Horace and Nelson Cited After Carnival Spirit Slapping Fight

Lisa Horace and Tonya Nelson were cited for simple assault after they slapped each other during a dispute on a carnival spirit cruise ship. The two women appeared in federal court on Wednesday after the incident, which led Carnival to ban them from all cruises and strip both of Diamond member status.

Horace, Nelson and the Line Dispute

The confrontation started when Nelson approached Horace and her husband about standing in the wrong line to settle their cruise accounts, according to court documents. Horace said she ignored Nelson at first, then said Nelson touched her husband's shoulder multiple times before the argument escalated.

Horace is 51 years old. Nelson is 58. Their dispute turned physical in front of several bystanders on the Carnival Spirit, and Carnival staff stepped in to break up the fight.

Carnival Cruise Ban

The case carries a larger consequence for both women because Carnival removed them from its cruise line entirely. They were banned from all Carnival cruises and lost Diamond member status, the highest tier in Carnival's VIFP program.

According to Carnival's website, passengers must sail 200 days and earn 200 VIFP points to reach Diamond status. Horace's husband told the court he is a retired Navy veteran, a detail that came up as the court dealt with the fallout from the shipboard fight.

Federal Court on Wednesday

Tonya Nelson told the court, “I’m just sorry that we’re here.” Bert Milling Jr. handled the case in federal court, and a final decision is set for Aug. 12.

After the hearing, Buzz Jordan, Nelson's attorney, said, “Things happen sometimes on a crowded ship. You know, we’ve got big crowds involved, so that’s how I think this happened.” He added, “I’m hoping that Carnival will reinstate both of them so they can continue traveling with Carnival” and said, “My client and the other lady are both great citizens and you know, I don’t expect they’ll ever have any more issues.” Horace's attorney said as they left the courthouse, “We’re just glad it’s over,”