Key Aspects:
- A 44-year-old Australian man has been debarked from Anthem of the Seas in New Zealand following a fight.
- Authorities have confirmed he will have to make his own return travel arrangements to Australia.
- Anthem of the Seas only began her Australian season two weeks ago and will remain Down Under until April.
When you have thousands of guests from all over the world sailing together on a floating city for several days, it’s inevitable that not everyone will get along with everyone else. Cruise lines are cracking down on poor behavior, as there is never an excuse for physical disagreements.
Royal Caribbean has abruptly disembarked a 44-year-old male guest from Anthem of the Seas while the ship was visiting Port Chalmers in Dunedin, New Zealand on Friday, November 14, 2025.
The man’s identity has not been revealed, perhaps due to an ongoing investigation or simply to preserve the privacy of his traveling companions.
According to the Otago Daily Times, the Australian man was involved in an altercation onboard and assaulted another male guest at approximately 9:30 p.m. on Thursday, November 13.
That passenger needed medical attention for a cut to his nose, but no other injuries were reported.
Authorities in Dunedin were notified and were there to meet the ship when it docked at Port Chalmers. Police reportedly spoke to everyone involved, and the guest was issued a warning for his poor conduct.
While it does not appear that any formal charges have been filed, Senior Sargent Anthony Bond confirmed the incident. The guest was disembarked from the Quantum-class cruise ship and will now need to make his way home without assistance.
The man’s family remained onboard the cruise ship to continue the sailing without him. No details have been confirmed about how many family members may have been part of his traveling party.
This is consistent with Royal Caribbean’s Guest Conduct Policy, which explicitly prohibits any abusive language or behavior, including “uninvited physical contact.” Discourteous or disruptive behavior is also prohibited.
If guests violate the policy, security will intervene and the guest may be confined to their stateroom or removed from the vessel.
The cruise line may also permanently ban a guest, though it is not certain if the guest in this specific incident has been banned from future Royal Caribbean sailings or other ships in the Royal Caribbean Group.
Anthem of the Seas departed Sydney, Australia on the 10-night New Zealand cruise on Monday, November 10. Dunedin was the second port of call following Fiordland National Park, and the vessel has already continued on to Lyttelton. The ship will return to Sydney on Thursday, November 20.
The 168,700-gross-ton cruise ship can welcome 4,180 guests at double occupancy or up to 4,905 travelers when fully booked. Also onboard are roughly 1,500 international crew members.
Anthem of the Seas only arrived Down Under on October 31 for her Australian debut. She will remain homeported from Sydney until mid-April, until she leaves to spend the northern summer (Australian winter) in Alaska.
Incidents Are Not Tolerated Onboard
This is certainly not the first time a cruise passenger has been debarked from a ship for a fight, nor are these types of incidents confined to one cruise line or sailing region.
In September, Wonder of the Seas returned to PortMiami shortly after setting sail on a 4-night cruise because of a brawl with injuries, at least one of which required medical debarkation.
More From Cruise Hive
Multiple altercations have been noted on Carnival cruise ships, including a large-group fight in the Long Beach cruise terminal in August 2025 as well as what seem to be silly fights over chicken tenders, burgers, or personal relationships on different sailings.
In each case, the associated cruise line will take whatever actions are necessary and will not tolerate this type of disruptive and dangerous behavior.
