Florida Passenger Sues Carnival Cruise Line After Slip and Fall on Wet Trolley at Celebration Key
Marianne Cary, a resident of Florida, has filed a maritime personal injury lawsuit against Carnival Corporation in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida. The lawsuit, filed under Case Number 1:26-cv-25805-DSL, stems from an incident aboard the cruise line’s private destination where Cary suffered severe and permanent physical injuries. The complaint alleges that while traveling as a paying passenger aboard the Carnival Vista, Cary was injured during a port visit to Celebration Key in Grand Bahama after slipping on an unreasonably slick metal surface on an accessible passenger trolley.
Passenger with Mobility Impairments Injured Boarding Celebration Key Island Trolley in the Rain
According to the complaint, the incident took place on September 13, 2025, after Cary disembarked the Carnival Vista to visit Celebration Key, a private destination owned, developed, and operated by Carnival. While waiting in the rain for ground transportation, Cary, who suffers from mobility issues, attempted to board an Americans with Disabilities Act accessible trolley provided by the cruise line. The vehicle was equipped with an accessible boarding ramp leading into the main cabin area as well as auxiliary rear seating reached directly by a raised step without an intermediate platform.
The lawsuit states that Cary specifically requested to enter the trolley using the accessible ramp to accommodate her physical limitations. However, the trolley driver allegedly refused her request and directed her to sit in the rear compartment instead, requiring her to board without the safety ramp. While holding a handrail and attempting to step up onto the elevated rear section, Cary’s foot slipped on the wet, untreated metal floor. She fell forcefully to the ground, sustaining a severe shoulder fracture that ultimately required surgical repair. Cary asserts that the dangerous condition was not open or obvious and that she would not have fallen had she been permitted to use the ramp.
Carnival Accused of Prior Notice Regarding Wet Flooring Hazards on Shore Excursion Transportation
The complaint contends that Carnival possessed both actual and constructive knowledge of the dangerous conditions presented by wet passenger transit surfaces. Because the driver was an employee actively operating the trolley in rainy weather, the cruise line had immediate notice that the metal deck was wet, slick, and hazardous for passengers with physical impairments. Furthermore, the complaint asserts that Carnival should have anticipated the danger based on a documented history of passenger boarding accidents across its shoreside transportation services.
To support the notice allegations, the filing points to earlier personal injury lawsuits filed against Carnival in the Southern District of Florida involving similar transportation hazards. These cited matters include Dauterive v. Carnival, where a passenger slipped on a wet bus floor at a port of call, Benson v. Carnival, which involved passenger injuries arising from transit vehicles lacking adequate safety features, and Ferebree v. Carnival, involving a passenger fall caused by an elevated step and wet flooring on a cruise-sponsored golf cart. Cary argues these prior legal actions put the cruise operator on clear notice regarding the safety risks of wet passenger boarding platforms and high step thresholds.
Lawsuit Asserts Negligent Maintenance, Lack of Warnings, and Vicarious Liability for Driver Conduct
The complaint outlines multiple avenues of liability under general maritime law, naming counts for negligent failure to warn, negligent failure to maintain, vicarious liability under respondeat superior, and general negligence. Cary alleges that Carnival breached its duty of reasonable care by failing to place warning signs, failing to apply abrasive anti-slip coatings, and failing to provide intermediate steps or adequate boarding assistance. Additionally, the filing stresses that the flooring lacked an adequate coefficient of friction to ensure safe passenger footing when exposed to rainfall.
Under the vicarious liability claim, the lawsuit argues Carnival is directly responsible for the operational negligence of its driver. Cary asserts the driver was a full-time, uniformed employee subject to Carnival’s operational rules, training protocols, and direct control. The driver allegedly compromised passenger safety by actively denying an accessible ramp to an individual with known physical limitations, failing to offer boarding assistance, and forcing passenger transit over an elevated, slick entryway during inclement weather.
Injured Cruise Guest Seeks Compensation for Surgeries, Impairment, and Ruined Vacation Value
As a direct result of the fall, Cary suffered extensive physical harm, severe shoulder trauma requiring surgical intervention, pain and suffering, mental anguish, physical disability, and permanent impairment of her wage-earning capacity. The lawsuit seeks compensatory damages for past and ongoing medical treatment, future rehabilitation expenses, and the lost value of the cruise vacation and associated travel expenses disrupted by the injury.
If you or a loved one suffered serious injuries due to unsafe transportation, lack of accessibility accommodations, or slip and fall hazards during a cruise vacation, you may be entitled to pursue a legal claim under maritime law. Cruise operators have a duty to ensure that shore excursions, port transit vehicles, and passenger access areas are kept in a safe condition.
Contact our experienced cruise ship injury attorneys to learn more about your rights and evaluate your options for recovery.
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.
