Bomb Hoax on Carnival® Ship Traced to Jealous Michigan Teen

You’ve probably heard of vacation envy - but what happened in this Michigan household took that to a bizarre new level.

One moment, a teenager was watching the pets. The next? A thousand cruise ship rooms were being searched for a bomb that didn’t exist.

Let’s unpack how a cruise to paradise turned into an international scare - and landed one young man in prison.

A Cruise, a Lie, and a Very Bad Email

In January 2024, the Carnival^® Sunrise set sail from Miami, carrying passengers bound for the Caribbean. Among them was a Michigan woman and her family - but notably not her 19-year-old boyfriend, Joshua Lowe. Instead, he was left behind at their Bailey, Michigan, home.

Upset about being excluded from the trip, Lowe made a decision that would quickly escalate from petty to federal. According to USA Today, prosecutors say he sent an anonymous email to Carnival Cruise Lines stating, “Hey, I think someone might have a bomb on your sunrise cruise ship.”

The threat wasn’t ignored. Carnival alerted both the U.S. Coast Guard and Jamaican authorities, who responded by escorting the ship to port. Meanwhile, ship personnel performed an exhaustive search of over 1,100 staterooms.

There was no bomb. Just a hoax - and a serious one.

The FBI Gets Involved

Federal agents traced the bomb threat back to Lowe’s email account. Once authorities spoke with him, Lowe admitted he acted out of frustration because the family went on the cruise without him, leaving him to care for their pets.

By the time he appeared in federal court in Kalamazoo, Michigan, in April 2025, Lowe had already pleaded guilty to making false information and hoaxes. According to Fox19, in a letter to the court, he expressed remorse, writing, “This is all my fault and (sic) take full responsibility.”

Consequences at Sea and Home

The bomb threat triggered a significant international response. Not only was the cruise interrupted, but Jamaican authorities were forced to act on what they believed might be a real emergency. Meanwhile, the U.S. Coast Guard and Carnival incurred substantial expenses, all for what turned out to be a fabricated tip. Lowe is now required to pay restitution for those costs, though the full amount has not been disclosed.

According to PEOPLE, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Michigan, Cheyvoryea Gibson said in a statement, “Bomb threats are not a laughing matter and are extremely irresponsible. When individuals make false hoax threats, they divert critical law enforcement resources and spread unnecessary fear.”

The Sentence

On April 14, 2025, U.S. District Judge Paul Maloney sentenced Lowe to eight months in federal prison.

Lowe’s case might read like a cautionary tale of teenage angst gone way too far - but it’s also a reminder of how serious hoax threats are in a post-9/11 world.

References: Man upset that girlfriend went on cruise without him gets prison time for faking bomb threat against the ship | Mich. Man Who Was ‘Upset’ Girlfriend Went on Cruise Without Him Sentenced to Prison | Michigan man gets prison for bomb threat to Carnival cruise ship his girlfriend was on