By Charles Passy
The slides are an increasingly popular attraction on many of the mega vessels operated by cruise lines
Like many cruise ships, Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas features water slides as one of its prime attractions.
Should you think twice about taking a ride down that water slide on your next cruise?
That’s what some may be asking in light of the news that a passenger was injured on a slide aboard Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas ship earlier in August. The aftermath of the scene was captured on video, with fellow passengers reacting in horror as water gushed out of a hole in the attraction. “Stop the slide,” yelled one.
According to reports and a statement from Royal Caribbean (RCL), the passenger did not fall through the hole, but was nevertheless injured when a piece of acrylic glass broke off from the slide. Icon of the Seas, which can hold up to 7,600 passengers plus crew, was dubbed the largest cruise ship in the world when it launched in 2024.
But the Icon of the Seas incident is far from the only one to have happened on cruise-ship slides, which have become increasingly common features on many of the mega-sized vessels operated by numerous lines. Attorneys whose firms have represented clients in cases against cruise lines say the slides are often not designed ideally for the ships, given the relatively tight spaces they have to fit into versus land-based water slides.
And that’s on top of the fact a ship is constantly moving, which can put additional stress on the slides, they say.
“There’s really a degradation of materials at a much faster pace,” said Jason Margulies, a personal-injury lawyer with Lipcon, Margulies & Winkleman, P.A., a Florida-based firm that specializes in maritime and cruise ship cases.
Margulies’ firm is representing the unnamed passenger involved in the Icon of the Seas incident. In a statement, Alex Perez, another attorney with the firm, said: “Cruise ships have a responsibility to ensure that the attractions they open and encourage passengers to use are safe…Our client and his family are dealing with the catastrophic injuries suffered in this preventable incident, and have requested privacy in order to heal.”
Royal Caribbean said it does not comment on pending legal matters. Shortly after the Icon of the Seas incident, the company said, “The guest is being treated for his injuries. The water slide is closed for the remainder of the sailing pending an investigation.”
Other incidents involving cruise-ship slides include a 2015 one aboard the Carnival Cruise Line (CCL) Ecstasy ship that resulted in a lawsuit filed by Margulies and another attorney. In the filing, they wrote that the passenger involved was severely injured due to a variety of issues, including the cruise line failing to “properly configure the waterslide,” failing to have “sufficient assistance for passengers to safely exit the waterslide” and failing to have “sufficient water pressure on the waterslide.”
According to court records, the case went to mediation and was settled. In a statement about the incident, Carnival said: “We have a dedicated engineering and maintenance team that works closely on the design, construction and upkeep of our water slides and other such recreational structures, including training for our onboard teams as they conduct frequent inspections and routine maintenance, and consulting with other shoreside attractions operators on best practices.”
“I’m looking at this and going, ‘Where was the preventative maintenance?’”Royce D’Orazio, a former amusement-park ride technician
A 2022 incident aboard a Norwegian Cruise Line (NCLH) ship involved a passenger getting stuck on a slide, as captured on a TikTok video that received hundreds of thousands of views as well as numerous comments. “I’m having a panic attack just watching this,” one commenter said.
The passenger was able to eventually exit the slide, according to a report. Norwegian Cruise Line did not respond to a MarketWatch request for comment about the incident.
Failures with slides are likely not only a result of the aforementioned issues, according to Royce D’Orazio, a former amusement-park ride technician who’s now a content creator. He says the incidents often speak to an upkeep problem.
“I’m looking at this and going, ‘Where was the preventative maintenance?’” he said of the recent Royal Caribbean incident in particular.
D’Orazio also says operational issues can contribute to a slide breakdown. For example, a slide might have a weight restriction for individuals to ensure it isn’t tested beyond its structural limits. But staff has to be mindful of that matter and not let certain individuals go through it.
Of course, incidents with water slides can occur at land-based water parks – and sometimes do, including ones that result in death.
Still, D’Orazio and others point out that land-based water parks in the U.S. are typically subject to state regulations that require regular inspection of attractions.
When it comes to cruise ships – at least those that travel in U.S. waters – the U.S. Coast Guard has authority to ensure safety compliance. But a Coast Guard spokesperson said the agency is “not responsible for water slide or other entertainment equipment inspections on cruise ships.”
That means the issue is often left to the cruise lines, says Jason Turchin, a Florida attorney who has also handled cases involving ships. “The burden lies solely with the lines to make sure rides are up to the standards of the manufacturer,” he said.
Not that any of this may deter the vast majority of cruise-ship passengers, who readily enjoy the ever-increasing array of amenities that are offered onboard these days without injury. The industry is seeing high demand of late, with 34.6 million passengers boarding ships in 2024 – an increase of 9.3% over the prior year, according to Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), a trade group.
CLIA didn’t respond to a MarketWatch request for comment about issues regarding water slides.
Melissa Newman, a regular cruise-ship passenger who also shares content about her travels online, says she isn’t overly worried about safety issues when it comes to onboard attractions and rides. There’s too much at stake for the ship operators to take the matter lightly, she observes.
“I’m not terribly concerned because I know that their fear of massive reputational damage from even one tragedy is enough to keep cruise lines vigilant, even without the stricter oversight they’d face on land,” Newman said.
-Charles Passy
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08-17-25 1606ET
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