Carnival Cruise Lawsuit Alleges Passenger Room Infested With Bedbugs

Crew was likely aware of bedbug infestation prior to settling plaintiffs into their Carnival Cruise cabin, lawsuit claims.

A Maryland man and woman have filed a lawsuit claiming that Carnival Cruise Line has been notified repeatedly of issues concerning bedbug infestations on its vessels, yet still fails to take proper corrective measures.

The complaint (PDF) was brought by Catherine Shockley and William Maycock in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida on October 28, naming Carnival Corporation, doing business as Carnival Cruise Line, as the sole defendant.

Bedbugs are tiny parasitic insects that feed on human blood, usually at night while people sleep, which can easily infest homes and other dwellings, or travel to new places by attaching to clothing or luggage.

While they seldom spread disease, bedbug bites may trigger allergic reactions, intense itching, and lasting physical, emotional and financial hardships, particularly when infestations are not promptly identified or treated.

As a result, numerous bedbug infestation lawsuits have been filed in recent years, including one brought against a California apartment complex, which resulted in a $1.6 million award for a family whose toddler suffered severe injury and scarring as a result of bedbug bites that occurred on the premises.

In their lawsuit, Shockley and Maycock allege they were bitten repeatedly by bedbugs while sailing aboard the Carnival Horizon, a Vista-class cruise ship, after boarding on February 15, 2025. 

Two days into the voyage, the pair reportedly awoke to severe itching on their arms and legs and noticed what appeared to be insect bites, though they initially remained uncertain about the cause and chose to stay in the same cabin another night.

By February 18, they claim new bites had appeared across their shoulders, faces, hands and legs. Shockley says she inspected the cabin and discovered live bedbugs, fecal stains and eggs, confirming what they believed to be an ongoing infestation in their room.

According to the lawsuit, the passengers notified crew members of the problem, but no action was taken to treat the infestation or relocate them, despite company policies requiring immediate chemical treatment of affected and adjoining cabins. The plaintiffs also recall seeing crew members fumigating other rooms on the same deck before they were assigned their cabin, an indication, they allege, that Carnival was already aware of a bedbug problem.

The complaint further accuses Carnival Cruise Line of having a long history of bedbug infestations across its fleet, citing similar passenger lawsuits dating back more than a decade.

“As a result of the Defendant Carnival’s failure to identify and eradicate the bed bug infestation in the subject stateroom and onboard the Carnival Horizon prior to Plaintiffs stay, Plaintiffs suffered numerous intensely itchy bites resulting in large, painful welts that required medical treatment and medication, multiple dark splotches, loss of sleep, mental distress, loss of personal property and economic loss.”

— Catherine Shockley and William Maycock v. Carnival Corporation

Shockley and Maycock raise allegations of negligent failure to warn, negligent failure to maintain and general negligence. They are seeking judgment, interest and costs against Carnival Cruise Line for damages, including medical costs, scarring, lost property, emotional distress and other ongoing harm.

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