New York mother claimed overservice of alcohol led to fatal fall from cruise ship, according to a lawsuit.

A tragic incident involving the death of a New York woman from a Taylor Swift-themed cruise in the Bahamas has led to a wrongful death lawsuit against Royal Caribbean. The family of 66-year-old Dulcie White, who fell overboard from the Allure of the Seas on October 22, 2024, alleges that she was overserved alcohol prior to falling into the ocean more than 17 miles off the coast of Nassau. Her body has not been recovered since the incident.

Authorities in the Bahamas initially reported that White had jumped from the 14th deck of the cruise ship. However, her family disputes this claim, suggesting that their mother was not in a state capable of making such a decision. They contend that the crew was negligent in serving her excessive amounts of alcohol despite her visible intoxication.

According to the lawsuit filed in Miami-Dade County, White was reportedly provided with at least seven alcoholic beverages over a six-hour duration. The family asserts that the ship’s crew continued to serve her alcohol while she exhibited signs of intoxication, including slurred speech and difficulty standing. The lawsuit targets the cruise line for engaging in practices that allegedly prioritize profit over passenger safety.

White’s daughter, Megan Klewin, reflected on the incident, stating that her mother had purchased an “unlimited alcoholic beverages” package and may have felt compelled to consume more to maximize its value. Klewin indicated that even though her mother “did overdo it,” the crew should have curtailed service to someone who was “visibly intoxicated.”

Witnesses corroborate the family’s account, with one passenger reportedly assisting White back to her cabin before the incident. In a painful recollection, Klewin noted that she saw her mother sitting on the edge of the balcony before she fell. Following the fall, the lawsuit claims that the cruise ship did not adequately respond, failing to turn around or initiate a thorough search-and-rescue mission.

Despite Royal Caribbean’s assertion that crew members immediately launched search-and-rescue operations in collaboration with the U.S. Coast Guard and the Royal Bahamas Defense Force, the search was halted less than 24 hours later.

Klewin and her family are pursuing legal action for alleged over-service of alcohol, negligent search-and-rescue operations, and negligent infliction of emotional distress. The family’s attorney, Spencer Aronfeld, hopes this lawsuit will prompt significant changes in the alcohol-serving practices of cruise lines, emphasizing that the cruise industry must recognize the risks involved in over-serving alcohol to passengers.