Michael Zakhour gave a one-finger salute as he was removed from the Carnival Legend with his father, Zak Zakjour, and other family and friends at Eden, NSW on Friday
The family at the centre of a shocking late night cruise ship brawl clashed with a group of ‘Aussie males’ before being ‘ambushed’ by staff, according to a ship captain who collected the passengers after they were kicked off the ‘cruise from hell’.
One of the drivers who took the family from Eden on the New South Wales south coast to Canberra said the family were surprised that their flights back to Melbourne were paid for by Carnival Cruises.
The driver told news.com.au the family members were ‘very sore and sorry’, but were also respectful.
The Carnival Legend cruise ship was forced to make an early stop at port in Eden, New South Wales, on the ninth day of its 10 day journey following allegations of chaos and brawling.
A series of scuffles broke out on board the cruise liner as it sailed in the south Pacific shortly after midnight on Friday.
Police told the driver the family had co-operated with police, and they didn’t need to worry about their behaviour.
Bruise cruise: Michael Zakhour, left, with arm around relative Sam Nanfaro, friend George Bharko and his father Zak Zakhour close behind – as they were escorted off the cruise ship by police on Friday
Michael Zakhour is pictured brandishes an assault rifle during a trip to Lebanon
Michael Zakhour is also seen carrying two handguns in this image he posted on Instagram
Members of the family told the driver they had not taken the chance to ‘nip [the conflict] in the bud early’ and accepted they ‘weren’t totally innocent’.
The driver said the family felt they had been treated unfairly by crew members who allegedly attacked them.
A Carnival Cruises spokesman said an investigation into the alleged assaults is underway.
The young man at the centre of a shocking late night cruise ship brawl which led to his family and friends being kicked off the vessel can be identified.
Teenager Michael Zakhour, from Melbourne, was at the centre of a series of vicious scuffles on board the Carnival Legend.
Shocked passengers watched as ship crew and other guests kicked and tackled Zakhour on Friday evening leaving him severely bruised.
In a video, Zakhour, dressed in orange and red striped boardshorts, can clearly be seen pushing away a cruise staff member and wagging his finger. The stoushes led police to escort Zakhour – and a large group of friends and family including his father – off the ten-day cruise some 24 hours early.
‘They f***ed me up nicely,’ Zakhour told friends. ‘I can’t wait till court I’ll get my justice.’
In a Facebook post, he branded the guards who stopped him as ‘low life scum’ and claimed he had ‘about 15 guards kicking me in the head with steel cap boots’.
Zakhour claimed he was ‘stomped’ on and told ‘I hope you die don’t f*** with us blacks’ … and much more.’ Police and the cruise ship company are investigating.
Zakhour, left, is seen smoking during the trip to Lebanon last year. Relative Sam Nanfaro, who accompanied him on the cruise, is on right
A further clip shows him being tackled to the ground by a blonde man and then being kicked by a security guard.
Sam Nanfaro – one of the men who stepped off the cruise ship with Zakhour – claimed online that the media ‘have it all wrong’.
‘Carnival will be seeing me (in) court,’ he said.
Approached for comment on Tuesday, Mr Nanfaro declined to comment ‘until we have heard from our lawyer’.
Daily Mail Australia is not suggesting Mr Nanfaro or the other persons shown disembarking were involved in the violent brawl, just that they were escorted off the boat.
Michael’s injuries seen here: Video filmed on a guest’s mobile phone shows both male and female passengers erupt into an all-in brawl as cruise security attempted to intervene
A photo of Michael Zakhour’s injuries which he shared with friends on Facebook
Other photos posted on Michael Zakhour’s Instagram show a cache of weapons
Another man seen disembarking from the boat with police is George Barkho, 20, whose relatives said he is ‘not a fighter’.
His father, David, has rubbished claims his family was at the centre of it all as ‘all lies’.
‘None of what is being said is true. It’s all in the hands of our legal team,’ he said at the weekend.
‘Members of my family are receiving medical attention at the hospital now.’
Two further relatives said there was only one Barkho on the boat – George. One family member said he was ‘just a friend’ of the others.
Michael Zakhour’s friends said he ‘copped it hard’. He wore a bandage and was heavily bruised as he left the vessel
A passenger on board the Carnival Legend snapped this picture of the police cruiser
More of Michael’s injuries: He was allegedly kicked while he was pinned to the ground and received cuts and bruising to his face, back and legs (Pictured left and right)
The scene on the deck of the Carnival Legend as it entered the bay near Eden on Friday
George Barkho (pictured left and right) left the cruise ship with family. It’s not suggested he was an aggressor in the violence
George Barkho (pictured) was caught up in the violence and called his father at 1am
The Zakhour and Nanfaro families are related by marriage. Michael Zakhour did not respond to a request for comment.
In a statement, police said a group of men were ‘removed’ from the ship at Twofold Bay, Eden, on the border of New South Wales and Victoria on Friday.
A further group of 14 passengers, including women and children, also left the ship, the statement said.
Investigators said the fight allegedly occurred about 12.45am when the Carnival Legend was about 220km off Jervis Bay, on the NSW south coast.
Relative Bartolo Pittorino leaves the vessel with his relatives
The Carnival Legend was heading for Melbourne when the incident broke out on board prompting police to be called
The Barkho family called the police after a crowd of media attempted to speak to them at their home on Monday.
A NSW Police spokesman on Tuesday said no charges have been laid over the incident and inquiries continue.
A Carnival Australia spokesman said the company was conducting a full investigation of all aspects of the cruise, including the security response to the ‘unprecedented’ violence.