A Los Angeles grandmother suffering from multiple sclerosis was thrown off a cruise ship in the British Virgin Islands, without her essential medications, after she was accused of “stealing” a half-bottle of wine she insists was included in her vacation package, according to a multimillion-dollar federal lawsuit filed Wednesday and obtained by The Independent. In the aftermath, Dayna Zegarelli claims security aboard the Norwegian Cruise Line’s Luna rushed her to pack her things and disembark, and that amid the chaos, she left her meds behind and had no way of refilling her prescriptions in a foreign country – something her complaint describes as “incredibly dangerous.” Going without the meds, Zegarelli’s complaint contends, exacerbated the MS-caused lesions on her eyes, which had been under control. This, it says, “can lead to blindness.” Norwegian, along with the ship’s captain and head of security, who are both named as defendants in Zegarelli’s suit, “engaged in extreme and outrageous conduct” by falsely accusing the 49-year-old of theft when they “knew or should have known that the wine in question was complimentary,” according to the complaint.
Beyond the worsening of Zegarelli’s worsening optic issues, she has since suffered panic attacks, elevated blood pressure, headaches and nausea, as well as “emotional injuries” including humiliation, shame, anxiety, depression and sleeplessness, the complaint states. It says she has spent large amounts of money on medical treatment in the weeks after the aborted cruise, plus psychological care and counseling. A Norwegian spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment.
Zegarelli and her partner boarded the Norwegian Luna in Miami on August 8 for a seven-day Caribbean cruise, according to her complaint, which was filed August 26 in Los Angeles federal court. The 3,565‑passenger Luna “elevates every moment of the guest journey,” Norwegian’ website tells prospective guests. The ship features 17 restaurants, 18 bars and lounges, and a staff that “ensures that every experience feels effortless.” Zegarelli was staying in The Haven, a group of top-floor first-class suites that cost at least double – and potentially up to 10 times more – what a comparable stateroom goes for in the regular area of the ship.
Access to The Haven, a luxurious “ship within a ship,” is by keycard only. Norwegian calls The Haven “your own private oasis with exclusive amenities and our most luxurious accommodations.” “Guests of The Haven receive special treatment at every turn – from priority embarkation to restaurant and show reservations to personalized butler service 24-hours-a-day,” it says in its marketing materials. It says she was “of [the] understanding” that the wine was free.
Zegarelli “placed the bottle of wine in her purse to make it easier for her to carry the bottle as she has Multiple Sclerosis,” the complaint continues. Nothing seemed amiss until the next day, when Zegarelli was informed that she needed to go to the ship’s security office, according to the complaint. When she got there, the chief of security told Zegarelli that she was being removed from the ship “under the direction of… Captain Robert Lundberg for stealing the half-bottle [of] wine,” it goes on.
The security chief called Zegarelli a “thief,” in front of her 8-year-old granddaughter, the complaint states. But when Zegarelli pushed back and said the wine was meant to be complimentary for those staying in The Haven suites, the security chief responded that “every passenger must show their Haven Suite keycard every time before they will be served with no exceptions ever, and that because she did not show her keycard it was stealing,” according to the complaint. However, the complaint says Zegarelli has “video evidence that this statement is a lie and completely false.” It alleges that Zegarelli’s partner had gone to the bar immediately before her and had been given a drink – gratis – without showing his keycard.
Extract — continue reading at the source.
