A chaotic scene unfolded aboard a Carnival Cruise ship early Monday morning when a fight involving roughly two dozen passengers erupted — reportedly sparked by a disagreement over chicken tenders.
The incident occurred around 2 a.m. on the final day of the Carnival Sunshine’s voyage as the ship made its return to Miami following a trip to the Bahamas. Video footage of the melee, captured by fellow passenger and Bronx-based content creator Mike Terra, shows guests punching, pushing, and slamming each other to the ground as alarmed bystanders shout for security.
“Where the f–k is security?!” one onlooker can be heard yelling in the video, as overwhelmed staff attempt to intervene. At one point, a security guard appears to retreat from the crowd, reaching for his radio amid the flying shoes and chaos.
Terra, who posted the footage on social media, commented during the recording: “Over chicken tenders is crazy.” He later clarified to The New York Post that while the fight appeared to start near the late-night food area, the exact cause was unclear.
“We weren’t close enough to know why it really started, we just knew they were in line for food,” Terra explained. In his video caption, he added: “I always hear Carnival is ghetto/ratchet… been cruising for years but this my 1st time seeing some action on a ship I was on.”
He described the altercation as an “isolated incident” and suggested it stemmed from more than just food.
The Carnival Sunshine had departed Miami the previous Thursday, making two stops in the Bahamas before returning to Florida on Monday.
Carnival Cruise Line has not yet issued a public statement regarding the altercation.