A 29-year-old man was arrested at PortMiami on Monday, February 17, after U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers found child abuse material on his cellphone following a Royal Caribbean cruise, the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office said.

Basilios Grayeb, of Haifa, Israel, was taken into custody aboard Royal Caribbean’s Freedom of the Seas after CBP officers received a suspicious activity report related to the purchase of abusive material.

Officers boarded the ship and arrested Grayeb before he could disembark through normal passenger processing.

According to the arrest report, a CBP officer conducted a border search of Grayeb’s cellphone and found a video depicting the sexual abuse of a young child.

Grayeb confessed after being advised of his Miranda rights, according to the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office.

He was transported to Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center, where he was being held on a $2,500 bond as of Tuesday morning. An immigration hold has also been placed on Grayeb by federal authorities.

How the Arrest Happened

The arrest followed a tip that reached CBP before the ship docked.

Rather than waiting for Grayeb to pass through the terminal, investigators boarded the Freedom of the Seas directly, a procedure that has become more common at South Florida ports as authorities have stepped up screening of cruise passengers and crew for child sexual abuse material.

CBP has broad authority to conduct border searches of electronic devices, including cellphones, without a warrant when passengers are entering the United States.

Those searches have led to a series of arrests at PortMiami and Port Everglades in recent years involving both passengers and crew members.

A Pattern of Arrests at South Florida Ports

This arrest is not an isolated case. A Canadian cruise passenger was arrested at PortMiami in November 2024 after a CBP border search found illicit material on his phone following a cruise.

A foster parent traveling on Carnival Horizon was arrested at PortMiami in September 2025 under similar circumstances.

Legal commentators have noted that Florida is the only U.S. state with laws that specifically empower state law enforcement to investigate and prosecute such crimes committed aboard cruise ships departing from and returning to Florida ports.

A 73-year-old man from Mumbai, India, was arrested at Port Canaveral this week after he allegedly touched an underage girl aboard Royal Caribbean’s Explorer of the Seas while the ship was sailing in international waters, according to the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office.

Rajendra Sheth was taken into custody on February 16 after the ship returned to Florida. He is charged with lewd or lascivious conduct and is being held on a $35,000 bond. His next court date is March 12.

What Allegedly Happened

According to a BCSO affidavit, obtained by News 6, the alleged victim told investigators she was waiting in the FlowRider area of the ship when Sheth approached her and began talking to her.

He then allegedly grabbed her on the buttocks multiple times while she was wearing a two-piece bathing suit.

Investigators reviewed surveillance footage from the ship, which they said corroborated the victim’s account. Royal Caribbean security also recorded Sheth on a body-worn camera.

In that recording, according to deputies, Sheth acknowledged that he knew the girl was a minor and admitted to touching her.

The Brevard County Sheriff’s Office was notified of the incident on Monday. Sheth was arrested when Explorer of the Seas returned to Port Canaveral.

How Cruise Lines Handle Incidents at Sea

Crimes committed aboard cruise ships in international waters fall under U.S. federal jurisdiction when the vessel is flagged or sailing to a U.S. port.

The Cruise Vessel Security and Safety Act requires cruise lines to report certain crimes, including sexual offenses, to the FBI. In this case, local authorities took jurisdiction upon the ship’s return to Port Canaveral.

Royal Caribbean has not issued a statement on the incident. Sheth remains in custody at Brevard County Jail.

Passengers boarding Royal Caribbean’s Quantum of the Seas on Wednesday faced delayed embarkation after a power outage at the Port of Los Angeles, pushing the start of boarding back roughly two hours.

Royal Caribbean notified guests by text message, advising them not to arrive at the terminal before the updated boarding time.

What Caused the Power Outage

Southern California was hit with heavy rain and strong winds overnight, causing intermittent power outages across the region.

The California Highway Patrol received a report around 9:10 a.m. of low-hanging power lines on the southbound side of the I-110 freeway in San Pedro. A utility pole fell, forcing authorities to close the southbound lanes at Pacific Avenue and Channel Street for several hours. No injuries were reported.

The I-110 is the primary freeway connecting to the Port of Los Angeles, and the lane closures added to traffic delays caused by terminal disruptions, compounding the situation for passengers driving to the port.

It is not confirmed whether the downed lines directly supplied power to the cruise terminal, but the timing aligns with the port outage.

Impact on Embarkation

Passengers who had been aboard the ship’s previous sailing and were waiting to disembark reported that the outage disrupted the terminal’s automated customs processing systems. Facial recognition machines remained powered but lost network connectivity, requiring agents to manually check passports.

The incident highlights how dependent modern cruise terminal operations are on continuous power and network connectivity, particularly for security and passenger verification systems.

About Quantum of the Seas

Quantum of the Seas is the lead ship in Royal Caribbean’s Quantum class, built in 2014 at the Meyer Werft shipyard in Germany.

The 168,000-gross-ton ship accommodates up to 4,905 guests and began its current deployment from Los Angeles in November 2025, offering three- to six-night cruises to Baja California.

It was the only ship docked at the Port of Los Angeles this week, so no other vessels were affected by the outage.

Disney Cruise Line is deploying the Disney Wish to Europe for the first time, marking the first time a Wish-class ship has sailed in the region.

As part of its 2027 summer schedule, the ship will offer cruises in the Mediterranean and Northern Europe between April 25 and September 10, 2027, departing from ports in England, Spain, and Italy.

After crossing the Atlantic, the Disney Wish will begin with sailings from Southampton before repositioning to Barcelona in May.

From there, it will offer Mediterranean itineraries sailing from both Barcelona and Civitavecchia, the port serving Rome. In mid-July, the ship returns to Southampton for Northern Europe sailings before heading back to North America.

The Disney Wish is currently sailing year-round on three- and four-night Bahamas cruises from Port Canaveral, calling at Disney’s private destinations Castaway Cay and Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point. The Disney Dream will take over those sailings during the summer while Wish is in Europe.

About Disney Wish

The Disney Wish was built at Germany’s Meyer Werft shipyard and entered service in 2022. The 140,000-gross-ton ship carries approximately 2,500 passengers and is the first vessel in Disney’s Wish class. Disney has two additional Wish-class ships on order.

Rest of the Disney Cruise Line 2027 Fleet

Disney also announced it will deploy two ships in Alaska for the second consecutive year in 2027, with the Disney Wonder and Disney Magic sailing from Vancouver.

The Disney Treasure and Disney Fantasy will sail from Port Canaveral to the Caribbean and Bahamas, while the Disney Destiny will operate from Port Everglades.

The Disney Adventure will continue sailing from Singapore through late 2027.

A proposed cruise terminal in Manatee County, Florida, is facing mounting opposition, with more than 18,900 people signing a Change.org petition urging officials to reject the plan.

SSA Marine, in partnership with Tampa-based Slip Knott LLC, has unveiled plans for the Knott-Cowen Cruise Port on a 328-acre site near the Sunshine Skyway Bridge.

Mega-ships to Tampa?

The goal is to accommodate the industry’s largest ships, including Royal Caribbean’s Icon-class and Carnival’s Excel-class vessels, which cannot currently sail under the bridge to reach Port Tampa Bay.

If built, the facility would open the Tampa Bay region to mega-ship sailings and potentially add new Gulf Coast departure options for cruisers who now drive to ports like Miami or Port Canaveral for the newest ships.

Project backers point to projected economic benefits, including more than 31,000 construction jobs, $1.6 billion in wages, and an estimated $40 million in annual tax revenue.

But the location has sparked intense debate. The proposed site sits near Rattlesnake Key and the Terra Ceia Aquatic Preserve, one of Florida’s few remaining largely undeveloped coastal areas.

Critics argue that dredging a 4.5-mile channel to depths of up to 60 feet could damage seagrass beds, mangroves, and wildlife habitats, including areas used by manatees and local fisheries.

At a February 14 rally at Seabreeze Park in Terra Ceia, hundreds gathered with signs reading “Kayaks Not Cruise Ships” and “Save Rattlesnake Key.”

Environmental groups, fishing guides, and residents raised concerns about ship emissions, wastewater discharge, increased traffic, and long-term impacts on eco-tourism and recreational boating.

Some opponents have also pointed to SSA Marine’s past environmental violations, adding scrutiny despite the company’s pledge to preserve Rattlesnake Key.

For cruisers, the outcome could shape future sailing options along Florida’s Gulf Coast. If approved, the project could bring larger ships to the area.

If delayed or rejected after expected public hearings in 2026, cruise passengers looking for mega-ships would likely continue using South Florida ports.

No formal applications have been filed yet, although Manatee County officials say the review process will be data-driven.

The UK Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) has released an interim report into the death of a crew member aboard P&O Cruises’ Arvia, providing new details about the October 26, 2025, accident.

The incident occurred while the 2022-built ship was sailing from Southampton, England, to Santa Cruz, Tenerife.

At the time, Arvia was about 75 nautical miles northwest of Cape Finisterre, Spain, carrying 5,299 passengers and 1,681 crew members.

What happened in the elevator?

At approximately 05:52 UTC, an electrical technician and the ship’s staff electro-technical officer were testing a passenger elevator following overnight repairs. The lift had been stopped on Deck 11 for maintenance checks.

According to the report, the technician left the lift car to access the top of the elevator from a higher deck. He first attempted to open the lift shaft doors on Deck 12, but was unable to do so because the door release key would not operate due to a defect. He then proceeded to Deck 14, where he successfully opened the lift shaft doors. There is no Deck 13 on the ship.

As the staff electro-technical officer exited the lift car on Deck 11, the lift car doors and shaft doors automatically closed. Around the same time, the technician entered the lift shaft from Deck 14, and the doors closed behind him.

Report details findings

Initial findings indicate the lift was not electrically isolated at the time of the accident. When the doors closed, the safety interlocks were re-enabled. A stored lift call signal then caused the elevator to move upward, crushing the technician between the lift car and the shaft wall .

A medical emergency was declared at 06:02, and the technician was pronounced dead at 06:07 by the ship’s doctor. The ship diverted to A Coruña, Spain, where local emergency services recovered the body.

The MAIB classified the case as a “Very Serious Marine Casualty”.

The report states: “The sole objective of a safety investigation into an accident under these Regulations shall be the prevention of future accidents… It shall not be the purpose of such an investigation, to determine liability nor… to apportion blame.”

The investigation remains ongoing. A final report will be issued following further review and a 30-day stakeholder consultation period.

In 2019, a guest was banned from Carnival Cruise Line for damaging an elevator aboard the now-defunct Carnival Inspiration.

A group of residents last week staged a protest at Mahahual, Mexico, at the site of Royal Caribbean’s planned Perfect Day Mexico port project.

A small group of settler residents from the Nuevo Mahahual neighborhood blocked access to the port, demanding that the government and the cruise line improve roads and public services, such as public lighting, security, and garbage collection.

They also demanded their town is incorporated. They initially refused to disperse until a representative of the cruise line addressed them. The protest took place as three cruise ships docked at Mahahual Costa Maya port. 

Local NGO won injunction to temporarily halt construction

Royal Caribbean’s Perfect day Mexico port project is currently partly stalled after a Judge recently granted an injunction on behalf of a local NGO. DMAS (Defending the Right to a Healthy Environment) filed a legal challenge claiming lawmakers in Mahahual granted a change of land use for the Royal Caribbean project illegally. 

The group claimed this requires public consultation first. The government denies this, as the land use change only relates to a small percentage of the land earmarked for the project.

DMAS and the local protesters are not against the port project in principle but are fighting for transparency and respect for the environment.

“We are in favor of respecting the law, urban planning, and the community’s right to a healthy environment,” DMAS President Antonella Vázquez recently said. The group is alarmed at the possible negative impact on a protected mangrove area and water supply issues for the town.

Royal Caribbean has already said it is “not going to touch anything in the mangrove conservation area.” The cruise line plans a 80-hectare water park and other amenities beside the cruise ship pier and has earmarked 45 hectares of mangroves for conservation

Meanwhile, Royal Caribbean has called in two independent environmental experts after Mexico’s federal environmental protection agency halted demolition work in one area due to “landfilling and compaction activities in a low-lying coastal jungle area with mangroves.”

The agency said the cruise line didn’t request federal clearance for this.

Manatee County officials in Florida say they are receiving threatening messages and harassment over a proposed cruise terminal project, with some employees’ children being targeted at school.

Courtney De Pol, the Deputy County Administrator, acknowledged that while officials want community input on the proposed cruise port near the Terra Ceia area, some residents have crossed the line.

“We appreciate all of the input that we have received and our county commissioners are taking them very seriously,” De Pol said. That being said, we are noticing that the public comments that we are receiving are becoming more aggressive.

The controversy stems from plans by SSA Marine and Tampa-based Slip Knott LLC to develop a privately funded cruise terminal near the Sunshine Skyway Bridge.

The county receives numerous messages and calls daily about the project. We have staff members who have children who are being harassed at school because of the cruise terminal,” De Pol said.

No Formal Application Filed Yet

The land in question is not currently zoned for a cruise terminal, and county commissioners would need to approve a zoning change before any development could proceed.

No formal application has been submitted. County officials say only preliminary conversations are happening at this stage.

Environmentalists have strongly opposed the development, citing concerns over protected mangrove forests and marine habitats in the Terra Ceia Bay area.

County Calls Harassment Unacceptable

According to media reports, County Administrator Charlie Bishop issued a statement condemning the harassment.

“No county employee should be harassed for performing their professional duties,” Bishop said. “No child should ever be targeted because of where their parent works.”

Bishop clarified that preliminary letters sent regarding economic development incentive programs do not constitute project approval or guarantee funding.

Any proposed project must go through the normal development review process, including public hearings before advisory boards and the Board of County Commissioners.

Supporters of the project say it would generate thousands of jobs and boost the local economy.

County officials say once they receive a formal application, they will review whether a cruise terminal is compatible with the area through a lengthy process.