Cruise Guest Leaps Off Pier in Alaska, in Shocking Stunt
The 2025 Alaska Cruise Season has officially begun – and it’s off to a rather bizarre start thanks to the odd actions of one cruise guest.
While visiting Juneau, Alaska, as part of a Royal Caribbean cruise, a passenger, named Bailey Shelton, watched in shock as an unidentified woman jumped into the cold water in the harbor.
It definitely wasn’t an accident – as the jumper – who simply wore shorts, a T-shirt, and what looks like Crocs sandals – made a running start and clearly tried to catch as much air as possible when she leaped.
This is incredibly dangerous, as hypothermia can set in within an hour of being submerged in water that is below 70 degrees Fahrenheit, and within just 10-15 minutes in water that is below 60 degrees Fahrenheit.
Even in June, temperatures in Juneau average between 49 degrees Fahrenheit on the low end and 62 degrees Fahrenheit on the high end – but the water can be colder than the air.
It’s unclear if Shelton, who posted a TikTok of the stunt, is familiar with the other passenger – as she was conveniently recording just before the offender started sprinting toward the water.
It’s also unknown which specific cruise ship Shelton was sailing on, as multiple Royal Caribbean ships are sailing around Alaska this year – although Anthem of the Seas can be seen in the background of the video.
“She was a local clearly. I had layers and I was still cold,” Shelton captioned the TikTok, which has been viewed 468,000 times since it was posted on June 12, 2025.
However, the jumper likely couldn’t be a Juneau resident because you typically need to show your cruise card and go through security in order to access the pier.
Not much is known about how the situation was resolved, but there have been no recent reports of injuries or deaths in the Juneau Cruise Port as of the time of this writing – so presumably, she survived her stunt unscathed.
Don’t Replicate This Stunt
If the cruiser was looking to experience a polar plunge of sorts, there were much better ways to go about it. Jumping into a cruise port may sound harmless in theory, but is actually extremely dangerous.
For many cruise lines, it could even be a “bannable” offense since the jump was intentional – as cruise lines have a zero tolerance policy for behavior that risks the safety of the individual, other passengers, and crew members.
An unfortunately, there have been situations where people who have fallen into harbors accidentally have been injured or killed.
At the end of last year, for example, an elderly passenger died after her electric wheelchair malfunctioned and caused her to fall off the pier in Philipsburg, St. Maarten.
In the comments section of the TikTok, the social media community couldn’t get past how dangerous the stunt was and all the things that could have gone wrong.
First, many couldn’t help but to notice the murkiness of the green-ish water. Not only is the water likely polluted from exposure to things like engine fuel (likely making it unsafe for swimming), but the jumper can’t see possible hazards that may be waiting for her just under the surface.
Read Also: What Happens If You Jump Off a Cruise Ship?
If she landed wrong, she could have hit something that might have led to a serious injury – or worse.
“So dangerous. You have no idea what’s lurking right under the surface. Could be a steel rod sunken wooden pillar,” one concerned TikToker wrote.
“As someone who grew up in Juneau, YES it’s super dangerous because of obstacles under the water,” another echoed.
Additionally, others brought up an occasional phenomenon called electric shock drowning, in which random electrical currents from faulty wiring in boats or cruise ships can lead to sudden electrocution without any warning.