Passengers boarding Royal Caribbean’s Utopia of the Seas at Port Canaveral encountered an unexpected pool-deck visitor on Oct. 12: a swarm of bees gathered beneath a shade umbrella on Deck 15.
The insects were on the port side of the deck near the waterslide exits as the Oasis-class ship prepared to sail a four-night Bahamas itinerary. Video shared on Reddit showed a person in protective beekeeping gear using what appeared to be vacuum equipment to collect the swarm.
No passenger injuries or departure delays were reported. The ship’s itinerary was unchanged, with Nassau scheduled first, followed by Perfect Day at CocoCay, a sea day and a planned return to Port Canaveral on Oct. 16.
Royal Caribbean had not issued a public statement on the incident as of Oct. 13, according to Cruisemummy. It was not clear whether the person removing the bees was a crew member or an outside specialist.
Bee swarms can temporarily settle on exposed structures while searching for a new nesting location. The species involved in this case was not confirmed.
