The FBI has launched an investigation into the mysterious death of a woman aboard a Carnival cruise ship
An unidentified woman traveling with her family aboard the Carnival ship Firenze died after she allegedly plummeted from her stateroom balcony early Monday morning in California. She landed on the deck below.
Her family alerted the ship’s crew, who then notified law enforcement. Officers boarded the vessel after it docked at Catalina Island to collect information.
But the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI), which holds maritime jurisdiction over cruise ships, also responded, launching its own investigation into the deadly fall, according to KCRA News.
The agency investigates 'serious crimes' and also 'looks into suspicious deaths,' at sea, according to its website.
'The FBI responded to the ship when it docked in Catalina Island on Monday and is investigating an incident on board which resulted in death,' FBI spokeswoman Lourdes Arocho told The New York Post.
'More specific details are not being provided at this time as the investigation is ongoing,' she added.
Carnival spokeswoman Julie Leonardi also confirmed that a female guest died aboard the cruise after going over her room’s balcony, according to the outlet.
The FBI is investigating the death of a woman who allegedly plunged from her stateroom balcony aboard the Carnival cruise ship Firenze
The FBI were seen investigating the death after the ship docked at Catalina Island in California
'As is customary following these kinds of incidents, law enforcement was on board while the ship was in Catalina Island on Monday to collect information,' she said.
A law enforcement source told The Post that the woman’s body was transported from the ship the same day, and her family also left the boat to return home.
Carnival Firenze sailed out of Long Beach last weekend and is expected back at the port Friday morning.
The ship holds 4,126 guests and 1,425 crew members and is 1,061 feet long, according to the cruise line's website.
Monday’s mysterious death marks only the latest tragedy in the industry.
Lately, what starts as a dream vacation has been ending in a nightmare and loss for some aboard these giant vessels that have little in the way of traditional law enforcement.
The alleged murder of 18-year-old Florida student Anna Kepner aboard the Carnival Horizon late last year is a recent heartbreaking example. Kepner's body was found in her cabin stuffed under her bed.
Timothy Hudson, her 16-year-old stepbrother, is scheduled to go on trial in Miami in June on charges of first-degree murder and aggravated sexual abuse in the killing of Kepner.
Cruise ship crimes reached a record high in 2025, including the alleged murder of 18-year-old Florida student Anna Kepner aboard the Carnival Horizon
Just last month, The Daily Mail revealed that official figures showed cruise ship crimes reached a record high in 2025, with rape cases at the forefront of the increase.
Some 80 alleged rapes aboard were reported to the FBI last year, according to the Department of Transportation (DOT).
Broken down among cruise lines for 2025, according to the DOT, there were 25 reported rapes on Royal Caribbean, 23 on Carnival, ten on MSC, nine on Norwegian, six on Princess, four on Disney, two on Celebrity and one on Virgin Voyages.
There were also 51 other types of sexual assault, 22 serious physical assaults and 19 thefts of property worth more than $10,000. In total, there were a record 182 crimes reported, including Kepner's homicide.
Fueling those figures is a dangerous combination that critics have been warning about for years, according to leading victims' attorney Jim Walker, based in world-cruise capital Miami.
'Cruise companies constantly push insane drinks packages to make money while the security on board is not their top staffing priority, because that doesn't make them anything,' Walker told the Daily Mail.
'There are no police on these ships or anything resembling normal law enforcement that you would see in America,' he added. 'They may have some general training, CPR things like that.'
'But they are a poor excuse for security on a floating hotel with thousands taking advantage of all-you-can-drink beverage packages and staying drunk the whole cruise.'
Timothy Hudson, Kepner's 16-year-old stepbrother, is facing charges of first-degree murder and aggravated sexual abuse
About 200 deaths occur on cruise ships each year, though the figure is likely underrepresented due to limited international reporting requirements, according to Emma Cruises.
Considering millions of passengers travel on cruises each year, the number translates to around one death per 150,000 guests - or three to four deaths each week, the outlet reported.
While most deaths at sea are natural - often tied to heart attacks or medical emergencies - accidents, suicides and rare violent incidents also play a role.
A report from John Foy & Associates Personal Injury Law found that Carnival Cruise Line had the highest number of deaths between 2000 and 2019, though this may be partly due to its popularity.
Carnival ships accounted for 29 percent of reported passenger deaths aboard cruises, while Royal Caribbean accounted for 12 percent and Norwegian Cruise Line 10 percent.
Between January and March 2025, the cruise industry recorded 48 alleged crimes reported to the FBI, including sexual assaults and serious injuries, marking an increase from pre-pandemic years.