More than a dozen passengers have been banned from Costa Cruises after a violent fight broke out on a Mediterranean cruise. The incident occurred on the Costa Smeralda, a large cruise ship that had departed from Marseille, France, and made stops in Barcelona and Palermo. The altercation took place on March 5 and involved two groups of young Italian passengers. According to the Italian newspaper Palermo Today, the fight led to one guest being knocked unconscious. CCTV footage released by the Palermo Maritime Border Police shows 13 people involved in the scuffle, with punches being thrown and chairs being thrown around the ship. The brawl began during a sailing from Naples to Sicily, reportedly after a passenger made an unwanted joke near the ship’s nightclub. The conflict then spread through the ship’s corridors and into the lift area. The Costa Smeralda is a massive vessel, measuring 337 meters in length, with a maximum capacity of 6,554 passengers across 20 decks and four swimming pools. Once the ship arrived in Palermo, Sicily, the incident was reported to local law enforcement, and 13 passengers were charged with aggravated brawling. A spokesperson for Costa Cruises stated that the safety of guests and crew is the company’s top priority and that those involved have been added to the Do Not Sail List, meaning they are banned from future cruises with the company. The onboard security team addressed the situation before handing it over to local authorities. This incident follows other recent actions taken by Costa Cruises to improve onboard conditions. In May, the cruise line warned passengers that taking food from buffet areas back to their cabins could result in a €60 cleaning fee. This policy was introduced as part of an effort to address concerns about sanitation and hygiene on board. Passengers on select sailings were informed of the new rule through the cruise blog Crew Center, which serves as a source of information for cruise industry workers and enthusiasts.