An Australian passenger learned a harsh lesson about Royal Caribbean’s conduct policies when he was removed from Anthem of the Seas after assaulting another passenger during a New Zealand cruise.
According to New Zealand media reports, the 44-year-old man engaged in an altercation with another male passenger around 9:30 p.m. on Thursday while the ship was traveling from Fiordland to Port Chalmers in Dunedin.
The incident escalated into a physical assault, leaving the other passenger with a cut to his nose requiring medical attention in the onboard infirmary.
Cruise Guest Kicked Off the Ship
When Anthem of the Seas docked at Port Chalmers on Friday morning, police boarded the vessel. After speaking with all parties involved, officers warned the man for the assault but did not arrest him.
However, the real consequences came from Royal Caribbean’s enforcement of its Guest Conduct Policy.
The cruise line kicked the passenger off the ship, meaning he was forced to leave immediately. The decision left him separated from his family, who continued the 10-night New Zealand cruise without him.
Passenger Responsible for Own Arrangements
According to Royal Caribbean’s Guest Conduct Policy, passengers removed from ships for policy violations are responsible for their own accommodations and transportation home at their own expense.
The 44-year-old Australian had to make his own arrangements to return to Australia while his family remained aboard.
Royal Caribbean’s policy explicitly prohibits inappropriate or abusive behavior including uninvited physical contact, harassment, and violence.
The cruise line takes these violations seriously, with ship captains authorized to remove passengers who pose safety risks to other guests and crew.
Unlike the airline industry, cruise lines don’t maintain a universal do-not-sail list, but each cruise line keeps its own ban list. A conduct violation can result in permanent banning from future sailings with that cruise line.
The story is one of many cruise line altercations that took place in 2025, including a late night pizza brawl on a Carnival Cruise Line ship earlier this year.
An estimated 38 million cruisers are expected to sail this year worldwide.
