Key Aspects:
- A glass panel broke on Deck 15 of Utopia of the Seas this week. The incident occurred in the Windjammer Marketplace.
- No one was injured in the incident and the panel did not fall. The glass was quickly roped off for repairs.
- Royal Caribbean has been plagued with multiple glass incidents on different ships in recent weeks, including Symphony of the Seas, Star of the Seas, and Icon of the Seas.
Yet another glass panel has shattered on a Royal Caribbean ship, this time on the newest Oasis-class vessel, Utopia of the Seas.
The affected panel is on Deck 15 in the Windjammer Marketplace. Photos circulating on social media show the shattered panel above the distinctive Boardwalk neighborhood balconies, but the glass remained in its frame and did not fall to the deck below.
Utopia of the Seas offers the “World’s Biggest Weekend” sailings from Port Canaveral. These 3- and 4-night cruises visit either just Perfect Day at CocoCay on the short cruises or both Nassau and CocoCay on the 4-night itineraries.
The exact sailing when the glass shattered has not been confirmed, but as the photos just appeared on Friday, September 26, it is likely to be that departure date for this weekend’s 3-night cruise.
No injuries have been reported, and the broken glass will not impact Utopia of the Seas‘ itinerary in any way. The affected panel will be covered and replaced as soon as possible.
So Many Glass Incidents on Royal Caribbean Ships!
It is not unusual for glass to break on cruise ships occasionally, but for panels to shatter without an apparent cause is more concerning.
For example, if a glass panel were to break due to a rogue wave, that would be understandable. If there were a collision with a pier that broke some glass, no one would wonder why.
Read Also: Can a Rogue Wave Sink a Cruise Ship?
What is raising concerns is so many glass-related incidents aboard Royal Caribbean ships in recent weeks.
Onboard Symphony of the Seas, for example, three different panels have broken since early June. On June 8, a panel in the Coastal Kitchen restaurant shattered and rained shards onto the pool deck below. Injuries were avoided only thanks to the fast warning of an alert crew member.
Just three weeks later, on June 29, a glass canopy panel in the adults-only Solarium shattered just as the ship was docking in Port Canaveral. The panel remained in place but needed replacement.
In early August, a glass panel on Deck 16 shattered near the miniature golf course. Speculation is that an errant golf ball might have caused that incident. Fortunately, the glass did not fall, though the entire panel was fractured.
Onboard Icon of the Seas, the Frightening Bolt waterslide captured headlines with dramatic footage of its glass breaking and water pouring down over the deck as the slide was in operation on August 7. One guest was injured in that incident, and the slide has since been repaired with a solid-colored section.
Even the brand new Star of the Seas has had a glass incident. A panel on Deck 15 broke on August 26, just days before the ship’s official maiden voyage.
Guests who were nearby when the glass shattered reported hearing a pop as it broke, but there was no immediately apparent cause for the break.
Royal Caribbean has not announced any connection between so many glass incidents. There could be many factors behind the different breaks, from sudden impacts to manufacturing defects to weather-related stress.
After each incident, crew members have worked quickly to secure the glass and ensure there is no debris that could cause injuries to anyone nearby. Repairs have been made as quickly as possible.
Other than the closure of the Frightening Bolt waterslide on Icon of the Seas (as well as on Star of the Seas as a precaution), none of these incidents have impacted ship operations in any way once the repairs have been completed.
