Waterslide Closed After Portion Shatters on Icon of the Seas, Injuring a Passenger

A waterslide in the world’s largest waterpark on a cruise ship has been shut down after a major malfunction. 

On August 7, 2025, a clear portion of a water slide shattered while a passenger was on it, causing injuries and leading to an immediate investigation.

It all happened on “The Frightening Bolt” waterslide, a major feature of the ship’s Category 6 Waterpark. The slide is famous for having the biggest drop at sea, at 46 feet tall, and for its trapdoor launch, which terrifies cruisers as the floor drops out beneath them.

But in this incident, the waterslide was frightening in other ways after a giant hole in the bottom of a slopped section started circulating online.

According to some social media reports, as an adult male guest was riding the slide, a clear acrylic panel broke, causing water to gush onto the deck below.

Passengers on the deck were soaked, but the biggest worries were for the person who had slid down the slide. Video of the incident quickly spread, showing panicked reactions from other passengers.

The unnamed guest suffered “skin laceration injuries from his legs to his hands,” but fortunately, did not fall through the unexpected hole.

Royal Caribbean provided the passenger with medical care and is being treated for his injuries.  The water slide and the surrounding area on Deck 15 have been closed for a full investigation.

The news quickly spread to online communities like Reddit.  Several comments provided details from passengers who were on the ship.

One user, who claimed to have a son on board, wrote, “My son is on the ship and watched the whole thing. It was an adult and he did not fall through the glass thank god. He was cut up very bad and taken away. Someone before him was also cut coming down but didn’t have a chance to relay that info back up before the next person came down.”

Other comments from passengers expressed similar concerns for the injured man.

A different user who was on the ship tried to clarify earlier reports and rumors that were spreading about the incident saying, “It wasn’t a kid. It was an adult and his son was suppose to go right after. We were suppose to go right after the kid.”

So, how did this happen?  After incidents like this many start playing the guessing game, but until the investigation is complete we will have to wait for confirmation.

Users online speculated about a number of possibilities, from a manufacturing or material defect to the effects of constant use and environmental factors. One user noted the location of the break, saying, “Just the location of the hole is a strange place for it to fail.”

Another user, responding to a theory about a passenger causing the damage, stated, “Don’t matter if they took a hammer and banged on it. It shouldn’t fail.”