A Florida jury ordered Carnival Cruise Line to pay a California nurse $300,000 after reportedly finding the firm negligent for providing the woman too much alcohol before she sustained injuries.
The Miami federal jury sided with Diana Sanders, 45, of Vacaville, California, on April 10, The Miami Herald reported, citing an April 13 court record. Sanders was aboard the Carnival Radiance on Jan. 5, 2024 and served at least 14 shots from around 2:58 p.m. to 11:37 p.m., according to the lawsuit obtained by The Associated Press (AP). The fall occurred between 11:45 p.m. and 12:20 a.m. and left her with a concussion, a possible traumatic brain injury, back and tailbone damage and additional wounds, court filings read.
“This case highlights the inherent dangers of all-inclusive drink packages, which encourage excessive consumption and pressure underpaid servers to prioritize tips over safety,” Sanders’ lawyer, Spencer Aronfeld, said in an email, according to the AP. (RELATED: ‘Excessive Force And Fatal Actions’: Family Sues Royal Caribbean Group Over Man’s Death)
Sanders alleged Carnival refused to explain what occurred after she blacked out. “They gave me conflicting information. They treated me like a criminal. I was very concerned they would not tell me exactly what happened to me,” she said in a video posted by Aronfeld, CBS News Sacramento reported.
Injured passenger awarded $300,000 after a jury finds Carnival overserved her alcohol https://t.co/H7dBWvzDef pic.twitter.com/5nmLCt3sKT
— KTLA (@KTLA) April 16, 2026
Jurors reportedly placed 60% of the blame on Carnival and 40% on Sanders for her own consumption, The Miami Herald reported. The jury’s $300,000 award surpassed the $250,000 her attorneys originally sought, according to Nurse.org.
Aronfeld issued an emailed statement to Global News. “At trial, Diana took full responsibility for her consumption of alcohol; Carnival refused to take any corporate responsibility for serving her 15 shots of tequila (between 15 and 30 ounces) in just over eight hours,” he told the outlet. He alleged that jurors reviewed 30 minutes of security footage covering the time between Sanders leaving the Casino bar and being discovered unconscious in a crew-only section.
Carnival told the AP it respectfully disagrees with the verdict and intends to seek a new trial and appeal.
Overservice lawsuits against cruise lines rarely reach a jury, Aronfeld told the Tampa Bay Times. The verdict lands as Royal Caribbean faces a separate wrongful death suit alleging its crew served a passenger 33 drinks before he died aboard a December 2024 voyage.