A former Royal Caribbean passenger is seeking damages from the cruise line after allegedly suffering serious injuries when she tripped over a mobility scooter left in a walkway aboard Jewel of the Seas.
Colleen Parsons, a Florida resident, filed a negligence lawsuit against Royal Caribbean Group in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida on 18th May 2026. The claim stems from an incident that occurred nearly a year earlier, on 22nd June 2025, while she was sailing aboard the Radiance-class vessel.
According to court filings, Parsons was visiting Casino Royale on Deck 6 when she became involved in an accident that she says was caused by an improperly parked mobility scooter. She alleges that the casino was crowded at the time and that another guest bumped into her, causing her to lose balance and fall over the scooter, which had reportedly been left in a passenger walkway.
The lawsuit does not target the scooter’s owner or any other guest who may have been involved. Instead, Parsons argues that Royal Caribbean failed in its responsibility to provide a safe environment for passengers.
As a result of the fall, Parsons suffered a fractured left wrist that required surgery. The injury reportedly left permanent scarring and led to ongoing damages that form the basis of her compensation claim.
Claims Focus On Safety Procedures
The lawsuit alleges that Royal Caribbean was negligent in several ways, including failing to maintain safe walkways, failing to warn guests about potential hazards, and failing to establish or enforce adequate policies regarding the operation and parking of mobility scooters onboard.
Parsons’ legal team argues that crew members should have taken steps to prevent scooters from obstructing public areas and that the cruise line did not properly monitor conditions within the casino.
Casino Royale aboard Jewel of the Seas covers approximately 6,459 square feet and features around 195 gaming machines along with 12 gaming tables. While Parsons described the venue as overcrowded at the time of the incident, no official information has been released regarding occupancy levels in the casino when the accident occurred.
Royal Caribbean has not publicly commented on the lawsuit.
Jewel of the Seas continues to operate regular three- and four-night Caribbean and Bahamas cruises from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, with no reported operational changes related to the case.
Cruise Line Already Has Mobility Scooter Rules
The lawsuit comes despite Royal Caribbean maintaining established policies governing the use and storage of mobility scooters onboard its ships.
The cruise line requires scooters to be stored and charged inside guest staterooms when not in use. The policy is designed to keep corridors, elevator lobbies and emergency routes clear in the event of an evacuation.
Royal Caribbean’s guidance also states:
“Mobility scooters must be stored and recharged in your stateroom so fire doors, corridors and elevator lobbies are kept clear for emergency evacuation. When parked throughout the ship, they must be parked out of the way to allow safe and easy access by other guests and crewmembers.”
Similar requirements are enforced across much of the cruise industry, including by major operators such as Carnival Cruise Line, Norwegian Cruise Line, Celebrity Cruises, Disney Cruise Line and Princess Cruises.
With Jewel of the Seas carrying up to 2,702 guests and approximately 859 crew members, enforcing compliance with onboard policies often depends on both crew oversight and passenger cooperation.
Mobility Scooters Remain A Growing Topic Across The Industry
The case is the latest incident to highlight ongoing debate surrounding mobility scooters aboard cruise ships.
While scooters provide essential accessibility for many travellers, their use occasionally becomes the focus of safety concerns, particularly in busy public spaces, terminals and ports.
Earlier this year, a former passenger filed legal action against Carnival Cruise Line after allegedly falling from a mobility scooter during the debarkation process from Carnival Valor. Separately, a tragic incident in May saw a cruise guest die after driving a mobility scooter off a pier and into the water at Celebration Key in The Bahamas.
Despite such incidents, cruise lines are unlikely to consider widespread bans on mobility scooters due to the important role they play in making cruising accessible to passengers with mobility challenges.
The only significant restrictions are typically found on some river cruise vessels, where narrow passageways, low bridges and other structural limitations can make scooter use impractical. Even then, several operators, including Viking River Cruises, generally permit compact folding scooters where conditions allow.
For now, the lawsuit against Royal Caribbean will move through the court system, where the key question is likely to centre on whether the cruise line took reasonable steps to prevent the hazard that allegedly led to Parsons’ injury.
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