Four Filipino crew members aboard Carnival Pride were detained and deported after the ship docked in the Port of Baltimore, Maryland, on September 7th, 2025, according to a report by Marino PH. The testimony of one of the deported, who served as a galley steward, outlines the sequence of events.
He reports that in the early morning, U.S. authorities entered his cabin, conducted a search, and instructed him to pack his belongings. Although he denied any wrongdoing, he was handcuffed, searched, and removed from the ship along with three other Filipino crew members. They were said to have been interrogated for several hours, accused of involvement in child pornography, which he denied.
After the removal, the crew were taken under guard to the airport, having been fingerprinted and photographed. While at the airport, they were held in detention cells before being flown back to Manila via Doha, Qatar.
Their passports were reportedly returned only at the gate prior to boarding. One crew member described being made to walk barefoot and to remove outer garments in cold conditions, and to carry his backpack while handcuffed behind his back. He said that only once aboard the plane did he begin to feel somewhat relieved.
No information has been released regarding their current legal status, role onboard, or citizenship beyond their Filipino nationality. Marino PH highlighted the incident as an example of the vulnerability faced by Filipino seafarers in port-detention situations and urged stronger legal protections and due process in such cases.
For more Carnival Pride incidents and accidents see the ship's CruiseMinus page.