Key Aspects:
- A former guest of Jewel of the Seas tripped and fell due to a poorly parked mobility scooter in the casino.
- She is now suing Royal Caribbean for negligence because she believes the cruise line failed to provide safe conditions onboard.
- Royal Caribbean does enforce scooter policies regarding the size of the devices and where they are allowed to park.
A former Royal Caribbean passenger tripped on another guest’s mobility scooter, and she’s decided that the cruise line is to blame.
Colleen Parsons, who resides in Florida, filed a lawsuit against Royal Caribbean Group in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida on May 18, 2026, in which she accuses the cruise line of negligence.
On June 22, 2025, Parsons was sailing onboard Jewel of the Seas. While enjoying the Casino Royale on Deck 6, the cruiser tripped on a large electric mobility scooter that had allegedly been left in a walkway by another guest.
As she navigated what she describes as an overcrowded casino, Parsons says that another guest bumped into her and forced her to trip over the scooter.
It’s unclear how full the casino actually was. Casino Royale onboard Jewel of the Seas is around 6,459 square feet, with approximately 195 machines and 12 gaming tables.
Rather than going after the other passengers who may have been involved, Parsons has pursued legal action against the cruise company.
Her legal team is now accusing Royal Caribbean of negligence for failing to maintain a safe environment and failing to warn passengers that there was a hazard in the walkway.
The suit also claims that crew members failed to establish or enforce proper safety protocols for operating and parking mobility scooters onboard the 90,090-gross ton ship.
Parsons fractured her left wrist in the fall and required surgery, which resulted in scarring. She is seeking compensation for the medical expenses, pain and suffering, lost earnings, and loss of enjoyment and financial value for her cruise.
Royal Caribbean has not commented publicly on this specific lawsuit, but Cruise Hive will update if and when a statement is made.
As of the time of this writing, everything is status quo in the Casino Royale as Jewel of the Seas operates 3- to 4-night Caribbean and Bahamas sailings from Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
Royal Caribbean Enforces Scooter Policies
Jewel of the Seas operates with a team of approximately 859 crew members who try to make guests’ vacations as fun and as safe as possible.
But with a maximum of 2,702 guests onboard the Radiance-class ship for each sailing, it’s impossible to police everyone constantly, especially when guests aren’t aware of or willingly choose not to follow the rules.
While Parsons may not have seen it in action, Royal Caribbean does have a policy for mobility scooters. Per the cruise line’s website, scooters must be able to fit through a standard stateroom door and must always be safely parked.
“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,” Royal Caribbean’s website states.
This is very similar to the scooter policies enforced by other mainstream cruise lines, such as Carnival Cruise Line, Norwegian Cruise Line, Celebrity Cruises, Disney Cruise Line, and Princess Cruises.
Would Cruise Lines Ever Ban Scooters?
Mobility scooters always seem to be a source of controversy, both in terms of proper guest etiquette concerning these devices and now as health hazards.
In addition to this current situation, Cruise Hive recently reported that a former Carnival Valor passenger sued Carnival Cruise Line after falling from their scooter during debarkation.
And in May, another cruise guest plunged to her death after riding her mobility scooter off the pier and into the ocean at Celebration Key in the Bahamas.
All that said, there are plenty of cruisers who rely on mobility scooters in order to get around who do use these devices safely and responsibly. Banning scooters entirely would not be fair to passengers who rely on them.
The only exception to this are on some river cruises, where the ships are much smaller and less accessible due to structural limitations like low bridges and narrow locks.
But even then, brands like Viking River Cruises still usually allow guests with mobility challenges to bring compact, lightweight folding scooters.
