A large exterior tempered glass panel shattered on Royal Caribbean’s Symphony of the Seas shortly after a port maneuver. But thanks to a quick-thinking crew member, no one was hurt when the glass fell to the lido deck on top of some deck chairs.
Passengers Share Their Stories
The incident quickly hit social media. A Reddit user shared a photo and noted, “Glass panel fell today while at Port Canaveral. No major injuries according to the Facebook group where people said they were sitting close to the accident. No word on how it broke.“
Another Redditor also reported, “… broken pane of exterior glass in the Symphony of the Seas – Coastal Kitchen area. The whole pane is shattered and fell on the pool deck.”
One passenger, dining nearby, described feeling “the ship was vibrating pretty good” during the ship’s 180-degree turn. They speculated that “micro-cracks were in the glass and when we were turning 180 to dock, the vibrations caused it to break.”
Unlike regular glass that shatters into large, sharp shards, tempered glass is engineered to crumble into tiny, blunt fragments. This is a design feature for high rise building windows as well to minimize injury if the glass does break.
Heroic Waiter Saves the Day
This incident could have been far worse without the incredible quick thinking of Coastal Kitchen waiter Nitin. Passengers couldn’t stop praising him.
One eyewitness on Reddit shared, “The waiter, Nitin, saw it cracking and sprinted down to the pool deck and told the people in deck chairs to move. 15 seconds later this happened. Dude saved some lives for sure.”
Another confirmed he moved people “about 20 seconds before it fell,” noting someone had just left a chair directly where the glass landed. Passengers are calling for Nitin’s recognition, with one comment praising him as “a rockstar” and hoping “they recognize him for keeping something really bad from happening.”
Quick Fixes and Smooth Sailing Ahead
Royal Caribbean’s maintenance team responded immediately. Passengers reported that “the window is already replaced” and repairs were done rapidly. The ship continued normal operations after cleanup.
The incident was described as “definitely a freak accident,” highlighting the importance of always listening to crew instructions.
About Symphony of the Seas
Symphony of the Seas, one of Royal Caribbean’s Oasis-class vessels, is among the world’s largest cruise ships with a max passenger capacity of 6,680.
Royal Caribbean has not issued an official statement, but cruise lines typically investigate situations like this to prevent future incidents and ensure safety.
Symphony of the Seas is currently visiting Nassau, Bahamas on a 7-day cruise that is scheduled to arrive back in Cape Liberty in New Jersey on June 13.
