Royal Caribbean Served with Three New Lawsuits From Injured Guests
Key Aspects:
Three passengers, who fell during their cruises, are suing Royal Caribbean.
The lawsuits blame the cruise line for allowing unsafe conditions onboard and for not properly warning guests of slip hazards.
Royal Caribbean prides itself on safety and exceeds safety standards set by regulatory authorities, such as SOLAS.
People often say that bad things come in groups of three, and in Royal Caribbean’s case, that seems to be true. The cruise line has been slapped with not one, not two, but three new lawsuits that were filed at the end of March 2026.
In all three cases, the cruise guests were injured in falls while sailing onboard Royal Caribbean’s ships. They believe that the cruise line had a part to play in their accidents and are accusing the brand of negligence.
Royal Caribbean has not publicly responded to the lawsuits, but Cruise Hive will issue an update if a statement is released.
Cruiser Suffers Head Injury Onboard Oasis of the Seas
The first lawsuit of this batch was filed on March 19, 2026, by a North Carolina resident named Lindemere Richard Bernhardt.
On February 21, 2025, Bernhardt was enjoying his time onboard the 226,838-gross ton Oasis of the Seas when he slipped and fell in the Central Park neighborhood.
The cruise guest claims that he landed on his back and hit his head, causing him to lose consciousness for several minutes. Royal Caribbean provided immediate medical assistance and Bernhardt spent the rest of the voyage in a neck brace.
Per the claim, the former guest continues to suffer from debilitating symptoms caused by post-concussion syndrome and cervical spinal stenosis.
Allegedly, the fall happened because the tile flooring became wet due to intermittent rain. The lawsuit claims that Royal Caribbean is negligent because the crew members failed to place any wet floor signs or to verbally warn guests of the slip hazard.
For context, this area has a mix of tiled and wood-like surfaces that are meant to mimic a real outdoor park on land.
Bernhardt also wouldn’t be the first guest to complain about the flooring in the Central Park neighborhood. In October 2025, Cruise Hive reported that multiple guests had slipped or fallen in this area on the Oasis and Icon-class ships.
Despite the legal conflict, the 5,606-guest ship is sailing normally and is currently operating Caribbean cruises out of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, with Central Park open for business.
Guest Falls Onboard Navigator of the Seas
The next lawsuit, which was filed on March 25, 2026, also has to do with slippery floors and an accidental fall.
In this case, a guest named Samia Boctor fell and became injured while walking near the Windjammer Buffet on Deck 11 of Navigator of the Seas on May 11, 2025.
The California resident says that she slipped on unreasonably wet and dangerous flooring, and that once again, the crew members did not properly warn guests of the hazard.
For context, Deck 11 is also home to multiple hot tubs, a swimming pool, and a splash pad. Anything from a food spill within the restaurant to swimming guests who tracked in water could have caused the hazard.
Bathing suits are not allowed in the popular buffet, but guests with proper coverups are allowed to enter, which suggests some passengers who may not have fully dried off from their pool day could come inside.
Given the location and nature of the venue, there may be an inherent assumption of risk where guests should assume that slippery or hazardous conditions may be present.
Just like Oasis of the Seas, the 139,999-gross ton vessel is continuing normal operations. The Voyager-class ship is currently offering cruises to Mexico from Los Angeles, California.
Lounge Chair Topples Guest on Odyssey of the Seas
On March 27, just one day after Boctor filed her lawsuit, Maryland resident Thomas Stein filed his own lawsuit against Royal Caribbean.
Stein was sailing onboard the 169,379-gross ton Odyssey of the Seas on April 18, 2025, when he tripped and fell due to a misplaced lounge chair on the Lido Deck.
The guest claims that the leg of the chair protruded into the walkway and was not easily visible. His attorneys allege that Royal Caribbean is responsible for not properly managing and maintaining the layout of the chairs on the pool deck.
Believe it or not, there are actually crew members assigned to monitor the outer decks to keep conditions safe and clean. But with up to 5,510 guests onboard every sailing moving things around, it’s impossible to prevent every potential hazard.
As the Lido Deck can also get quite busy, especially during prime pool and lounging hours, guests should pay extra close attention to where they are walking.
Currently, guests are enjoying the Lido Deck onboard the Quantum Ultra-class ship as it operates cruises around the Greek Isles.
Is Royal Caribbean at Fault?
Though these passengers claim that Royal Caribbean was negligent, the cruise line prides itself on its commitment to safety, which includes using flooring and deck materials that comply with safety standards set by Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS).
In fact, the brand frequently goes far beyond what is required by organizations like SOLAS and other authorities when it comes to safety.
“At Royal Caribbean International, the safety and security of our guests and crew is our highest priority and fundamental to our operations. Our marine safety record over our 42-year history clearly illustrates our commitment to the safety of the millions of guests and crew that sail on our ships,” Royal Caribbean’s website states.
“The measures we take in the interest of safety are many, with our ships often exceeding what is required by regulatory authorities – these are all part of our ongoing commitment to innovation and continuous improvement in every aspect of our business,” the statement continues.
As lawsuits are fairly common in the cruising industry, Royal Caribbean has an expert legal team that is prepared to defend the brand. Only time will tell if the cruise line will be found at fault.
Royal Caribbean Served with Three New Lawsuits From Injured Guests