Princess Cruises Sued After Alleged Dining Room Injury on Ruby Princess

If you’ve ever walked into a cruise ship dining room during the dinner rush, you know the vibe: servers weaving between tables, guests stepping sideways to squeeze past chairs, and lighting that’s set more for “date night” than “watch your footing.”

Now imagine you’re just trying to get to your table… and you end up on the floor.

That’s the heart of a new lawsuit filed against Princess Cruises, tied to an alleged trip-and-fall in one of Ruby Princess’ main dining rooms.

The Lawsuit, in Plain English

A Pennsylvania passenger named Lucy Gero has filed a personal injury lawsuit against Princess Cruise Lines, Ltd. in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida. The lawsuit was filed on February 19, 2026.

Her lawsuit alleges negligence and seeks compensation tied to injuries she says she suffered onboard Ruby Princess.

What the Passenger Says Happened in the Dining Room

According to the complaint, the incident happened March 4, 2025, inside the Michelangelo Dining Room on Deck 5 of Ruby Princess.

Gero claims she tripped over ribbons left on the floor by crew members and fell.

And it wasn’t just a bruised ego, either. In the lawsuit, she says she suffered significant injuries in the fall, including a torn meniscus in her right knee. She alleges the injury required surgery and has left her with chronic pain and reduced mobility.

In fact, the complaint puts it like this: “GERO was carefully walking … when [she] tripped and fell on ribbons left on the floor,” the lawsuit alleges.

The complaint doesn’t explain why the ribbons were there in the first place. On many ships, ribbons pop up around holidays, themed nights, or special events—think decorations, ribbon-cutting moments, even little touches used to mark a celebration onboard.

Why the Ribbons Are Such a Big Deal

Trip hazards onboard can be anything from a raised threshold to a spilled drink. In this case, the lawsuit focuses on one big point: visibility.

The complaint alleges the ribbons weren’t easy to see because of “inadequate lighting” and because they blended into the patterned carpet. It also claims: “The ribbons were not adequately visible … and it lacked adequate warning and/or color contrast,” the filing states.

That may sound picky, but it’s often the whole game in a case like this. If something is hard to spot in a high-traffic area, the argument is that it should’ve been removed quickly, clearly marked, or the area blocked off.

And if you’ve ever noticed how cruise ship carpeting loves a busy pattern, you already get the argument. A small item can disappear visually, especially when you’re watching for chairs, people, and servers carrying trays at the same time.

What the Lawsuit Claims Princess Crew Should Have Done

The lawsuit claims there were crew members nearby—within roughly 10–15 feet—who didn’t warn her about the ribbons, didn’t fix the hazard, and didn’t block the path before she tripped.

As the claim phrases it: “There were PRINCESS crew members … within 10-15 feet … [who] failed to warn GERO … or block off the area,” it continues.

It also alleges Princess has internal procedures for routinely inspecting public areas for safety hazards (the filing references checks at regular intervals, such as every 15 minutes) and that those procedures were not followed that day.

Princess hasn’t publicly confirmed any of those internal policy details.

A Quick Look at Ruby Princess and the Area Mentioned

Ruby Princess isn’t a small ship where you can see every corner at once. Princess lists her capacity at 3,080 guests, with about 1,200 crew, spread across 19 decks.

She also has three main dining rooms—Botticelli, Da Vinci, and Michelangelo—so at peak dinner time, those spaces can be a constant flow of people arriving, leaving, and moving between tables.

That’s not a defense or an accusation. It’s context. A busy dining room can hide small hazards fast, which is exactly why the lawsuit leans so heavily on what the crew saw (or should’ve seen) and what warnings were (or weren’t) given.

Princess Hasn’t Commented (And What Could Matter Next)

Right now, Princess Cruises has not publicly commented on the allegations.

Another detail that may matter later: video. Many public venues on cruise ships have security cameras, but footage isn’t typically released to the public. If there was camera coverage of the dining room, it could help confirm timing, lighting, foot traffic, and whether the ribbons were obvious or nearly invisible.

And as with any lawsuit, it’s worth repeating: these are allegations. The court process is where facts get tested.

Final Word

We’ll keep an eye on this case as it moves through court, but for now it’s worth remembering this is still just a set of allegations that Princess will have the chance to respond to.

Still, the bigger takeaway is simple: busy dining rooms + low lighting + small items on the floor is a recipe for trouble. If you spot something that could trip someone up (a ribbon, a napkin, a spill, even a loose chair leg sticking out), flag a crew member right away—because the next person through might not see it in time.

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