UPDATE, 2pm: Police have escorted 23 passengers off the Carnival Legend and into a waiting bus, believed to be taking them to Canberra.
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It’s unknown at this stage whether any arrests have been made following reports of violent brawls aboard the cruise ship that is currently docked off Eden.
As well as a group believed to be those involved in the violence, other family members have also disembarked.
It’s understood the bus will be taking the group to Canberra before they are flown home.
The Carnival Legend is scheduled to make port in Melbourne on Saturday after the South Pacific cruise was disrupted by the alleged incidents.
UPDATE: 11.50am: A NSW Police media spokeswoman said a number of people are expected to be removed from the cruise ship Carnival Legend, but had no specifics until officers on the scene file updates.
She said about 7am Friday, February 16, officers from the Marine Area Command received reports of people fighting on board the ship and responded to Snug Cove in Eden, where the cruise ship, bound for Melbourne, had made a detour.
MAC officers, with support from the Operations Support Group are currently on board speaking to crew and passengers, with a number of arrests expected to be made.
More information will be made available as it comes to hand.
Friday, 10am: Reports of a violent brawl aboard a cruise ship has seen the Carnival Cruise Lines vessel dock in Eden with specialist police preparing to board.
Residents and onlookers in Eden have described a large police presence at the wharf as it’s understood they prepare to make multiple arrests.
Melbourne media is reporting as many as 30 people have been injured in what passengers have described as “the cruise from hell”.
There are also claims from some of those injured that security staff have been heavy-handed in their response and even allegedly destroying evidence on people’s phones.
Neil Mitchell on radio station 3AW has been speaking live to people on board the ship as it sits off Eden.
Listen to part of his interview here:
A statement from Carnival supplied to 3AW stated “Safety is the number one priority for Carnival Cruise Line, we take a zero tolerance approach to excessive behaviour that affects other guests and we have acted accordingly on Carnival Legend”.
“The ship’s highly trained security staff have taken strong action in relation to a small group of disruptive guests who have been involved in altercations on board.
“The ship’s security team is applying our zero tolerance policy in the interests of the safety and comfort of other guests.
“Carnival Legend is currently on a 10-day South Pacific cruise scheduled to be completed in Melbourne tomorrow [Saturday].”
Mr Mitchell spoke to David Barko, who said his son George, 20, sustained head injuries in the bloody brawl which broke out before 1am Friday morning.
He told 3AW his son called him, begging him to call police.
“When he called, I could hear a lot of kids crying, screaming and swearing,” he said.
“He said ‘All I can see is security …. up to 40 … bashing kids, bashing women, hitting them … arresting them, putting them into small rooms.
“A lot of people are bleeding, a lot of people are down.
“He said ‘security came in and took my phone and deleted a lot of images because I took pictures’.”
Another passenger, Kelly, said trouble had been brewing for days.
“We have been told to watch our backs by this group,” she told 3AW.
“They fought in front of my children in the pool ... five of them surrounded my husband.”
“We’re scared to go anywhere alone in the ship.”
Kelly, who spent $8000 on rooms alone on the ship for her husband and three children, believes the large group joined the cruise in Melbourne.
“There is about 27 of them. A family group,” she said.
More to come