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Arizona Passenger Files Slip and Fall Lawsuit Against Celebrity Cruises After Buffet Incident on Celebrity Summit
On April 21, 2025, Arizona resident Dana Winetrobe filed a lawsuit against Celebrity Cruises, Inc. in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida, alleging serious injuries sustained after slipping and falling inside the Oceanview Café buffet area aboard the Celebrity Summit. The incident occurred during Winetrobe’s cruise on April 24, 2024, while the ship was operating in navigable waters.
Dana Winetrobe Sues Celebrity Cruises for Slip and Fall Injury in Oceanview Café Aboard Celebrity Summit
According to the Complaint, Winetrobe was walking through the enclosed walkway leading to the Oceanview Café when she encountered a large wet area on the floor. Despite observing a wet floor sign approximately 20 to 30 feet away, there were no warning signs placed where she actually slipped. The uncarpeted flooring, designed and maintained by Celebrity, allegedly made it difficult for guests to detect water or spills due to its color and material.
The lawsuit claims that the wet condition resulted from condensation, guest drink spills, and crew-related activities transporting wet dishware—all common hazards Celebrity was allegedly aware of due to previous similar incidents aboard its fleet. Winetrobe sustained a fractured left patella requiring emergency disembarkation in Panama, subsequent hospitalization, and corrective surgery upon her return to Arizona.
The Complaint alleges direct negligence, vicarious liability, failure to warn, negligent training, and negligent design and construction of the flooring materials, seeking damages exceeding $75,000.
Legal Analysis: Liability for Passenger Slip and Fall Injuries Under Maritime Law
Cruise lines owe their passengers a duty of reasonable care under maritime law, particularly regarding the maintenance and safety of high-traffic areas like buffet walkways. Winetrobe’s lawsuit alleges multiple bases for liability: negligent failure to maintain safe floors, negligent failure to warn, negligent training of crew, and negligent design of the flooring itself.
A Florida cruise ship slip and fall lawyer would immediately recognize that the presence of prior similar incidents—some involving the same class of vessels and buffet designs—strengthens Winetrobe’s constructive notice allegations. Courts generally require plaintiffs to show that a cruise line had actual or constructive notice of the dangerous condition; here, the Complaint carefully documents numerous prior slip-and-fall lawsuits involving Celebrity and Royal Caribbean ships.
Furthermore, the lawsuit alleges that Celebrity’s employees failed to properly monitor, dry, or warn about the hazardous flooring conditions. Under the doctrine of respondeat superior, Celebrity could be held vicariously liable for the crew’s negligence without requiring a separate showing of notice.
Allegations regarding negligent design and construction of the flooring itself open an additional avenue for recovery, implicating Celebrity’s New Build and Refurbishment department and its role in selecting materials allegedly prone to dangerous slipperiness when wet.
Trend and Policy Analysis: Growing Litigation Over Buffet Area Slip and Fall Claims on Cruise Ships
The Winetrobe v. Celebrity Cruises lawsuit fits into a rising wave of personal injury claims involving slip and fall incidents in buffet restaurant areas aboard cruise ships. As ships have grown larger and passenger volumes increased, buffet areas have become hotbeds for slip and fall accidents due to wet floors from drink spills, condensation, and heavy guest traffic.
Cruise lines like Celebrity and Royal Caribbean have faced repeated allegations that they knowingly designed buffet areas with flooring that becomes dangerously slippery when wet and failed to implement adequate warning or cleaning protocols. Courts have become increasingly willing to allow plaintiffs to proceed based on evidence of multiple prior incidents, strengthening passengers’ ability to prove constructive notice.
Moving forward, cruise lines may face regulatory pressure or industry standards encouraging the redesign of buffet floors, increased signage, and enhanced crew training focused specifically on slip and fall prevention.
Call a Florida Cruise Ship Slip and Fall Attorney Today
If you or a loved one suffered injuries due to a slip and fall on a cruise ship, it is critical to seek legal advice from an experienced Florida cruise ship slip and fall attorney. Contact us today to protect your rights under maritime law and pursue the compensation you deserve.