If you follow cruise news, you’ve probably noticed Royal Caribbean making headlines for all the wrong reasons lately.
Over the past few months, six different glass panels have shattered across the fleet — and the latest happened just this weekend onboard Utopia of the Seas.
What Happened on Utopia of the Seas
Photos began circulating online on September 26 showing a completely fractured glass panel in the Windjammer Marketplace on Deck 15.
It appears that the glass pane cracked but stayed in its frame. Crew members were quick to rope off the area and schedule repairs.
Photo Credit: Mike Kerwin
Luckily, no guests were hurt and the ship’s short three night Bahamas cruise from Port Canaveral carried on as planned.
That’s good news for the passengers onboard, but it’s still not exactly the kind of publicity Royal Caribbean wants for one of its newest ships.
A Pattern Across the Fleet
This incident isn’t a one-off. In fact, it’s the sixth case in just four months across Royal Caribbean ships:
- Symphony of the Seas has seen three separate breaks since June — from the Coastal Kitchen restaurant to the Solarium canopy to a panel near its mini?golf course.
- On August 7th, Icon of the Seas made global headlines when an acrylic panel in its Frightening Bolt slide broke mid-ride, injuring a guest.
- Even Star of the Seas, a brand new ship, had a panel shatter on Deck 15 in late August. Guests described a loud “pop” before the glass cracked.
When you add Utopia’s case to the list, that makes six broken panels in less than 120 days.
Why Is This Happening?
Royal Caribbean hasn’t officially linked the incidents, and it’s possible they all have different causes.
There can be a number of reasons why glass breakfs and there are no reasons being given, but could include impacts, manufacturing defects, or even weather?related stress.
What’s been consistent, though, is how staff react. In every case, crew members immediately sectioned off the area, secured it, and arranged replacements — minimizing disruption to sailings.
Should Guests Be Worried?
Honestly, the odds of encountering something like this on your cruise are still extremely low. These ships carry thousands of passengers week after week, and incidents like these remain rare.
That said, six cases in four months is enough to raise eyebrows among cruisers and industry watchers. Many are waiting to see if Royal Caribbean acknowledges a bigger issue or rolls out preventive measures.
For now, itineraries are continuing as normal, no widespread cancellations are in sight, and most importantly: no injuries have been reported in the majority of these glass incidents.
However, one exception stands out. The man injured on Icon of the Seas after a hole opened on the Frightening Bolt waterslide — the tallest waterslide at sea — is reportedly pursuing legal action. The guest suffered lacerations during the ride, though the full extent of his injuries remains unclear.
So while it’s definitely a curious trend — and one cruise fans will be watching closely — it’s not yet a reason to panic if you’ve got a Royal Caribbean adventure on the horizon.
Alison Meacham is the founder of EverythingMouse Disney Blog. For over 15 years she has shared her love of Disney Parks, Disney Cruises and Universal Orlando. In over 30 years of Disney Travel she has spent countless months in Disney Parks and has sailed on over 45 cruises. A British native and now a United States resident she splits her time between California, Florida and the UK. And spends a serious amount of time sailing the seven seas. She helps over 200,000 people per month follow their Disney travel dreams.