A pair of women appeared in a federal court on Wednesday after engaging in a slap fight while on board a Carnival Spirit cruise ship. Lisa Horace, 51, and Tonya Nelson, 58, are now facing federal citations for simple assault. The fisticuffs started due to an argument that was started after one woman accused the other of being in the wrong line.
The fight broke out aboard the Carnival Spirit as it was returning to Mobile, Alabama from the Bahamas. Official records that documented the incident say that Nelson confronted Horace and her husband about standing in the wrong line to settle their cruise account. In a statement given to federal agents, Horace at first ignored Nelson, but that changed when Nelson touched her husband’s shoulder several times.
Court documents went on to reveal that the argument quickly went south from there, as both women started slapping each other as several bystanders watched. Things got so intense and violent that Carnival staff was forced to intervene and break things up. During a court hearing, U.S. Magistrate Judge Bert Milling Jr. had the women sit side-by-side.
According to a report from Fox 10, there was a brief discussion with attorneys representing both parties, after which the judge decided to withhold adjudication. Judge Milling told the two women if that if neither is arrested or has contact with the other for a period of three months, the case would be tossed out. Milling then asked if either woman wished to speak.
Nelson piped up, saying, “I’m just sorry that we’re here.” Horace stated that the consequences of the scuffle go beyond the case. Both women were banned by Carnival and had their Diamond member status revoked. In order to reach that status, Carnival’s website says a passenger must sail 200 days and earn 200 VIFP points, so it’s no small feat.
The report then revealed that achieving that status ultimately costs tens of thousands of dollars. Horace then told the court that her husband is a retired Navy veteran and that going on cruises together gives them peace of mind. “Things happen sometimes on a crowded ship. You know, we’ve got big crowds involved, so that’s how I think this happened,” Buzz Jordan, Nelson’s attorney, explained.
Jordan then said that he’s optimistic that Carnival will reinstate both women. “I’m hoping that Carnival will reinstate both of them so they can continue traveling with Carnival,” Jordan told the press. Horace’s attorney was asked for an interview, but he declined, saying, “we’re just glad it’s over,” as they exited the courthouse following the hearing.
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“My client and the other lady are both great citizens and you know, I don’t expect they’ll ever have any more issues,” Jordan added. Over the last several years, Carnival has experienced a number of similar incidents. One in particular involved two families who got into a massive brawl while waiting for their luggage, leading to permanent bans for everyone involved.