Woman given 14 shots of tequila on Carnival cruise awarded £220,000 in damages

A cruise passenger who was overserved alcohol and suffered a possible traumatic brain injury after falling down some stairs has been awarded £220,000 in damages.

Diana Sanders was given at least 14 shots of tequila over a nine-hour period in January 2024 while aboard the Carnival Radiance.

Soon after leaving one of the ship's bars, she experienced a fall that left her with a concussion, headaches, back injuries and bruising.

The 45-year-old was later found unconscious in a crew-only area, with missing surveillance video from the night shown in court.

A jury in Miami has now ruled in the 45-year-old nurse's favour after concluding that the company has acted negligently.

Her attorney Spencer Aronfeld said: "Taking on a corporate giant like Carnival is a massive undertaking, and I have enormous respect for my client's resilience.

"This case highlights the inherent danger of all-inclusive drink packages, which encourage excessive consumption and pressure underpaid servers to prioritise tips over safety."

During the trial, Mr Aronfeld had argued the cruise ship's bartenders should have stopped serving her once she became visibility intoxicated.

He also alleged Carnival "deliberately designs its vessels … to ensure that there are alcohol serving stations in every nook and cranny of the ship" to maximise profits.

The $300,000 reward is $250,000 more than had been requested during the trial.

Mr Aronfeld told Sky's US partner NBC: "Proving the over-service of alcohol is often difficult, as many people believe individuals should be solely responsible for their own consumption.

"Diana, admitted her personal responsibility; however, the core issue was Carnival's refusal to accept any corporate responsibility for serving someone who was clearly intoxicated."

Read more from Sky News:
Fire breaks out at Australian oil refinery
179 prisoners 'freed in error' over 12 months

Carnival Cruise Line has said it respectfully disagrees with the verdict, and believes there are grounds for a new trial and appeal.

Its lawyers had argued that there were no allegations of Ms Sanders "stumbling, sleeping at a bar, slurring her words or exhibiting any other intoxicated-like behaviours".

In a separate case that is still ongoing, the fiancée of a man who died on a cruise ship has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Royal Caribbean.

It alleges the company negligently served him 33 alcoholic drinks and was liable after crew members tackled him to the ground and stood on him with their full body weight.

(c) Sky News 2026: Woman given 14 shots of tequila on Carnival cruise awarded £220,000 in damages