MSC cruise guest arrested for allegedly striking senior

An MSC Cruises passenger was arrested for allegedly hitting another person onboard during a cruise earlier this month.
Kelli Lyn Ryan, 49, allegedly struck the victim – who was not named – “with an open hand” at around 9:30 p.m. following a verbal altercation in the theater, according to an arrest affidavit from the Miami-Dade Police Department. The incident was recorded in CCTV footage.
The Huntsville, Alabama resident’s son could also be seen hitting the person multiple times. They “sustained multiple injuries to the face and head” as a result of the attacks, the affidavit said.
Ryan’s son was removed from ship in Jamaica due to “his excessive behavior,” while she was arrested on Saturday after the ship returned to Miami, Florida. She is charged with battery on a person 65 or older.
“We are aware of the incident that took place on October 6 aboard MSC Seascape,” MSC told USA TODAY in an emailed statement. “The matter was promptly reported to local law enforcement, who are now conducting their own investigation.”
Ryan did not immediately respond to a request for comment at a listed phone number.
The news comes after a Carnival Cruise Line guest pleaded guilty in February to assaulting a fellow passenger, at one point smashing a glass in their face.
Yes. Cruise ships have onboard jails – also called brigs – where guests or crew may be held. 
“Generally it is unruly behavior that lands passengers in jail on the ship, such as assaults, but also any behavior where a person is a threat to themselves also, such as where a person threatens to jump overboard,” Michael Winkleman, a maritime attorney with Lipcon, Margulies & Winkleman, P.A., said in an email. He has seen guests detained for the remainder of a cruise, up to several days.
Winkleman described the facilities as “basically just holding rooms.” Passengers could also be confined to their cabins under the supervision of onboard security personnel, according to The Points Guy.
MSC did not respond to a question about whether Ryan or her son were held in the brig.
Nathan Diller is a consumer travel reporter for USA TODAY based in Nashville. You can reach him at [email protected].