A teen passenger who mysteriously died on a Carnival cruise ship was a bubbly, straight-A student with hopes of joining the military, her loved ones said.

Anna Kepner, 18, had been aboard the Carnival Horizon, which returned to Miami from the Caribbean on Saturday, when she passed away, according to authorities and her family. The circumstances surrounding her death remain unclear.

Authorities have released few details, including the exact time of her death or who she was traveling with at the time.

Her grief-stricken family has since paid tribute to Anna, affectionately known as “Anna Banana.”

“She was a people person,” the family told ABC News. “She loved being around people. She had that type of energy that just drew you in with her smile and the way she carried herself. She was such an easy person to talk to.”

The teen, who was set to graduate from high school in May, had recently started the process of joining the military.

“She had just finished taking the test to join the military,” the family said. “She was already talking to recruiters and had chosen her career path. She wanted to do something that would help her community.”

Kepner was a gymnast and varsity cheerleader who, her family said, would light up any room she walked into.

“If you were sad, she’d make you laugh. She would joke around and be the funniest little person in school,” they shared. “She was the best child you could ever meet.”

Carnival Cruise Line confirmed the passenger’s death but stopped short of releasing further details. The cruise line noted it is working with the FBI to investigate the incident.

“Our focus is on supporting the family of our guest and cooperating with the FBI,” the company said in a statement.

FBI Miami spokesperson James Marshall stated that the office responded to the scene but provided no additional information.
https://nypost.com/2025/11/10/us-news/teen-who-died-on-carnival-cruise-was-straight-a-student-planning-to-join-military/