Two Carnival cruise passengers are suing the company following an alleged bed bug infestation in their cabin.
Catherine Shockley and William Maycock from Maryland said they suffered more than 30 individual bites after sleeping in a stateroom on board the Carnival Horizon in February.
According to a complaint filed in the Southern District of Florida, Ms Shockley “searched the stateroom and discovered live bed bugs in multiple stages of life, faecal spotting and eggs”.
The complaint says the passengers “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”.
Ms Shockley and Mr Maycock state that they alerted crew members to the matter, but that steps were not taken to address the issue.
Despite this, the suit noted that staff were allegedly fumigating other staterooms onboard prior to embarkation.
The pair have accused the company of negligent failure to warn them, negligent failure to maintain the vessel and general negligence and have requested a jury trial and damages.
“My clients trusted Carnival Cruise Lines to provide a safe and sanitary cruise vacation experience,” Grant I Schwarz, an attorney representing the pair, told The Independent.
“Instead, they were exposed to a bed bug infestation in their cabin that caused painful injuries, emotional distress, property damage and long-term anxiety about travel and lodging.
“This lawsuit seeks accountability, not only to compensate my clients for what they endured, but also to ensure that other passengers are protected from similar harm.”
A spokesperson for Carnival told The Independent that it does not comment on pending litigation, but said it has “an extensive and thorough guest room sanitation process, including special procedures to address the rare instances when a guest might raise a concern”.
Carnival’s website also states that the company has “extensive procedures and protocols for the detection and treatment of bedbugs”, with staff trained to conduct weekly inspections of every cabin.
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