Arizona Resident Sues Royal Caribbean After Suffering Spinal Fracture During High-Speed Catamaran Excursion in St. Thomas
Kristen Kurpinsky, a resident of Arizona, has filed a comprehensive maritime personal injury lawsuit against Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. and Chukka Virgin Islands Operating Co., LLP in the Southern District of Florida. The complaint, filed under Case No. 1:26-cv-23025-JB, alleges that Kurpinsky sustained a severe spinal burst fracture and developed Kummell’s disease after a shore excursion vessel violently slammed into waves at excessive speeds on July 7, 2025.
Royal Caribbean Passenger Sustains Severe Spinal Injury on Caribbean FastCat Snorkeling Safari Shore Excursion
The incident occurred while Kurpinsky was participating in the Caribbean FastCat 2-Island Snorkeling Safari and Beach Getaway in the U.S. Virgin Islands. According to the complaint, Royal Caribbean marketed the excursion on its website using language that promised passengers they would glide across the Caribbean Sea on a spacious catamaran. However, the lawsuit alleges the experience was anything but smooth. While Kurpinsky was seated at the bow of the vessel, the operator reportedly maintained an unreasonable speed despite rough sea conditions. This caused the catamaran to meet an oncoming wave head-on, launching Kurpinsky from her seat and slamming her back down with enough force to cause a T11-12 spinal burst fracture requiring emergency surgery.
Lawsuit Alleges Royal Caribbean Misrepresented Excursion Safety and Failed to Warn of High-Speed Vessel Risks
The legal filing asserts that Royal Caribbean and Chukka Virgin Islands engaged in misleading advertising by failing to disclose the true nature of the tour’s risks. Kurpinsky claims she relied on the cruise line’s reputation and promotional materials when booking the excursion. The complaint argues that the defendants knew the vessel would not glide but would instead be subject to vertical acceleration and slamming forces given the known sea and wind conditions of the route. Furthermore, the lawsuit alleges that the cruise line failed to inform passengers that the excursion was actually operated by Chukka rather than Royal Caribbean itself. The plaintiff maintains that had she been accurately warned about the potential for vessel slamming or the operator’s history, she never would have participated in the tour.
Chukka Virgin Islands Accused of Negligent Navigation and Failing to Provide Adequate Passenger Safety Restraints
A significant portion of the complaint focuses on the conduct of the excursion operator, Chukka Virgin Islands. The plaintiff alleges that the crew created an unreasonably dangerous environment by failing to navigate waves at a proper angle and failing to reduce speed in volatile waters. The lawsuit also highlights a lack of safety infrastructure on the catamaran, noting that passengers were seated on aluminum benches without seat belts, grab rails, or shock-absorption technology. Additionally, the complaint states that the vessel operator allegedly admitted over the intercom after the incident that he believed going fast over big waves was preferable to going slow, which the plaintiff cites as evidence of a conscious decision to operate the vessel at unsafe speeds.
Royal Caribbean Faces Medical Negligence Claims Following Alleged Two Day Delay in Treating Passenger Spinal Fracture
In addition to the excursion-related charges, the lawsuit brings serious allegations of medical negligence against Royal Caribbean for the care provided—or lack thereof—onboard the Rhapsody of the Seas. Kurpinsky claims that when she first sought help, shipboard medical staff refused to treat her because she had booked her excursion online. A further delay allegedly occurred when she was told she had to pay upfront to see a doctor who was unavailable at the time. It was not until two days after the injury that a shipboard physician evaluated her and realized the severity of the spinal fracture. The complaint alleges this delay exacerbated her condition, leading to the onset of Kummell’s disease, a progressive collapse of the vertebrae.
Contact a Cruise Ship Shore Excursion Injury Lawyer Today if You Suffered a Spine or Back Injury While on Vacation
Cruise lines and their third-party excursion partners have a non-delegable duty to ensure the safety of passengers during ship-sponsored tours and to provide prompt, competent medical care in the event of an emergency. If you or a loved one suffered a spinal injury, bone fracture, or other serious harm due to a high-speed boat accident or medical malpractice aboard a cruise ship, you may have grounds for a maritime claim. Our legal team is dedicated to holding major cruise corporations accountable for negligence and safety failures that result in life-altering injuries.
Contact us now to speak with a cruise ship injury attorney about your potential case.
Disclaimer: Our firm does not represent the plaintiff in this case and is not involved in the litigation. The information provided is a summary of allegations based on publicly available court filings. We make no representations about the truth of these allegations, are not commenting on the merits of the case, and are not predicting any outcome.
