Carnival responds to viral video of guest scratching foot with fork

Saleen Martin, USA TODAYThu, July 23, 2026 at 4:42 PM UTC

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A Carnival Cruise Line guest is going viral after sharing a video of a woman scratching her foot with a fork while dining aboard a ship.

North Carolina resident Courtney Baucom shared a video of the incident this week on TikTok, Facebook and Instagram, as well as clips of her informing cruise management.

In Baucom's initial video, a woman can be seen eating at a table with other guests. The woman uses her right hand to scratch her foot, which appears to have a white, flaky substance on it. Flakes fall to the floor, and when the woman is done, she uses the same hand to eat her food.

In a second clip, the woman uses a fork to scratch the same foot. As other guests walk by, a woman can be heard in the background saying “Y’all see that nasty mess too?” As of July 23, the original video has more than 30 million views on TikTok.

Baucom, who posted the videos to social media, tagged Carnival on social media and wrote "Foot fungus lady uses fork on cruise."

Carnival issues statement on viral foot fork video

Carnival has since issued a statement on social media and informed guests that forks are meant to be used for food only, “not foot care.” The cruise line said its team found out about the situation and addressed it with the guest. The company also said its team “removed the utensil from service.”

Carnival went on to let the public know how it addressed the situation, cracking a joke of its own in the process by swapping out the word “fleet” for “feet.”

“While the video may be generating laughs and gasps online, cleanliness and hygiene are no joke to us,” Carnival wrote. “Our crew works hard every day to maintain high standards across our feet fleet and to ensure all guests enjoy a safe, clean, and comfortable vacation.”

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USA TODAY contacted Carnival on Thursday, July 23, to get more information about the incident.

More on Carnival: Cruise line bans more than a dozen travelers for fighting at port

How often are cruise ships inspected?

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has a Vessel Sanitation Program where inspectors conduct operational sanitation inspections of eight areas:

Medical centers

Drinking water

Galleys and dining rooms

Swimming pools and whirlpools

Housekeeping

Pest and insect management

Child activity centers

Heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems

"During these inspections, we provide public health guidance to cruise ship staff when items are out of compliance," the CDC shared on its website, adding that inspectors look at the ships when the vessels are in U.S. ports.

The inspections take 6 to 8 hours depending on ship size, how long the ship is in port, and any issues that come up. Cruise ships under U.S. jurisdiction may undergo two inspections each year.

Scores of 86 or higher are satisfactory, while 85 and below are unsatisfactory. Between November 2025 and May 2026, Carnival Cruise Line ships scored between an 86 and a 100.

Saleen Martin is a reporter on USA TODAY’s trending team. She is from Norfolk, Virginia – the 757. Email her at sdmartin@usatoday.com.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Carnival speaks out after the now-viral foot-scratching fork video

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