By Samantha Paul Carnival Corporation is facing a major maritime personal-injury lawsuit from Hannah Bernice Smith, a 22-year-old college graduate who lost both legs after being struck by a boat propeller during a shore excursion in the Bahamas. Smith alleges that Carnival promoted and sold the excursion as a safe activity while the companies operating it served her excessive alcohol, exposed her to drugs and ultimately allowed her to enter the water while a ferry’s propellers were operating. Carnival and the excursion operators dispute liability, and the case remains pending in federal court.
What Happened to Hannah Smith?
Smith had recently graduated summa cum laude from Miles College in Alabama when she boarded the Carnival Celebration with a friend for a graduation trip.
On May 12, 2025, while the ship was in Nassau, Bahamas, Smith participated in Carnival’s “Pearl Island Beach Escape with Lunch” shore excursion. The excursion included transportation aboard a catamaran-style ferry between the cruise port and Pearl Island.
According to Smith’s lawsuit, the day began as a normal beach excursion but ended with catastrophic injuries when she entered the water near the ferry and was pulled into its propellers.
Lawsuit Alleges Excessive Alcohol and Drug Exposure
Smith makes serious allegations about what occurred before the propeller accident.
Her amended complaint claims excursion personnel supplied her with excessive quantities of alcohol, beginning with rum punch and later involving additional pours directly from a bottle. The lawsuit further alleges that she was encouraged to use marijuana and that a sedating substance was found in her system.
These allegations have not been proven in court. They form part of Smith’s explanation for why she was severely impaired before the accident.
The complaint argues that excursion employees should have protected an obviously impaired passenger rather than continuing to serve her intoxicants or placing her in a dangerous environment.
How Did the Propeller Accident Happen?
According to the lawsuit, problems arose when the ferry returned to the dock after the excursion.
Smith alleges that the vessel was not properly secured with mooring lines. Instead, its engines were allegedly being used to maintain the ferry’s position near the dock.
When Smith needed to use a restroom, the complaint claims excursion personnel directed her toward the water. After she entered the water near the rear of the vessel, the ferry’s propulsion system allegedly pulled her underwater and into its propellers.
Smith suffered devastating injuries and massive blood loss. Her attorneys say she lost more than 60% of her blood volume and underwent more than 25 surgical procedures. Ultimately, both of her legs were amputated, including extensive surgery involving her right hip.
Why Is Carnival Cruise Line Being Sued?
A key legal issue is that Carnival did not itself operate the boat involved in the accident.
The excursion was operated by companies including Pearl Investment Management Group Ltd. and Sun Cay Ltd. Carnival argues that shore-excursion operators are independent contractors and has sought dismissal of Smith’s claims.
Smith, however, argues that Carnival played a much larger role than simply providing passengers with information about an independent business.
Her lawsuit alleges that Carnival marketed the excursion through its own systems, accepted payment and represented that excursion providers had been carefully selected. She claims those representations reasonably led passengers to believe Carnival had evaluated the safety and reliability of the excursion.
What Claims Has Hannah Smith Made Against Carnival?
Smith’s lawsuit advances several theories under federal maritime law.
Among them are allegations of negligent selection and retention of the excursion operators, negligent supervision, failure to warn passengers of dangerous conditions and general negligence.
She also relies on apparent-agency theories, arguing that Carnival presented the excursion operators to passengers in a way that could make them reasonably appear to be acting on Carnival’s behalf. The complaint additionally raises joint-venture-related liability theories.
The excursion operators separately face direct negligence allegations concerning their operation of the ferry, alcohol service and other conduct alleged in the complaint.
Carnival Has Asked the Court to Dismiss the Case
The lawsuit, Hannah Bernice Smith v. Carnival Corporation et al., Case No. 1:25-cv-25952, was filed on December 17, 2025, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida. Smith filed an amended complaint and demanded a jury trial.
Carnival filed a motion seeking dismissal with prejudice in April 2026. Pearl Investment Management Group and Sun Cay also filed motions challenging whether the Florida federal court has personal jurisdiction over them.
In June 2026, U.S. District Judge William P. Dimitrouleas deferred ruling on Carnival’s dismissal motion while the jurisdictional questions involving the excursion companies were addressed.
How Much Is Hannah Smith Seeking?
Public docket information does not identify a fixed damages demand comparable to a jury verdict or settlement.
Given the alleged permanent disabilities, extensive medical treatment and lifelong effects of the injuries, the lawsuit seeks compensation for categories of damages available under maritime personal-injury law. Smith’s attorneys have stated that her medical expenses and future needs are substantial.
No court has yet ordered Carnival to pay Smith damages.
Where Does the Hannah Smith Carnival Lawsuit Stand?
As of August 2026, the lawsuit remains pending in the Southern District of Florida. There has been no publicly reported settlement, jury verdict or final ruling establishing that Carnival or the excursion companies are legally responsible for Smith’s injuries.
The case could become significant in cruise-industry litigation because it addresses a recurring legal question: how much responsibility does a cruise line have for serious injuries occurring during shore excursions sold and promoted to its passengers but operated by outside companies?
For Hannah Smith, the litigation centers on the allegation that a graduation celebration marketed as a safe Carnival shore excursion ended in a preventable accident that permanently changed her life.