US judge threatens to ban Carnival ships from country’s ports
A federal judge launched a withering attack on Carnival Corp’s environmental record, with a threat to temporarily block all its ships from docking at US ports.
U.S. District Judge Patricia Seitz said she will make a decision on that in June, and has asked top executives Micky Arison and president Donald Arnold to attend the hearing in person.
Carnival has been on probation as part of a $40 million settlement for illegally dumping oil at sea and attempting to cover it up.
Prosecutors say that during its probation period, Carnival has dumped grey water into Alaska’s Glacier Bay National Park and has been preparing ships to hide any damaging evidence of possible new violations ahead of mandatory audits.
The five-year probation began in April 2017.
"The people at the top are treating this as a gnat. If I could, I would give all the members of the executive committee a visit to the detention center for a couple of days. It’s amazing how that helps people come to focus on reality," Judge Seitz said.
Prosecutors said internal emails showed the company discussed ‘managing issues before the audits and avoid findings’.
In a statement Carnival said: "It appears there were some mischaracterizations made by others to the court. We intend to fully address the issues raised at today’s court conference."
Chief communications officer Roger Frizzell added: "Our environmental responsibility has been and continues to be a top priority for the company."
TravelMole Editorial Team
Editor for TravelMole North America and Asia pacific regions. Ray is a highly experienced (15+ years) skilled journalist and editor predominantly in travel, hospitality and lifestyle working with a huge number of major market-leading brands. He has also cover in-depth news, interviews and features in general business, finance, tech and geopolitical issues for a select few major news outlets and publishers.
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
CCS Insight: eSIMs ready to take the travel world by storm
Germany new European Entry/Exit System limited to a single airport on October 12, 2025
Airlines suspend Madagascar services following unrest and army revolt
Qatar Airways offers flexible payment options for European travellers
Air Mauritius reduces frequencies to Europe and Asia for the holiday season