Key Aspects:
- A sprinkler malfunction on Anthem of the Seas impacted the Royal Esplanade and Casino Royale on September 10, 2026.
- The only significant impact from the incident appeared to be that the casino was closed for the evening.
- Royal Caribbean has not commented but there appears to be no impact to the ship’s itinerary for the 7-night Alaska sailing.
Royal Caribbean often uses the Royal Promenade on its larger ships for different parades, parties, and live music, but on Anthem of the Seas, an impromptu aqua show happened on Thursday, September 10, 2026 when the sprinklers went off in the retail space.
(Note: On Royal Caribbean’s Quantum-class ships, including Anthem of the Seas, the Royal Promenade is called the Royal Esplanade.)
Video posted to Reddit shows the sprinkler malfunction, which created the appearance of a heavy, drenching mist across the Royal Esplanade between Decks 4 and 5 at the aft end of the space, near the La Patisserie coffee shop.
The video is just 14 seconds long, and according to at least one guest onboard, it is clear that the incident had only one impact on the evening’s operations while most guests were unaware the sprinklers had gone off at all.
“On the ship now. 99% of the people didn’t even know it happened,” the commenter noted. “The only effect is that the casino is closed for the night.”
The Casino Royale is on Deck 3 directly beneath the area where the sprinkler malfunction occurred. Because an open stairway leads directly to the casino, it’s likely the water pooled on the casino’s flooring and caused the temporary closure for the space to be cleaned and dried.
No other onboard operations appeared to be impacted. In these types of situations, crew members generally act quickly to repair the malfunction, clean up the water, and return to normal activities.
The 4,180-guest ship is currently on a 7-night roundtrip Alaska sailing that departed Seattle on Monday, September 7, 2026. On the day of the Royal Esplanade aqua show, Anthem of the Seas was in Skagway from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
There is no indication on the video of what time the sprinkler malfunction occurred, but plenty of guests were around to watch the waterworks and retail booths in the area were open, suggesting the ship was no longer docked.
Royal Caribbean has not commented on the incident but Anthem of the Seas moved on to her scheduled visit to Juneau on Friday, September 11, so it is unlikely the ship’s schedule has been impacted in any way.
The ship will finish her final Alaskan cruise of the season on September 28, after which she will move to Vancouver to welcome guests aboard the next day for a 12-night one-way sailing to Hawaii. That is the first leg of her repositioning to Australia, where Anthem of the Seas will homeport from Sydney until mid-April 2027, when she will head back to Alaska.
Different Types of Water Incidents Not Unheard Of
This is not the first water-related incident Cruise Hive has reported on just this month. Quantum of the Seas recently experienced what appeared to be a burst pipe that flooded a public stairwell. Video of that incident was posted on Friday, September 4, though the actual date of the leak is unclear.
Quantum of the Seas and Anthem of the Seas are sister ships in the fleet, having debuted in 2014 and 2015, respectively, though the unusual incidents are not related.
On July 28, 2026, the Oasis-class Allure of the Seas also experienced a burst pipe that caused flooding in at least two staterooms.
It isn’t just Royal Caribbean ships that can have these types of incidents, however. Cruise Hive has reported on sprinkler malfunctions, burst pipes, pool overflows, and toilet flooding on ships from Princess Cruises, MSC Cruises, P&O Cruises, Carnival Cruise Line, and others over the years.
