A Black British author recounted a racist encounter with a white couple on a cruise ship who accused her of trading sexual favors for VIP access and complained about her to staff members.
Toni Tone took to TikTok to discuss the incident, which she described as “the most racist encounter” of her life during a mid-June vacation on a Virgin Voyages cruise ship.
Tone said she and her mother had access to a VIP area on the ship known as “Richard’s Rooftop,” where she first encountered a couple, whom she dubbed “Chuck and Stephanie from Alberta.”
While Tone was taking a photo, the man she called “Chuck” photobombed her picture, then proceeded to question her about how she was able to access the VIP section.
Moments later, a cruise line worker approached Tone to tell her that the couple reported her, alleging that she had taken photos of them without their permission.
When Tone tells the staff member about the photo bombing incident, the employee tells her he knew the complaint was baseless because he witnessed the situation, but wanted to let her know they complained.
Tone said that at that point, the man goes to the bar, finds a staff member, and loudly demands that the staff remove her and her mother from the rooftop area, falsely alleging that they didn’t have authorization. He ultimately fails in his attempt to get the mother-daughter pair removed.
Tone said she and her mother were the only Black people in the VIP section at the time.
“He’s seething, absolutely seething that we have not been kicked out,” Tone said.
At one point, Tone also got into the hot tub where the couple was, and the woman intentionally splashed water into her face.
“I knew exactly what they were doing. They were trying to intentionally push me and antagonize me in a way that they hoped would garner a reaction from me – an outburst or a reaction that is so significant, it would then justify staff kicking me out,” Tone said.
Then, the couple proceeded to insult Tone and allege that she got into the section for free by exchanging sexual favors with a Virgin employee.
“At this point in my mind, I’m like this man and his girlfriend or whatever – clearly racist. I’ve come to this conclusion because it’s the only thing that is making sense in my mind right now,” Tone states.
As Tone relayed what happened, she applauded Virgin Voyages’ staff for how they handled the situation, stating they defended her and her mother’s right to be in the VIP section when the couple complained, and also gave them special VIP wristbands so they wouldn’t face more harassment.
“Shout out to Virgin staff because the way they dealt with that situation was great,” Tone stated. “The staff were absolutely amazing, but these two people, some of the most vile and immature human beings I’ve ever had the dishonor of coming across in my life.”
Tone wrote the best-selling book “I Wish I Knew This Earlier: Lessons on Love” and has a podcast called “Toni Told Me Podcast,” in which she offers advice on dating and relationships.
