report include incidents involving non-U.S. victims?

In the reports, the DOT notes the dataset does not capture incidents when the victim is not a U.S. citizen, which means many cases involving international passengers and most crew members fall outside the scope of the numbers. Coverage also cites the Cruise Vessel Safety and Security Act (CVSSA) of 2010 as the reporting requirement for crimes involving U.S. citizens.

Which cruise line had the most DOT-reported incidents in Q3 2025?

Carnival Cruise Line recorded 17 incidents in Q3 2025, the highest total in the quarter, followed by Royal Caribbean with 12 and MSC Cruises with seven.

What incident categories are tracked in the DOT’s quarterly cruise reports?

Coverage of the DOT report describes six main incident types tracked in the quarterly data: physical assaults with serious bodily injury, sexual crimes, missing persons, theft over $10,000, tampering with vessels, and other crimes.