Cruise & Ferry

South Philadelphia woman describes chaotic scene after Royal Caribbean cruise ship waterslide breaks

Published

2 days ago

August 8, 2025

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) — A man was injured aboard Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas after an acrylic pane broke off a waterslide while he was using it, according to a passenger who witnessed the incident.

Erica Hunt, a South Philadelphia resident traveling with her family, said she saw the man bleeding after the slide cracked beneath him.

“Everyone was frantic, and the staff and they kind of just wheeled him away,” Hunt said.

The incident occurred on Thursday afternoon while the ship was in the Bahamas. Hunt said her son had been waiting in line for the same slide just minutes before the accident.

“We were all on that slide that day. Minutes before, my son was actually waiting on line to get on that slide,” she said.

Royal Caribbean confirmed the injured passenger was an adult male and said he is in stable condition. The company added that the slide has been closed for the remainder of the cruise pending an investigation.

“They do weigh you on the top of the slide before you get on,” Hunt said. “They don’t show your weight, but if it’s green light or red light. Obviously, we got the green light and he went down.”

Hunt believes the incident may have stemmed from a maintenance issue.

“The slide has been leaking. There is an adult pool below that, and it has been leaking, I can confirm that,” she said. “It has been leaking the whole trip, right in that spot, so I think maybe it was just overlooked. Maybe it cracked and it missed it.”

The injury follows another serious incident aboard the Icon of the Seas. On July 24, Royal Bahama Police recovered the body of a 35-year-old crewmember who had jumped overboard after allegedly stabbing a 28-year-old female coworker in the chest. She survived.

“Everyone is kind of on edge and the workers are nervous,” Hunt said. “A lot of them are still on edge with the gentleman that went overboard last week. That was their friend.”

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Cruise & Ferry

Royal Caribbean cruise ship water slide breaks, injuring guest

Published

33 minutes ago

August 10, 2025

, USA TODAY

Officials on board a Royal Caribbean cruise liner responded after a guest sustained injuries from a water slide on Thursday.

The incident occurred on the Icon of the Seas, the company said in a written statement.

“Our team provided medical care to an adult guest when acrylic glass broke off a water slide as the guest passed through the slide,” the company said, noting the guest is being treated for his injuries and the water slide is closed for the remainder of the cruise as an investigation takes place.

Video captures frightening moment

Footage captured of the incident shows the busted glass panel with water pouring out of the enclosed slide. In the video, someone asks “Did the person fall out?” Another responds “Yes, they did.”

Bystanders are heard alerting workers to “stop the slide.” Watch the moment in the video above.

Previous incidents on Royal Caribbean cruises

Royal Caribbean offers seven-night vacations on board the 1,198-foot-long vessel. Icon of the Seas features six waterslides, an adults-only retreat and seven pools, according to the company’s website.

Some of the packages include stops in the Bahamas, Honduras and Mexico.

Royal Caribbean officials did not disclose additional information or identify the guest involved. The company is the second-largest cruise liner in the world.

In recent years, the company has faced other injury claims ranging from slip and falls to medical negligence.

Last month, Royal Caribbean International reported a guest fell over the side of an infinity pool on board Icon of the Seas but did not sustain injuries. The guest was attempting to retrieve their sunglasses at the time of the incident.

Also in July, a crew member was pronounced dead after allegedly jumping overboard after stabbing another employee.

Michelle Del Rey is a trending news reporter at USA TODAY. Reach her at mdelrey@usatoday.com

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Cruise & Ferry

Hamburg To Require Shore Power Starting in 2027 – Cruise Industry News

Published

2 hours ago

August 10, 2025

the Editor

The port of Hamburg is making shore power mandatory for cruise ships visiting its three terminals starting in 2027.

According to local media, all vessels capable of using the technology will be required to do so when calling in Hamburg.

The measure comes three years ahead of similar European Union requirements entering effect, NDR.de reported.

“It’s also important for the acceptance of the cruise business in the city as a whole,” Hamburg’s Minister for Economic Affairs, Melanie Leonhard, told the news outlet.

Cruise lines and ships that fail to meet the requirements will be subjected to sanctions, including so-called “compensation payments,” she continued.

Leonhard said that two-thirds of all ships capable of using shore power are currently using shore power when visiting Hamburg.

NDR.de reported that the use of shore power makes operations in Hamburg significantly more expensive for cruise ships sailing to the port.

Jens Meier, head of the Hamburg Port Authority (HPA), told the website that the port was a European pioneer in offering shore power for cruise vessels.

Shore power is currently available at two of the port’s terminals, including the Hamburg-Altona Cruise Terminal, which was one of the first in the region to offer the technology back in 2017.

In 2024, the Steinwerder Cruise Terminal became the second in Hamburg to offer connections for vessels.

The technology is now coming to the new HafenCity Cruise Terminal, which is scheduled to be completed later this year.

The two new connections being added to the terminals will undergo trials before being available for ships in 2027.

A major homeport in Germany, Hamburg serves as a starting point for cruises from a wide range of brands, including AIDA, Costa, MSC, TUI, Cunard and Hapag-Lloyd.

The town is also a popular port of call for other brands, such as Royal Caribbean, P&O, Norwegian, Princess, Silversea, Regent and more.

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Cruise & Ferry

Cruise Ship Guests Dead After Being Swept Out to Sea on Greek Island

Published

4 hours ago

August 10, 2025

Frank M

Frank M

Frank is a seasoned travel journalist with over a decade of experience covering hospitality, cruise, and air travel.

He has traveled extensively by land, sea, and air, collaborating with industry giants like Marriott, Hyatt, Disney, and Carnival Corp. His work has been featured in major international and industry publications across four continents.

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