Four Carnival Pride Crew Deported After U.S. Detention

One Indonesian and three Filipino seafarers from the cruise ship Carnival Pride were detained and later deported after the vessel docked at the Port of Baltimore, Maryland, on September 7, 2025, according to Marino PH. The Philippines’ largest maritime community shared the account of one of the deported men, who had been working as a galley steward.

He recounted that U.S. authorities entered his cabin in the early hours of the morning, searched the room, and instructed him to pack his belongings. Despite his denials of any involvement in wrongdoing, he was handcuffed, searched, and removed from the ship along with three Filipino colleagues.

The seafarer claimed they were interrogated for hours and pressured to admit to alleged ties to child pornography, an accusation he firmly rejected. “We were treated like criminals,” he said, explaining that they were fingerprinted, photographed, and eventually escorted under guard to the airport.

According to his testimony, the men were placed in detention cells at the airport before being flown to Manila via Doha, Qatar. The crew member described the ordeal as frightening and humiliating, saying that Filipino seafarers often feel unprotected when confronted with such situations abroad.

“When we were transported to the airport we were still in handcuffs, like in the movies when criminals are being transferred.

At the airport we were searched again, then placed in another detention cell. They took off our handcuffs, made us walk barefoot, and ordered us to remove our jackets and socks even though it was freezing. We stayed there for about 45 minutes. Then we were called again, told to put everything back on, handcuffed once more, and — unbelievably — made to carry our backpacks while cuffed from behind. Imagine how difficult that was.

When we finally reached the gate, that’s when they returned our passports. Only once we boarded the plane I feelt like I could breathe a little easier.”

Marino PH emphasized that the account underscores the vulnerability of Filipino seafarers when confronted with accusations in foreign ports. The group called for stronger government action and better legal support to ensure due process and protect the rights of seafarers facing detention abroad.