A scary incident occurred aboard Royal Caribbean’s Symphony of the Seas when a large glass window suddenly shattered over the pool deck. Fortunately, one crew member’s quick actions likely prevented a more serious outcome.
Nitin Kumar, a waiter at the Coastal Kitchen, is being praised as a hero for alerting guests relaxing on the sun loungers beneath the window. Coastal Kitchen is the suites-exclusive restaurant located on Deck 17 on Symphony of the Seas, with windows overlooking the ship’s expansive pool deck.
When Kumar reportedly noticed small cracks forming in the window, he raced down to the pool deck to clear the area. Guests who watched the incident unfold say that within 15 to 20 seconds, the large window pane completely shattered and shards of glass were sent flying across the pool deck.
Because of Kumar’s quick thinking and courageous action, there were no injuries from the incident.
Symphony of the Seas, an Oasis class vessel, is one of the largest cruise ships in the world. The massive Royal Caribbean cruise ship was sailing a 7-night itinerary from Cape Liberty, New Jersey when the incident occurred on June 8, 2025. The itinerary includes stops in Port Canaveral (Florida), Nassau (Bahamas), and Perfect Day at CocoCay (Bahamas).
According to guests onboard, Symphony of the Seas was positioning to dock at its first port of call, Port Canaveral, Florida, when the scary accident occurred. Guests onboard report the ship was vibrating heavily right before the glass broke, which could have placed strain on the window. Those on the pool deck reported hearing a loud crash when the window shattered.
In a comment on Reddit, one guest onboard shared, “They said they have no idea what happened. Theory is that some micro cracks were in the glass and when we were turning 180 to dock, the vibrations caused it to break.”
“Was definitely a freak accident and shows that you need to ALWAYS listen to crew members when they ask you to do something. It may save your life,” the commenter continued.
Another guest on Reddit shared, "We were in Coastal Kitchen 3 windows over from where it broke. We were in the middle of our 180 spin and the ship was vibrating pretty good. Most people seem to think that the vibrations/micro cracks in the tempered glass caused it. Thankfully, no one was seriously injured, other than one person cutting their foot."
Vibrations are not uncommon while cruise ships are docking at ports of call. While a cruise ship is maneuvering with precision to position at the dock, there can be strong vibrations felt onboard. This is typically caused by the use of thrusters and propulsion systems, along with the ship's engines changing speed or direction.
Because the window on Symphony of the Seas was made of tempered glass, the broken pieces shattered into small, pebble-like fragments rather than sharp shards. Tempered glass is designed this way to reduce the risk of serious injury. Cruise ships are built specifically with tempered glass for increased safety and strength, as it’s considered much stronger than regular glass.
Guests onboard Symphony of the Seas state many of the ship’s officers were on-scene immediately to secure the area. In addition, the glass was cleaned up quickly and the window was already replaced by the following day.
The freak accident has many guests online praising Kumar as “Hero of The Seas” for his actions.
In the aftermath of the incident, numerous passengers aboard Symphony of the Seas are praising Kumar for acting quickly and preventing guests from potential injuries. With Kumar clearing the area and warning guests to move from their lounges on the pool deck, no one was seriously injured in the accident.
For instance, one guest onboard posted on Reddit that they were only a few windows over when the glass shattered. “The waiter, Nitin, saw it cracking and sprinted down to the pool deck and told the people in deck chairs to move. 15 seconds later this happened. Dude saved some lives for sure,” the passenger wrote.
In the same Reddit thread, another guest shared, “I’m onboard. It was a freak thing, but nobody got hurt. A waiter noticed the cracks and moved everybody below about 20 seconds before it fell. It’s tempered, so it wouldn’t have killed anybody, but it could have caused some moderate injuries from that height.”
“We were in Coastal Kitchen when this shattered and for Nitin to have foresight to run to the pool to get everyone out of the way is remarkable. RCCL should give him an accommodation for his actions,” shared another cruiser.
One guest also posted on Facebook, "Thanks to the fast thinking of one of the best Nitin, these seats were vacant when the safety glass gave way. You are truly an asset to Royal Caribbean and a hero to the many people you removed from harm's way.”
“HUGE kudos to Nitin for putting safety first! I was in [Coastal Kitchen] when this happened. I wrote a complimentary letter that included the Vice President of Safety and Marine Operations. Nitin ensured safety when it mattered most,” commented another cruiser aboard Symphony of the Seas.
In the replies section, Kumar responded to the accolades and praise, emphasizing his passion and commitment to Royal Caribbean. He stated, “Thank you so much everyone for appreciation. You all are my family, what I did I did for family.”
“What I did, I learn[ed] from this company how to take care of my guests like family, so thank you so much. Enjoy your vacation,” he continued.
Previous cruisers are also praising Kumar's dedication and service. One prior cruiser shared, “We had that waiter in [Coastal Kitchen] in April on Symphony and that guy is a rockstar. He was the best waiter we have had in [Coastal Kitchen], and now I hope they recognize him for keeping something really bad from happening.”
Another previous cruiser shared, “I hope you get a promotion and a large bonus. You’ve always been a great waiter, I’ve dined with you several times before.”
“Nitin IS wonderful. We were so lucky to have him take excellent care of us on May 16 cruise. Not surprised at all that he took care of everything when needed,” shared another previous passenger.
Although not unheard of, it’s rare for cruise ship windows to shatter.
(Viking Polaris with broken balconies, shared on ABC News by Beverly Spiker)
Modern cruise ships are built to withstand severe weather and rough sea conditions, such as rogue waves and powerful storms. When windows shatter on cruise ships, it’s typically because the ship is navigating stormy waters. Rogue waves are unusually large waves that occur suddenly and without warning.
For instance, the expedition cruise ship Viking Polaris was sailing in South America in December 2022 when it was struck by a rogue wave. The powerful storm caused glass to shatter on the lower decks, impacting multiple cabins and injuring several passengers.
Tragically, one 62-year-old American woman was killed by the glass debris that shattered in her cabin when the rogue wave struck. According to reports, the fatally-injured woman received blows from a glass window that collapsed in the middle of the storm.
A similar situation occurred back in 2016 on Royal Caribbean’s Rhapsody of the Seas. The Vision class ship was hit by a rogue wave while the cruise ship was sailing near Santorini, Greece. In the early morning hours, the powerful wave struck the ship and broke windows in multiple passeneger cabins.
Some staterooms on lower decks were also partially flooded during the incident. Luckily, there were no serious injuries reported by the cruise line and Rhapsody of the Seas.
