Michigan Passenger Sues Carnival Cruise Line After Slip and Fall on Wet Staircase at Celebration Key During Carnival Conquest Voyage
Shadd McMann, a resident and citizen of Michigan, has filed a federal maritime personal injury lawsuit against Carnival Corporation doing business as Carnival Cruise Line in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida, Miami Division. Filed on October 26, 2026, under Case No. 1:26-cv-27555-JEM, the complaint alleges that McMann sustained severe and permanent injuries after slipping and falling on an unreasonably wet and slippery outdoor staircase at Celebration Key, the cruise line’s private island resort in The Bahamas, while sailing as a paying passenger aboard the Carnival Conquest on February 5, 2026.
Carnival Conquest Passenger Injured at Pearl Cove Beach Club at Celebration Key Due to Slippery Outdoor Staircase
According to the allegations detailed in the federal complaint, McMann and his wife were paying passengers aboard the Carnival Conquest during a scheduled itinerary that included a port call at Celebration Key on the south side of Grand Bahama Island. Opened in July 2025 following a 600 million dollar development investment by Carnival, Celebration Key is an exclusive, private resort destination conceived, built, staffed, and controlled by the cruise line specifically for guests sailing on Carnival vessels and its affiliated brands. During the port call, McMann purchased access to and visited the Pearl Cove Beach Club, an adults-only premium retreat within Celebration Key featuring an infinity pool, elevated dining, a full-service restaurant, and interconnecting outdoor walkways and staircases.
On the morning of February 5, 2026, intermittent rain fell across the destination as passengers disembarked the Carnival Conquest. While McMann was dining at Pearl Cove, weather conditions worsened in the early afternoon as a heavy, wind-driven downpour passed over Celebration Key for approximately 15 minutes. McMann and his wife took shelter under an overhang until the storm subsided. Shortly after the rain stopped, McMann used a phone-locator application to track Down his wife’s misplaced cellular phone, which showed the device at an unfamiliar location on the property. He approached a female Carnival attendant who was actively using a squeegee to push pooled rainwater off the upper walkway at the top of an outdoor staircase leading from Pearl Cove toward the guest-services area.
When McMann asked for assistance identifying the location on his screen, the attendant informed him that the phone was at the guest-services area and pointed him directly toward the staircase located approximately 15 to 20 feet away. Following her explicit instructions, McMann walked to the staircase and began descending in a normal and careful manner. However, the attendant had allegedly only squeegeed the upper walkway area while leaving the steps and bottom landing completely untreated and covered in standing rainwater. As McMann reached the lowest steps and landing at the base of the staircase, he suddenly and without warning slipped on the accumulated rainwater and fell violently, striking his head, back, and ribs against the hard surface.
Lawsuit Alleges Carnival Cruise Line Had Direct Notice of Wet Staircase Hazards and Monitored Bahamas Weather Conditions
A central component of any maritime premises liability claim involves establishing that the cruise operator had actual or constructive notice of the hazardous condition prior to the accident. In the complaint, McMann’s legal counsel outlines several layers of factual allegations demonstrating that Carnival knew or should have known about the dangerous state of the Pearl Cove staircase. Most notably, a Carnival employee or agent was working in the immediate vicinity during the 10 to 15 minutes preceding the fall, actively squeegeeing rainwater from the top of the exact staircase in question. The complaint asserts that the attendant had a direct, unobstructed line of sight to the wet steps and landing below, proving that Carnival was actively aware that rainwater pooled in that specific high-traffic area following rainstorms.
Furthermore, the lawsuit emphasizes that sudden, intense, wind-driven squalls are common and entirely foreseeable weather events in The Bahamas. The complaint notes that Carnival publicly represents to passengers that weather forecasts are continuously monitored around the clock both by the ship’s bridge command and by personnel at Carnival’s Fleet Operations Center in Miami. Citing precedent from prior federal litigation in the Southern District of Florida, specifically Hostert v. Carnival Corp., the filing points out that shipboard officers utilize meteorological instruments and radar to log weather events into official reporting forms using classifications such as rain, showers, squally showers, and thunderstorms. Because the Carnival Conquest was docked at Celebration Key’s pier during the morning showers and afternoon downpour, the plaintiff alleges that both shipboard officers and shore-side management observed the storm firsthand and knew the open-air staircase would become dangerously slick. Additionally, because the water remained pooled on the lower steps for at least 10 to 15 minutes while the attendant worked nearby, the complaint argues that Carnival had ample time to take corrective action before McMann was directed down the stairs.
Complaint Accuses Carnival of Negligent Maintenance, Failure to Warn, and Vicarious Liability for Attendant’s Actions
The lawsuit asserts that the outdoor staircase at Pearl Cove constituted a hidden trap for cruise passengers because the walking surface loses its slip resistance when wet to a degree that cannot be detected by a person’s ordinary senses. McMann’s complaint sets forth three distinct legal counts under the General Maritime Law of the United States: negligent maintenance, negligent failure to warn, and vicarious liability for the negligence of the Pearl Cove attendant under the legal doctrine of respondeat superior.
Under the negligent maintenance count, McMann alleges that Carnival breached its non-delegable duty of reasonable care by failing to equip the exposed outdoor staircase and landing with adequate slip-resistant treads, nosings, non-slip mats, or protective coatings capable of providing safe traction during foreseeable Bahamian rainstorms. The complaint further faults the cruise line for failing to provide sufficient overhead cover or proper drainage to prevent rainwater from pooling on the steps, failing to assign enough maintenance personnel to dry outdoor staircases after squalls, and failing to comply with applicable safety standards for pedestrian walkways and stairs.
Regarding the failure to warn and vicarious liability counts, the complaint highlights the actions and omissions of the attendant stationed at the top of the stairs. McMann alleges that despite knowing the lower steps and landing had not been dried, neither the attendant nor any other Carnival staff member placed wet-floor signs, safety cones, or physical barriers to cordon off the staircase. Moreover, the cruise line failed to issue verbal warnings, post advisory notices, or direct McMann to a dry alternative route toward the guest-services building. By actively directing a passenger down an unmaintained, wet staircase without first inspecting or drying the lower steps, the attendant allegedly breached her duty of reasonable care, rendering Carnival legally responsible for her conduct as her employer.
Michigan Plaintiff Seeks Compensation for Head, Back, and Rib Injuries and Lost Cruise Value Under Maritime Law
When cruise lines develop, own, and operate exclusive private island destinations like Celebration Key and charge passengers via their shipboard Sail and Sign accounts to access premium venues like Pearl Cove, their maritime duty to provide reasonable care extends ashore to those facilities. As a direct and proximate result of Carnival’s alleged negligence, McMann claims he suffered severe traumatic injuries to his head, back, ribs, body, and extremities. The complaint states that he has endured physical pain, mental anguish, disability, disfigurement, physical handicap, the aggravation of pre-existing conditions, and a diminished capacity for the enjoyment of life.
Because these injuries are alleged to be permanent and continuing in nature, McMann seeks a jury trial and an award of both past and future economic and non-economic damages. His demand for relief includes compensation for ongoing medical care and treatment expenses, pre-judgment interest from the date of the incident under General Maritime Law, court costs, and reimbursement for the lost benefit of his vacation, cruise fare, and related transportation expenses.
Contact a Cruise Ship Slip and Fall Injury Lawyer Today if You Were Hurt at a Cruise Line Private Island Resort
Passengers who suffer serious injuries due to wet staircases, poorly maintained walkways, or unmarked hazards aboard a cruise vessel or at an exclusive cruise line private island destination like Celebration Key have legal rights under federal maritime law. Cruise operators owe their guests a duty to maintain pedestrian walkways in a safe condition, provide adequate drainage and slip-resistant flooring in open-air areas, and warn passengers of known slipping hazards after rainstorms.
If you or a loved one sustained an injury on a cruise ship or at a private port of call due to crew member negligence or unsafe premises, our experienced maritime personal injury attorneys can help you navigate the complexities of filing a claim in federal court. Contact our office today to discuss your accident and learn more about your options for pursuing fair financial compensation at https://holzberglegal.com/contact-us/
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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.
