• Two passengers are suing Carnival Cruise Line over an alleged bed bug infestation.
• The incident occurred on the Carnival Horizon in February, with passengers claiming over 30 bites.
• The lawsuit alleges negligence in inspection, while Carnival cites its sanitation procedures.
• The ship maintained a high sanitation score from the CDC shortly after the alleged event.

Two Carnival Cruise Line passengers, Catherine Shockley and William Maycock, are suing the company over an alleged bed bug infestation during a voyage on the Carnival Horizon in mid-February. According to the complaint filed in the U.S. Southern District of Florida, the guests awoke with itchy bite marks after their first night onboard. They allege that after discovering more red marks on their bodies, Shockley searched the stateroom and “discovered live bed bugs in multiple stages of life, fecal spotting and eggs.” The passengers claim to have found more than 30 individual bites.

The complaint states the passengers reported the incident to their stateroom attendant and guest services. They are suing on three counts of negligence, claiming the incident was due to a lack of proper inspection and maintenance by the cruise line. The lawsuit alleges the guests suffered from painful welts requiring medical treatment, mental distress, and economic loss.

A Carnival representative told PEOPLE that the company does not comment on pending litigation but highlighted its “extensive and thorough guest room sanitation process.” The company’s website policy states that attendants are trained to perform weekly bed bug inspections. However, the complaint alleges that no action was taken by the cabin stewards or housekeepers.

The article also notes that the CDC’s Vessel Sanitation Program (VSP) helps monitor public health on cruise ships. The Carnival Horizon received a satisfactory score of 93 out of 100 during its last inspection on February 23, shortly after the alleged incident, and has consistently scored 91 or higher since 2018.