A Carnival Cruise Line passenger is suing the company for negligence after being kicked by a wild donkey during its stop at Grand Turk. The plaintiff alleges that Carnival failed to make passengers sufficiently aware of such hazards, causing his injury.
Florida resident Daniel Goldston recently filed court documents in Miami, Florida that hold Carnival Corporation responsible for the injury he suffered on February 16, 2023.
At the time, Goldston and his wife were passengers aboard the Mardi Gras. While the vessel called on the Grand Turk Cruise Port, a port owned and operated by Carnival, Goldston stopped to take a picture with a donkey before the animal kicked him on his right knee. The document claims the incident left his knee “severely injured which resulted in multiple surgical procedures.”
A case of negligence or stupidity?
Goldston blames Carnival for not placing adequate signage about the animals and the risk of physical harm. He asserts that the cruise line should have known about them and issued appropriate warnings since there have been multiple similar incidents.
In the last five years, the formal complaint mentions that other passengers and patrons of the terminal were also injured “as a result of donkeys and other animals” on the property.
| With legal representation from Alejandro J. Gonzalez, Goldston is seeking compensation for a long list of damages that include medical and psychological damages, related expenses, lost income, pain, suffering, physical impairment, mental anguish, inconvenience, the “loss of capacity for the enjoyment of life,” and more. |
Goldston’s allegations have since sparked online debate about whether Carnival Corporation is entirely to blame or if Goldston might also be at fault for provoking the animal. After all, the guest willingly approached the wild animal to take a photo with it.
Grand Turk Cruise Center has other problems
Though its $50 million port facility continues to bring in the majority of cruise ship passengers to the island, the Grand Turk Cruise Center has recently suffered from poor customer ratings and low profitability.
Last September, its management team began working with the local government to address the issues behind its lackluster performance.
