A dream vacation turned into a nightmare on the high seas for passengers aboard the Carnival Conquest, when a family feud spiraled out of control — ending with a Minnesota mother in handcuffs.
Paetra Ann Grandsberry, 38, from Saint Paul, found herself behind bars this week, slapped with child abuse charges after a wild encounter with a teenager she believed had attacked her son. The shocking episode erupted around 8:30 p.m. on Sunday, December 21, while the ship was sailing near the Bahamas. According to authorities, the Carnival security team was alerted when teenage fights broke out aboard the vessel.
Witnesses say Grandsberry was fuming as she confronted ship security, claiming her two boys were ambushed by a group of teens. Just as she spoke to officers, she spotted what she thought was one of the culprits dashing through the hallway — and she snapped. “She didn’t hesitate,” states the official arrest record. Grandsberry bolted from security, pounced on the teen, yanked him by the collar, and hauled him up for all to see.
The alleged victim told police he was simply walking down the corridor when a panicked mob began running — so he joined in, thinking there might be danger. That’s when, he claims, Grandsberry ambushed him from behind, sent him crashing to the floor, and gripped his collar in front of stunned bystanders. He further alleged Grandsberry encouraged her children to beat him up, shouting accusations at him for attacking her son.
After the dramatic showdown, Miami-Dade police arrested Grandsberry at PortMiami the next day, Monday, December 22, after the ship docked back in Florida. When grilled by officers, Grandsberry insisted it was all a blur, saying she “ran up on the victim and accidentally fell on top of him”—but not before hurling a string of expletives.
Now, Grandsberry is cooling her heels at Miami’s Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center, with bond set at $2,500, jail records confirm.
The Carnival Cruise fracas leaves lingering questions and a mom facing legal consequences instead of family memories.
