A former US Army veteran, 26-year-old Kevin McGrath, was reported missing nearly two weeks ago (on September 4th), shortly after a CCL-Carnival Cruise Line ship docked in PortMiami Florida following a family vacation.
The USCG initiated a search for McGrath in the waters surrounding PortMiami, but it was terminated 3 days later. As of the present day, McGrath's whereabouts remain unknown, and despite his disappearance, the cruise line was granted clearance by law enforcement authorities to resume its operations.
The vessel in question, Carnival Conquest, has continued her scheduled voyages, including recent port calls to Nassau Bahamas, on September 10th and Cozumel Mexico.
CCL has faced criticism from both McGrath's family and fellow passengers in light of these circumstances.
One passenger, Jenn Lyles, who shared the voyage with McGrath and his family, expressed astonishment that passengers were not informed of his disappearance or provided with a photograph to assist in locating him. In a TikTok video that garnered 660000+ views, Lyles criticized CCL for sending out a customer satisfaction survey a few days after disembarkation rather than seeking information about McGrath's whereabouts.
In response, CCL asserted that the survey was a "routine port-cruise communication" unrelated to McGrath's disappearance. They further suggested that if Lyles possessed any pertinent information, she should have reached out to them or the Miami-Dade Police.
Lyles' critique has resonated widely with McGrath's family and concerned individuals who continue to raise awareness about his disappearance. They have shared links to a petition directed at Carnival. The petition, created on behalf of McGrath's family, friends, and supporters, emphasizes the value of human life over financial considerations and urges Carnival to take appropriate actions in response to the situation.
The petition states:
"We believe that Carnival wants to and will do the right thing.
"We believe that human life should take priority and precedence over any financial gain. To date, Carnival has shown us that they do not feel the same."
For more Carnival Conquest incidents and accidents see the ship's CruiseMinus page.