Not every cruise passenger makes it from sail-away to the final port of call. Some find themselves shown the exit early, and always for reasons the cruise line considers serious enough.
The causes can range from reckless behaviour to downright shocking incidents, but the outcome is the same: removal from the ship at the first available stop, followed by a lifetime ban.
Rest assured, you won’t be tossed overboard without cause — but the stories of those who have been removed might surprise you…
1. Assault Aboard MSC Seascape
In October 2024, a cruise on MSC Seascape took a dramatic turn for one family from Alabama.
According to reports, 49-year-old Kelli Lyn Ryan and her 23-year-old son Dylan were caught on CCTV assaulting a 65-year-old passenger during a dispute in the ship’s theatre. Dylan was swiftly disembarked at the ship’s first port of call, Falmouth, Jamaica, after what officials described as “excessive behaviour.”
Kelli, meanwhile, was allowed to remain onboard as the cruise continued to Grand Cayman, Cozumel, and MSC’s private island in the Bahamas. But her trip ended abruptly when the ship returned to Miami on 12th October, where she was arrested and charged with battery on a person aged 65 or older. The reason behind the altercation has not been made public.
2. The Balcony Selfie Gone Wrong on Royal Caribbean’s Allure of the Seas
Back in 2019, this lady on Allure of the Seas decided her Instagram needed spicing up.
Somewhere between Florida and Haiti, she crawled over her balcony railing, in the middle of the ocean, and posed on this tiny ledge like it was her personal catwalk. Two hundred feet above shark-infested waters.
Some passengers spotted this circus act and ran straight to security. Royal Caribbean bounced her and her friend off in Jamaica faster than a coconut falling from a palm tree.
3. The German Passenger and the Beer Glass Incident
A German cruise passenger found himself thrown off a ship after allegedly relieving himself into a beer glass in a public area. Three days later, he and his two travel companions were told to pack up and make their own way home.
The twist? The man took the cruise line to court, and won. His lawyers argued that the cruise line’s guest conduct policy didn’t technically prohibit what he’d done, and the Düsseldorf court agreed, awarding him €9,000 in compensation.
It’s a jaw-dropping case, and one that will no doubt push cruise lines to tighten up their policies to ensure this kind of behaviour doesn’t slip through the cracks in future.
4. Jumping Off the 11th Deck
Some folks watch too many action movies. Case in point: the 27-year-old genius who thought jumping off Symphony of the Seas’ 11th deck was a brilliant idea. Spoiler alert: it wasn’t.
While docked in Nassau, this wannabe daredevil took the plunge – straight into waters where sharks like to hang out. That’s about 110 feet up, or roughly the height of an 11-story building. Math wasn’t his strong suit, apparently.
Royal Caribbean didn’t waste time showing him and his encouraging buddies the door. Lifetime ban, no appeals, see ya never. And fair enough – when you’re playing chicken with shark-infested waters and risking rescue crews’ lives, you’ve crossed way more than just a line.
5. Carnival Legend’s Large Family Brawl
In February 2018, a 10-day South Pacific sailing on Carnival Legend descended into chaos after an extended family repeatedly clashed with fellow passengers. Reports described physical fights, verbal threats, and aggressive behaviour breaking out early in the voyage.
Things came to a head on 16th February, when a mass brawl erupted in the ship’s nightclub. Passenger footage showed security struggling to break up the melee, which left around 30 people injured.
The ship was forced to make an unscheduled stop at Eden, New South Wales, where police removed six men and three teenage boys from the family. Fourteen more relatives, including women and children, also disembarked, while the rest of the guests continued on to Melbourne as planned.
6. Couple Fighting Over a Slot Machine on Radiance of the Seas
A couple were hit with a lifetime ban from Royal Caribbean after a violent clash over a slot machine aboard Radiance of the Seas. The ship had just set sail from Tampa, Florida, on a 15-day repositioning cruise to Los Angeles when the drama unfolded on the very first night.
According to witnesses, a passenger briefly left their slot machine to use the bathroom, leaving a note and asking others nearby to keep an eye on it. Despite plenty of free machines in the casino, a couple ignored the request — and even used the credits left behind.
When the original player returned and confronted them, things turned ugly. The couple allegedly shoved the passenger to the ground while shouting abuse. Security reviewed the footage and confined the pair to their cabin until the ship reached Grand Cayman, where they were escorted off and banned for life from Royal Caribbean and all its sister brands.
7. When Partying Crosses the Line at Sea
Credit to Sail Away Magazine, who covered this case brilliantly on their YouTube podcast:
Harry King was removed from Royal Caribbean’s Harmony of the Seas after repeated disruptive behaviour.
It started when he lit a cigarette inside a nightclub, breaking the no-smoking rules. He later admitted he’d been drinking and didn’t fully realise what he was doing, but security gave him a final warning and confined him to his cabin for the night.
Things escalated as more incidents came to light, some from his own TikTok posts. He blasted music from a portable speaker by the pool, allegedly urinated in a plant pot while drunk, and even threw a lit cigarette overboard, a major safety hazard.
Rather than show remorse, King doubled down in his videos, calling cruises “for boring people” and “coffin dodgers,” and insisting he’d happily do it all again. His antics eventually saw him escorted off the ship in Mexico and effectively banned from sailing with Royal Caribbean.
Related reading: Cruise Expert Reveals How Crew Deal With Crime With No Police Around
8. The Entitled Mom Who Refused to Follow Rules
Some passengers think the rules don’t apply to them. Case in point: a mum last summer who acted like she owned the ship from day one.
Her kids ran riot through adults-only areas, she dragged them into the casino, cut queues at the buffet, and claimed deck chairs for hours on end. Any crew member who tried to intervene was met with an earful.
Staff tried to reason with her — first politely, then more firmly — but nothing worked. The final straw came when she was caught hogging pool chairs. Security stepped in and escorted her off at the next port, kids in tow and probably wishing they could disappear.
9. The Influencer Who May Have Faked It
One of the more talked-about “kicked off a cruise” stories isn’t so much about bad behaviour, but about who was involved.
YouTuber Jack Doherty claimed he was removed from a cruise in September 2024. In his video, security officers can be seen questioning his group over filming minors, smoking on balconies, and the type of content they post online. Yet despite the dramatic title, “I got kicked off a cruise,” the footage never actually shows him being removed.
Adding to the confusion, another video shows him being mocked by guests singing “Na na na, Goodbye”, but that clip appears to be from a completely different ship. Language warning:
So what really happened? It’s hard to tell. It may well have been exaggerated (or even staged) purely for clicks. A reminder that not everything you see online is as real as it looks.
Reasons You Could Get Kicked Off a Cruise
Cruise lines won’t hesitate to show passengers the door (or rather, the gangway) when rules are broken. And it’s not just the obvious stuff like fighting or smuggling drugs.
From skipping safety drills to disrespecting crew, here are 11 ways you could find yourself packing early:
1. Getting Seriously Ill
If your medical needs go beyond what the ship’s facilities can handle, you’ll be put ashore at the next port – whether you like it or not.
2. Skipping the Muster Drill
Miss the mandatory safety briefing, and you could be removed before the cruise even begins.
3. Bringing Drugs or Contraband
Weed, weapons, or worse – bringing illegal items can end your holiday fast and may even land you in jail.
4. Refusing Security or Health Screenings
Decline to follow checks or health rules? Don’t expect to stay onboard.
5. Making a Bomb Threat
Even joking about explosives will see you escorted off and possibly reported to authorities.
6. Lacking Proper Documents
No passport, expired papers, or falsified vaccine cards? You won’t be sailing.
7. Supplying Alcohol to a Minor
Helping underage passengers drink is an automatic expulsion – for both of you.
8. Disorderly or Reckless Behaviour
Fighting, drunken stunts, railing-climbing, or ignoring rules can mean cabin confinement or removal at the next port.
9. Breaking Quarantine Rules
If you’re told to isolate for illness and don’t comply, you’ll be offloaded for endangering others.
10. Stealing from the Ship
From shoplifting souvenirs to more serious theft, stealing can mean being disembarked and prosecuted.
11. Abusing Crew or Officers
Cruise lines have zero tolerance for harassment or abuse. Show respect – or expect to be removed.
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I'm Hannah and I've been cruising for as long as I can remember.
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