The family of Dulcie White, a 66-year-old Australian woman who fell overboard from Royal Caribbean’s Allure of the Seas in October 2024, has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the cruise line in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida.
The family is alleging negligence and failure to conduct an adequate search.
Filed on behalf of White’s husband and daughter, the suit claims that the cruise line overserved alcohol to White despite clear signs of intoxication and later failed to properly locate or recover her after she went overboard.
White had been sailing with her daughter, Megan Klewin, on a 4-night Taylor Swift–themed Caribbean cruise that departed PortMiami on 21st October, 2024. The overboard incident occurred the following evening as the ship sailed near Nassau, Bahamas.
Allegations of Overservice
According to the complaint, White had purchased Royal Caribbean’s unlimited alcoholic beverage package and was served at least seven alcoholic drinks at three different venues – Sorrento’s Pizzeria, the Sand Bar, and Studio B – between 1 pm and 7 pm.
Klewin told local media that her mother was “completely intoxicated” and that another passenger had helped her back to their balcony stateroom. Klewin said she last saw her mother sitting on the balcony railing before realizing she had fallen overboard.
“This isn’t an accident; it’s an industry pattern. We’re putting the cruise lines on notice: the days of profiting from over-service while passengers die at sea are over,” said Spencer Aronfeld of Aronfeld Trial Lawyers, which is representing the family.
Dispute Over Search and Rescue Efforts
The lawsuit also claims that Royal Caribbean failed to conduct an adequate search once White was reported missing.
However, records and contemporaneous reporting from the incident indicate that the ship immediately activated its man-overboard protocol.
At approximately 9:40 pm on 22nd October, an “Oscar, Oscar, Oscar” alert – the emergency code for a person overboard – was broadcast ship-wide. Searchlights were deployed, and rescue boats were launched to search the surrounding waters.
Royal Caribbean also alerted the Royal Bahamas Defence Force and the U.S. Coast Guard, both of which dispatched aircraft and vessels to assist. The nearby Utopia of the Seas altered course to join the search effort.
Despite a 15-hour search, White was never found, and the Royal Bahamas Defence Force eventually suspended operations.
Lawsuit Seeks Jury Trial and Damages
The wrongful death complaint seeks a jury trial and monetary damages as permitted under maritime and state law.
The filing alleges that Royal Caribbean failed in its duty of care by continuing to serve alcohol to an already intoxicated passenger and by not ensuring a more effective recovery operation.
Royal Caribbean has not yet commented publicly on the lawsuit.
Overboard Incidents Remain Rare
Passenger and crew overboards are statistically uncommon but continue to draw scrutiny across the cruise industry.
According to data from the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), roughly 20 to 25 such incidents occur worldwide each year across all cruise lines combined.
The Allure of the Seas incident was one of several high-profile overboards in recent years.
More recently, a passenger was reported missing from Norwegian Jewel on 21st October 2025, while crossing the Atlantic near the Azores, and on 27th October 2025, a crew member went overboard from Viking Star in the Aegean Sea.
Allure of the Seas, one of the world’s largest cruise ships, sails under the Royal Caribbean International brand and carries more than 6,700 passengers at full capacity.
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Jenni Fielding is the founder of Cruise Mummy. She has worked in the cruise industry since 2015 and has taken over 30 cruises. Now, she helps over 1 million people per month to plan their perfect cruise holidays.
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