Carnival Cruise Faces Backlash Over Handling of Missing Veteran Case A 26-year-old former US Army veteran went missing nearly two weeks ago after a Carnival Cruise ship docked in the Port of Miami following a family vacation.
By Madeline Garfinkle •
Key Takeaways
- A US Army veteran, Kevin McGrath, vanished after a Carnival Cruise vacation, prompting an ongoing search.
- Carnival Cruise has come under heavy criticism from both McGrath's family and other passengers for its response to the disappearance.
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A 26-year-old former US Army veteran, Kevin McGrath, reportedly went missing nearly two weeks ago on September 4th, after a Carnival Cruise ship docked in the Port of Miami following a family vacation.
The US Coast Guard's search for McGrath in the waters around the port was called off three days later, as reported by NBC Miami. To this day, McGrath's whereabouts remain unknown, and the cruise line was cleared by the police to resume operations despite McGrath's disappearance.
The ship McGarth was on before his disappearance, Carnival Conquest, has continued its voyages, with recent port calls including Nassau, Bahamas, on September 10 and Cozumel, Mexico.
Now, the cruise line is facing criticism from both McGrath's family and fellow passengers.
Jenn Lyles, a fellow passenger on the cruise with McGrath and his family, expressed surprise that passengers were not informed or provided with a photo to help in locating him. In a TikTok video that garnered over 660,000 views, she criticized Carnival for sending out a customer satisfaction survey days after disembarkation instead of seeking information about McGrath's whereabouts.
"That's insane," one user commented, "they should have alerted everyone."
@jenn_lyles What are we doing to find this man?! HELP!!!! #kevinmcgarth #missingperson #miamiPD #carnivalcruise ♬ original sound - Jenn Lyles
Carnival Cruise countered by stating that the survey was "routine port-cruise communication" unrelated to McGrath's disappearance, in a statement to Business Insider, adding that if Lyles had any information to share, she "should have contacted them" or Miami Dade Police.
Lyles' critique has been widely echoed by McGrath's loved ones and concerned individuals, who continue to raise awareness about his disappearance and share links to a Change.org petition directed at Carnival.
Related: Body of Missing 27-Year-Old Goldman Sachs Banker Found in Nearby Body of Water
The petition, created on behalf of McGrath's family, friends, and supporters, emphasizes the priority of human life over financial gain and calls on Carnival to take appropriate action.
"We believe that Carnival wants to and will do the right thing," the petition states. "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."
Entrepreneur has reached out to Carnival for comment.
