Kelley M. Ferguson of Laguna Hills confessed to investigators who had boarded the ship after two threatening notes were found on the Legends of the Sea. Ferguson, who was on a trip with her family, told investigators she had never wanted to take the cruise and hoped this would get her back to California where she could see her boyfriend, Kubo said.

The charges carry a prison sentence of up to 10 years for each count. Royal Caribbean's Legend of the Seas was diverted to Honolulu on Wednesday when two anonymous handwritten notes containing vague threats against the ship, its passengers and crew were found in a women's restroom.