Royal Caribbean’s M.S. ‘Allure’ Sinks Carnival Cruise Crossing Into Disputed Waters Is Satire

A Royal Caribbean vessel firing upon and sinking a Carnival Cruise liner in “disputed waters” on the high seas is fake news. Rather, a satirical site published an article reporting on the rivalry between Royal Caribbean and Carnival Cruise lines. However, that satirical piece was mistaken for real news by some readers on social media. Where did this satire originate?

The Onion published the article on July 20, 2017, reporting to claim that thousands of passengers died in a “clash” between two cruise ships in the waters off the Bahamas. You can read the fake news below.

COCO CAY, BAHAMAS—In the latest clash between rivals that have long vied for control of highly prized cruise routes, a barrage of cannon fire from Royal Caribbean’s M.S. Allure of the Seas sank a Carnival Cruise Line ship that crossed into disputed waters off the coast of the Bahamas, sources said Thursday.

The Allure, an Oasis-class recreational vessel with a standing crew of around 2,300, opened fire on Carnival’s M.S. Magic after it allegedly ignored repeated warnings not to approach Coco Cay, a private island owned by Royal Caribbean. After sustaining several direct hits, the enemy ship’s hull reportedly ruptured, immediately flooding its bingo hall and spa with seawater, collapsing several theme restaurants, and ultimately killing all 3,675 guests on board.

However, there is no truth to the above story. The Onion is famously known for its humorous satire. Here are some reactions to the satirical piece on social media.

@theRCLblog Did you see this? Shelling From RCCL ‘Allure’ Sinks Carnival Cruise That Crossed Into Disputed Waters https://t.co/D8OWJdIAr2

— Chris Yansick (@dvc_chris) July 21, 2017

Why hasn’t this gotten any news coverage?? Absolutely ridiculous https://t.co/c9ChXUZ9Sy

— Meat Man Mcgee (@Brandon_Wolfe15) July 20, 2017

Shelling From Royal Caribbean’s M.S. ‘Allure’ Sinks Carnival Cruise Vessel https://t.co/ubVpZqvdlJ via @theonion

— David Shields (@snagwire) July 21, 2017

Shelling Fm Royal Caribbean’s M.S. ‘Allure’ Sinks Carnival Cruise Vessel That Crossed Into Disputed Waters https://t.co/Z5Q745WUuF @TheOnion pic.twitter.com/UVBy2fLGlH

— Marvin (@MarvinDMartian2) July 21, 2017

Although The Onion was well-known as a satirical outlet, not all readers were in on the joke:

Report from “the Onion” (7/20/17) states the Royal Caribbean Cruise ship, Allure of the Seas, had attacked and sunk the Carnival Magic Cruise ship, killing all on board (over 3,400 people) in the waters of Coco Cay. It would be appreciated if you could validate or disprove this report. Thanks for your time and research into this report. ;-)

After the satire piece was published, Royal Caribbean, one of the cruise operators named in it, tweeted out the story to make it perfectly clear that the piece was humor based.

Great laugh to brighten your day! https://t.co/eHNk6v6C2A

— Royal Caribbean Blog (@theRCLblog) July 20, 2017

Royal Caribbean is an American global cruise company incorporated in Liberia and based in Miami, Fla. As of March 2009, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. fully owns three cruise lines: Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises, and Azamara Club Cruises. Carnival Cruise is the world’s largest cruise line based in Miami in the United States. It is a subsidiary of the American-British company Carnival Corporation & PLC, one of the largest travel and tourism companies in the world.

What did you think of people confusing the fake news from the Onion? Did you believe it or see people sharing it falsely on social media? Let us know in the comments section.

Source: B2C