Royal Caribbean has issued a statement following a male passenger getting “sliced open” by a broken waterslide earlier this week.
The guest was vacationing on the Icon of the Seas cruise ship between Miami and the company’s private island, Perfect Day at CocoCay, on Thursday and had just gotten into the water slide when it cracked and water started pouring out.
The crack formed a jagged edge along the acrylic glass that reportedly resulted in significant cuts to his back and legs.
Recordings of the slide breaking apart made it to social media, and onlookers could be heard panicking and screaming, “Stop the slide!” as they urged others not to get into it.
Royal Caribbean has since responded, noting that the slide was closed for the rest of the trip. At the same time, investigations into whether the failure came about as the result of a manufacturing defect are ongoing.
“The slide remained closed for the rest of the voyage while engineers assessed the damage,” they said in a statement. “The company has not provided a timeline for reopening and is investigating whether the failure was due to a manufacturing defect, installation issue, or an unexpected impact.
“Other pools and water attractions on board remained open, but passengers noted an increase in visible safety checks across the ship in the days following the incident.”
A spokesperson also told UNILAD, “The health and safety of our guests, crew, and the communities we visit are our top priority.
“To maintain an environment that supports the highest levels of health and safety onboard our ships, we implement rigorous cleaning procedures, many of which far exceed public health guidelines,” they added.
The cruise line previously addressed the injury, stating that their team provided medical care to the individual.
