Royal Caribbean Guest Arrested After Violent Incident Onboard
No cruise guest wants their vacation to end on a sour note, particularly if that note includes a pair of handcuffs and a jail cell.
That is exactly how one recent Royal Caribbean guest’s cruise aboard Liberty of the Seas ended, however. When the ship returned to Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale on Friday, April 18, 2025, Broward County deputies were waiting for Michael White.
According to court documents from Broward County, the 18-year-old man from Siler City, North Carolina was arrested on second degree felony charges of aggravated battery following the incident onboard the cruise ship.
The booking report, filed just hours after guests debarked Liberty of the Seas on Good Friday, notes that the confrontation occurred at approximately 6:20 a.m. on Friday morning.
The documents also do say the ship was “at sea” at the time, however, so it is possible the incident actually occurred on Thursday, the only sea day of the 4-night Bahamas voyage.
The victim, whose name was redacted in the report for privacy protection, boarded one of the ship’s elevators on Deck 11, proceeding to Deck 13. At that point, “many kids” got on the elevator and began jumping up and down, causing swaying and shaking.
The victim and their traveling companion told the kids to stop jumping, only to be yelled at and subjected to profanity from the seemingly unruly kids, whose ages were not listed.
The elevator then stopped at Deck 8 and the victim attempted to leave, but was blocked by the kids onboard the elevator. He attempted to push through the crowd, but was struck “in the face area” – though the exact assailant is not identified other than being an individual outside the elevator.
The victim blacked out and when he awakened, had several injuries, including “a minor laceration on his left ear, redness and bruising on both sides of his head, swelling to the back of the head, and possibly a fractured nose.”
Multiple witness statements corroborated this account. It is not clear whether or not the “kids” on the elevator were at all involved in the physical aspects of the incident, but it seems as though they were only making the elevator an unpleasant ride.
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Nevertheless, White was arrested and has now been released on a $5,000 bond, along with a judge order not to have contact with the victim.
The case will undoubtedly proceed, and it is likely that statements and reports will be requested from Royal Caribbean and any crew members who witnessed the incident or who responded to it.
Will the Cruise Line Respond?
At this time, Royal Caribbean has not issued any official statement on this incident. This is not unusual, as the case is still an active one and the investigation is surely ongoing.
Different cruise lines respond to such incidents according to their own rules and guidelines, which may include banning White and anyone else he was traveling with for life.
Royal Caribbean’s Guest Health, Safety, and Conduct Policy specifically notes that “abusive behavior is not permitted. This includes: uninvited physical contact.”
Certainly, a violent alternation would qualify as “uninvited physical contact.” Furthermore, unsafe behavior and abusive language are also prohibited.
Consequences for violating the policy include security intervention, reporting to law enforcement, and even “denial of boarding on any future Royal Caribbean Group cruise vacation.”
This could mean that White and his traveling party may be banned not only from Royal Caribbean ships, but also from sister lines Celebrity Cruises and Silversea.
This incident is not the only one reported aboard Royal Caribbean ships in recent months. In December 2024, an intoxicated guest aboard Navigator of the Seas threatened both guests and crew members and attempted to break down a door to reach a crew member.
In a disheartening and certainly unsettling twist, that guest later passed away while still onboard and in confinement aboard the cruise ship.
Royal Caribbean Guest Arrested After Violent Incident Onboard