Costa Smeralda Brawl Sees Tables and Chairs Fly as 13 Young Passengers Face Investigation

Image: Costa Cruises

A late-night argument aboard Costa Smeralda escalated into a sprawling cruise ship brawl involving 13 young passengers, with tables and chairs reportedly used during the fight.

The incident occurred during an overnight sailing between Naples and Palermo, Italy, and involved two groups of passengers aged between 18 and 20.

What reportedly began with a comment directed towards a young woman near the ship's nightclub quickly escalated from an argument into a physical confrontation.

And it didn't stay near the nightclub for long.

The fight reportedly moved through the ship's corridors and eventually reached the lift area, with tables, chairs and other items caught up in the disturbance.

Italian authorities say one group involved in the incident was from the Salento area in southern Italy and had boarded the ship in Civitavecchia, while another group was from Sicily and had embarked in Palermo.

According to Italian media reports, the initial disagreement began near the nightclub after a comment was directed towards a young woman.

The confrontation then became physical, with passengers reportedly throwing punches and kicks as the disturbance moved through other areas of the ship.

Tables, chairs and other furnishings were also reportedly used during the fight.

The most serious part of the incident reportedly occurred near the lifts, where a young man who was on the floor and apparently unconscious continued to be kicked.

He was later taken to hospital for medical checks, with reports indicating serious injuries were ruled out.

Crew members intervened during the disturbance and alerted authorities in Palermo.

When Costa Smeralda arrived in port, officers from Palermo's Maritime Border Police began investigating the incident.

Police obtained footage from the ship's CCTV system and used recordings from different cameras to reconstruct what had happened and identify those believed to have been involved.

Following the investigation, 13 passengers aged between 18 and 20 were reported to the Palermo Public Prosecutor's Office in relation to alleged aggravated brawling.

Importantly, this does not mean the passengers have been convicted of an offence. Italian reporting notes that individual responsibility will need to be established through the legal process. 

Footage of the incident has since circulated publicly and shows just how quickly the situation appears to have escalated.

The video shows a chaotic confrontation involving multiple people, with furniture displaced as the fight unfolds.

For a ship designed around restaurants, entertainment and Mediterranean holidays, it probably wasn't quite the sort of late-night entertainment Costa had planned.

Costa Smeralda is one of the largest ships in the Costa Cruises fleet and operates regular Mediterranean itineraries calling at ports across Italy, France and Spain.

While fights involving cruise passengers aren't unheard of, an incident involving 13 young passengers, flying furniture and a police investigation is certainly at the more dramatic end of the spectrum.

And it's another reminder that what happens on a cruise ship doesn't necessarily stay on the cruise ship, particularly when there are CCTV cameras almost everywhere.