Dramatic video footage has emerged showing a full-scale brawl erupting aboard a Royal Caribbean luxury cruise ship, forcing the vessel to cut its journey short and return to port in Miami.
The violent incident, involving a large number of passengers, took place on the massive Symphony of the Seas during what was supposed to be a dream holiday. Shocking clips posted online show guests throwing punches and engaging in chaotic fights in the ship's common areas as other passengers scream and try to break it up.
The situation escalated so severely that the ship's security team was completely overwhelmed, requiring the captain to make the decision to turn the vessel around. The cruise, which had departed from Miami for a sun-soaked itinerary, was abruptly terminated.
Passengers Forced to Disembark
Upon the ship's unscheduled return to PortMiami, local law enforcement boarded to take control. While the Miami-Dade Police Department confirmed its response to a incident at the port, they noted that no charges were filed as the altercation was considered a mutual combat situation.
In a statement, a spokesperson for Royal Caribbean said: "The guests were quickly detained by our security team, and we disembarked them at the first available port of call. We have zero tolerance for this type of behaviour."
A Pattern of Problems?
This event is not an isolated one for the cruise line industry. Recent months have seen a number of highly publicised incidents involving passenger misconduct on cruises, from fights to overboard incidents. The return of the Symphony of the Seas marks another public relations challenge for an industry working to rebuild its image post-pandemic.
The aftermath leaves questions about passenger safety and the protocols in place for handling large-scale disturbances on these floating resorts, which can carry nearly 7,000 passengers and crew.
