A holiday at sea ended abruptly for one Australian traveller after he was ordered off a cruise ship in New Zealand following an onboard altercation.
The man’s family remained on the vessel as he was told to leave and arrange his own way home.
Passenger Removed After Mid-Voyage Assault
The incident occurred on Wednesday night when a 44-year-old Australian passenger became involved in a confrontation with another man onboard.
According to local authorities, the situation escalated and the Australian guest allegedly struck the other passenger at around 9.30pm.
Police were notified and were waiting at Port Chalmers, near Dunedin, when the ship arrived the following morning.
Officers boarded, spoke to those involved and issued the man with a formal warning for assault.
The police confirmed that, following their intervention, the cruise line exercised its right to exclude the passenger from the remainder of the voyage.
This meant that while the man’s travelling companions continued their holiday as planned, he was forced to disembark immediately and make his own arrangements to return to Australia.
The other man involved in the altercation received treatment onboard for a minor injury to his nose.
The incident reportedly occurred on Royal Caribbean’s Anthem of the Seas.
Follows String of Cruise Removals
There have been several cruise ship removals in the past couple of weeks that have caught the attention of the cruising world.
In another case earlier this month, two guests were removed from Royal Caribbean’s Harmony of the Seas after a late-night brawl broke out in the ship’s smoking area.
Footage shared to social media appeared to show the passengers – part of a group cruise for streamers – fighting after a heated dispute.
The fight reportedly began over a mutual friend of the guests and escalated quickly, prompting Royal Caribbean security to detain those involved until the ship reached its next port.
The guests were removed from the ship at the next port, although further footage seems to show the two acting friendly and embracing their unusual position, waving the ship off.
Carnival Crew Member Removed in Port
Even more recently, a Carnival Cruise Line entertainment crew member was unexpectedly removed from Carnival Valor in Cozumel, Mexico, after submitting his resignation ahead of the end of his contract.
Trevor Johnson, a member of the Fun Squad, claimed in a now-viral social media post that he had handed in his resignation on 4th November, intending to finish work on 20th November to allow for a smooth handover.
Instead, he said he was woken by “a 6:00 a.m. knock” and told he had one hour to pack before being escorted off the ship.
Johnson described the abrupt departure as “embarrassing and devastating”, saying he had no chance to say goodbye to colleagues and was left to navigate onward travel alone in a foreign port.
His account triggered widespread debate among former and current crew online. Many noted that cruise ship contracts operate differently from land-based jobs: resigning mid-contract often triggers immediate removal, with companies permitted to sign off crew at the next approved port.
Cruise Lines Tighten Conduct Enforcement
Cruise lines have become increasingly strict about onboard behaviour, especially as passenger volumes have surged in recent years.
While most cruises remain peaceful, isolated cases of misconduct are promptly dealt with by ship security and, when necessary, local authorities.
For the Australian passenger now stranded in New Zealand, that means an abrupt end to his family holiday – and an expensive, solitary flight home.
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