Australian Man Removed from Cruise for Assaulting Passenger
An Australian man found himself kicked off a Royal Caribbean cruise, and surprisingly, his family opted to continue their vacation without him after he was sentenced to prison for assaulting another guest.
The 44-year-old, whose identity hasn’t been disclosed, was traveling on the Anthem of the Seas with his family when he reportedly got into a fight with another passenger just four days into the trip, according to reports from the Otago Daily Times.
New Zealand Police boarded the ship upon its arrival in Dunedin, issuing a warning to the man and escorting him off the vessel. His return to Australia was left to him to figure out on his own, as per the newspaper.
The man he allegedly assaulted received treatment for a cut on his nose, adding to the chaos of the situation.
Meanwhile, the man’s family chose to proceed with the remaining ten days of their cruise, a decision that might seem surprising to some.
Following their stop in Dunedin, the cruise is set to visit three more locations in New Zealand before making its way back to Australia on November 20.
Royal Caribbean has a reputation for enforcing strict passenger behavior policies. They clearly state that “inappropriate or abusive behavior,” which includes any sort of “uninvited physical contact,” can lead to a guest being removed from the ship, depending on the situation.
Moreover, the rules also prohibit “dangerous activities,” like climbing over the ship’s railing.
This isn’t the first incident involving rowdy passengers on Royal Caribbean. Back in September, a ship had to return to port due to a violent altercation between passengers near a wading pool, with some needing hospitalization.
In a previously reported case from December 2024, a man died after attacking a crew member who had become intoxicated and unresponsive while being restrained. His family claimed a sedative was administered shortly before he passed.
The newspaper has reached out to Royal Caribbean for further comments.
