Flooding Incident Aboard Carnival Sunrise During Return to Miami

A Carnival Cruise Line vessel returning to Miami over the weekend was met with chaos after severe flooding impacted multiple areas on board.

The Carnival Sunrise was completing a five-day Caribbean journey when flooding disrupted the final leg of the trip early Saturday morning. Passenger Rachel Cox, 38, said she was startled awake around 2 a.m. by frantic knocking on her cabin door. When she opened it, the hallway was already filling with water, and guests were shouting that the ship was taking on water.

Cox, who was travelling with her partner and son in an inside cabin on Deck 10, said they immediately stepped into ankle-deep water. Her mother and daughter were in the next room and quickly joined them as water continued to rise in the corridor.

“We opened the door and people were yelling ‘We’re flooding!’ It felt like a nightmare,” she said.

As water started pooling near the elevators, a crew member dressed in what appeared to be a security uniform directed passengers to evacuate to their muster stations. Cox and her family grabbed their essentials and hurried down the stairs. Along the way, she said, they witnessed water streaming from ceilings, seeping through floors, and cascading down walls.

“We’re running down the stairwells, and it’s just water everywhere — pouring in from all directions,” said Cox, who works as a nonprofit executive in Arkansas.

Eventually, Cox and other affected passengers were gathered in the ship’s Liquid Lounge, where the ship’s captain addressed the situation. He acknowledged that the vessel had taken on water and explained that inclement weather had forced a change in course. However, Cox noted that no specific details were provided.

No further official announcements were made to guests throughout the night, though crew members did provide bottled water and a limited number of blankets to those gathered in the lounge. Cox and her family remained there until they were able to disembark shortly after 8 a.m. on Saturday. Before leaving, she and her partner briefly returned to their cabin to retrieve life jackets.

Carnival Cruise Line later confirmed that the Carnival Sunrise encountered severe rainfall as it made its way back to Miami overnight.

“Carnival Sunrise encountered heavy rain while the ship was returning to Miami overnight Friday into Saturday,” said Carnival spokesperson Matt Lupoli in an email statement. “Some staterooms were taken out of service for Saturday’s departure as our team completed cleanup and replaced carpet. Guests who could not sail were provided full refunds, future cruise credits, and hotel accommodations if needed.”

Despite the ordeal, Cox said she was not immediately offered any compensation, even though some of her belongings — including packed luggage stored by the crew — were soaked. She contacted Carnival after returning home, but it wasn’t until Wednesday morning that she received a response. A guest services representative then reached out to arrange a phone call.

Later that day, Carnival sent Cox a message signed by company president Christine Duffy, offering a 25% future cruise credit and inviting her to submit documentation for potential reimbursement for damaged belongings.

“On behalf of the entire Carnival family, I am writing to express our sincerest apologies for the inconvenience you experienced as a result of the water intrusion incident that occurred the final night of the voyage,” Duffy wrote. “We understand that being moved from your stateroom during those late hours must have been frustrating, and we deeply regret the disruption to your plans and comfort.”

While Cox appreciated the eventual gesture, she said the experience left her shaken and disappointed by the initial lack of communication.