Pregnant woman says she was denied boarding and refund from Carnival

• Kayleigh Farrington said she was denied boarding a Carnival cruise because she was 26 weeks pregnant.
• Farrington’s mother, Robin Betts, said the carnival refused to issue a refund.
• Carnival’s website states that women over 24 weeks pregnant are not allowed to ride.

An Australian broadcaster reported that Carnival has banned a passenger who was found to be 26 weeks pregnant from boarding the cruise. 9 news It was reported on Thursday. According to reports, the cruise line refused to refund the mother who had booked the ticket.

Robin Betts had booked a three-day cruise around Brisbane on the Carnival Luminosa as a birthday present for her daughter Kayleigh Farrington, 9News reported. The report does not say when the cruise was scheduled to take place.

However, Farrington was reportedly denied boarding because she was over 24 weeks pregnant and in violation of Carnival’s terms of carriage.

“You might think the rules are the same for cruising and flying,” Farrington told 9News. Policies regarding flying during pregnancy vary by airline, but most airlines allow passengers up to 36 weeks of pregnancy to fly, and some airlines require a note from a doctor. I am.

“My obstetrician told me he was giving me the all-clear, but he still wouldn’t let me on,” she said, adding that she wasn’t informed of the policy at the time of her appointment. Farrington declined Business Insider’s request for comment.

According to the report, Betts said she spent 2,000 Australian dollars, or about $1,300, on the cruise but was told by Carnival that she would not receive a refund. BI could not independently confirm how much Mr. Betts paid for the cruise.

“We almost feel like it’s discrimination against pregnant women,” Betts added. Betts did not immediately respond to BI’s request for comment.

Another passenger, identified only as Mrs. Voghese, was also denied boarding the same cruise because she was more than 24 weeks pregnant, 9News reported.

A Carnival spokesperson told 9News that the passenger was denied boarding “to ensure the safety and well-being of the mother and unborn child.”

“Cruise ships are not equipped to accommodate prenatal and early infant care. This policy is outlined on both Carnival’s website and cruise contract,” a spokesperson said in a report. I mentioned it in the. Carnival declined to comment to BI on this matter.

According to Article 6D of Carnival’s Conditions of Carriage, Carnival reserves the right to deny boarding and cancel reservations without refund to any passenger who is 24 weeks pregnant or older at the time of the cruise.

Several passengers have had their cruise tickets canceled in recent years. In June, it said two visually impaired passengers were refused boarding a P&O vessel “for health and safety reasons.” In October, several passengers said they were refused boarding an MSC cruise because their travel documents were rejected by the cruise line.