Royal Caribbean has apparently closed the Frightening Bolt water slide on the brand-new Star of the Seas after a passenger was injured on the same slide on another ship.
Guests aboard the preview sailing from Puerto Rico reported that the Frightening Bolt hasn't been in operation on Friday, Aug. 8. According to one of the crew members, it will remain closed until they can conduct a thorough inspection. Matt Hochberg of Royal Caribbean Blog confirmed the closure.
The sighting comes after an unidentified male passenger was hurt while riding the slide on Icon of the Seas the day before.
(Credit: @aaron.dv02 [left] / @fireal7 [right])
While on the slide, an acrylic glass panel broke off, leaving a gaping hole in the enclosed tube. Water began gushing out onto the deck below, which also caused Royal Caribbean to block off the surrounding area.
Although the passenger didn't go through the hole and plummet to the deck below, other guests claimed they saw "skin laceration injuries from his legs to his hands."
The Frightening Bolt is one of six water slides onboard both Icon Class ships. Part of the record-breaking Category 6 Waterpark, it's famous for being the largest drop slide at sea, as well as its suspenseful trapdoor launch.
The other five slides are the Pressure Drop, Storm Chasers (racing mat slides), Hurricane Hunter, and Storm Surge.
"Our team provided medical care to an adult guest when acrylic glass broke off a water slide as the guest passed through the slide," a Royal Caribbean spokesperson told Cruise Hive.
"The guest is being treated for his injuries. The water slide is closed for the remainder of the sailing pending an investigation."
"It's been leaking since I was on it in June, they put a yellow sign where the water was landing"
Social media users have been quick to share their concerns and experiences, sparking discussions about the safety and maintenance of the Frightening Bolt.
"Last year on the pre-inaugural sailing we did this slide and I bruised my heels right on this spot. I have done dozens of drop slides and never slammed my body so hard into a slide ever," j23barb wrote on Reddit.
ArissP added, "Prediction: The whole of the category six waterpark will be closed on Icon and Star whilst urgent structural reviews / analysis takes place. This could be a while and [folks] shouldn’t expect the slides to open any time soon. This slide in particular, even longer.
(Credit: @maddietspmo [left] / @natalya.ash [right])
"I rode this slide multiple times on my cruise 3 weeks ago...Nothing seemed dangerous about the design at the time, but in hindsight, I can totally see why this happened," Mike01_MI said.
"The designers either didn’t account for the cumulative effects of mechanical stress to that area from riders combined with the effects of UV and heat weakening the material, or the manufacturers had terrible quality control and didn’t catch a defect."
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Star of the Seas is set to arrive in Port Canaveral, Florida, on Saturday, Aug. 9
The ship's official maiden voyage isn't scheduled until August 31, giving the crew over three weeks to do a full inspection and make any necessary repairs. However, there will be a series of short previews beforehand, with the first scheduled for Aug. 16.
Assuming the Frightening Bolt is operational by the 16th, guests shouldn't be too worried about the safety of the slide, as the number of water slide-related accidents on cruise ships is minimal.
Cruise lines, including Royal Caribbean, spend a lot of money on regular maintenance and inspections to make sure that they can provide a fun and safe experience for their guests.
Read more: 9 big changes coming to Royal Caribbean's new mega-ship
Elizabeth Wright
Elizabeth graduated from New York University's Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute with her M.A. in Journalism in May 2023. Growing up, she traveled frequently with her family and fell in love with cruising after sailing on the Oasis of the Seas during her freshman year of high school. Having sailed on over 30 cruises across different lines, including Royal Caribbean, Carnival, MSC, Margaritaville at Sea, and Princess, she loves sharing her insight and expertise on all things cruising!
