Mother Arrested at PortMiami After Allegedly Leaving Four Young Children Home Alone to Take a Carnival Cruise
The three-day sailing was over. Carnival Conquest had returned to PortMiami. And among the passengers walking off the ship Monday morning, one was met not by family or a rideshare — but by law enforcement.
Nathalie Belizaire, 29, was arrested at the port after North Miami Beach police say she left her four young children — one of them a two-month-old infant — alone in her apartment while she took a weekend Bahamas cruise. She now faces four counts of child neglect.
How It Came to Light
The weekend sailing departed Miami on Friday and included a stop at Carnival’s new Celebration Key destination on Grand Bahama Island before turning back toward home. While the ship was at sea, the situation unfolding back in North Miami Beach was being discovered by someone who had no idea a cruise was even happening.
The father of the youngest child — a two-month-old — spotted something on WhatsApp that made him uneasy. A post suggesting Belizaire was on a cruise. He reached out to her directly. She told him the children were being looked after by their great-grandmother and that everything was fine.
It wasn’t.
When the father drove to the apartment on Saturday night, he stood outside and listened. He could hear a television. He could hear children’s voices. He could not hear an adult. He called 911.
Emergency responders broke down the door. Inside, all four children were alone. No adult supervision of any kind. Police say the children were found huddled together in the bathroom.
The Arrangements That Were Never Made
Two separate people told investigators the same thing afterward.
The great-grandmother confirmed that Belizaire had told her she would bring the children to her before leaving — and never did. A brother said he received a text message from Belizaire on Saturday evening asking him to go check on the children.
At what point that message was sent — before or after the father’s 911 call — has not been clarified publicly.
The Arrest
North Miami Beach officers coordinated with US Customs and Border Protection to be at PortMiami when Carnival Conquest returned on Monday morning. When Belizaire stepped off the ship, she was taken into federal custody first and then transferred to local police.
After being advised of her rights, she declined to speak with investigators. Four counts of child neglect without great bodily harm have been filed against her.
The Children
All four children were removed from the apartment following the discovery. The two youngest — the infant and a two-year-old — were identified in the arrest report. The ages of the two older children were not made public. Their current status beyond the initial emergency response has not been confirmed publicly.
The Bigger Picture
Carnival Conquest operates short three and four-night Bahamas itineraries from PortMiami regularly — among the most affordable cruise options available out of South Florida. The sailing in question was one of those quick weekend getaways that thousands of passengers take without incident every month.
This one ended at the gangway with handcuffs.
Belizaire’s case is now in the hands of North Miami Beach police and the relevant child services authorities. A prior arrest from January 2025 on an unrelated battery charge is also on record.
No statement has been issued by Carnival Cruise Line regarding the incident.
Our thoughts are with the four children at the center of this story.
