A massive Royal Caribbean cruise ship was forced to race back to its Florida port after unruly passengers were injured in a vicious fight, according to police.
The Wonder of the Seas turned around and cruised back to Miami on Monday after a simple dispute by the children’s pool descended into an all-out brawl between two people.
“A verbal dispute ensued between patrons, which became physical,” the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office said in a statement obtained by the Daily Mail. “The captain of the ship decided to return to port and contact authorities.
“Both individuals were transported to a local hospital for minor injuries,” police said, adding that the passengers involved declined to press charges.
The Wonder of the Seas turned back to port just hours after it departed from Miami for a five-day cruise Monday. WSVN 7
Photos from the scene showed at least one person being loaded into an ambulance on a stretcher.
The nature of the injuries involved remains unknown.
The Wonder of the Seas had just departed Monday afternoon.
It was scheduled to cruise though the Bahamas for five days and return to Florida on Friday.
The ship ended up leaving Miami again Monday night.
At least one passenger was seen being loaded into an ambulance on a stretcher after the brawl Monday. WSVN 7
At nearly 1,200 feet long and with a capacity for around 7,000 passengers and 2,000 crew members, the Royal Caribbean-operated Wonder of the Seas is one of the largest cruise ships in the world.
Royal Caribbean said it has cooperated with authorities and couldn’t comment further.
“Our team provided medical care to adult guests who were involved in an altercation onboard, and the guests are being treated for their injuries,” it said in a statement.
“We notified local authorities and are working closely with them. As this is an ongoing investigation, we have no more information to share at this time.”
The confined spaces on a cruise ship apparently have a way of provoking outrageous behavior from passengers.
In August, several people were left bruised in a brawl on another Miami-based cruise ship. That fight was somehow sparked over buffet chicken tenders.