Each cruise line has its own unique activities onboard, designed to entice and entertain passengers. For Royal Caribbean, one of these popular attractions is the FlowRider. This 40-foot-long surf simulator allows passengers to experience the thrill of surfing in the ocean while onboard a cruise ship. FlowRiders come with 100,000 liters of water rushing upwards at 25 miles per hour. Surrounding the FlowRider, is stadium seating where friends, family and spectators can watch.

The FlowRider is available on the following Royal Caribbean cruise ships and is a free attraction for those onboard:

• • Adventure of the Seas
  • Allure of the Seas 
  • Anthem of the Seas
  • Explorer of the Seas
  • Freedom of the Seas
  • Harmony of the Seas 
  • Independence of the Seas
  • Liberty of the Seas
  • Mariner of the Seas
  • Navigator of the Seas
  • Oasis of the Seas 
  • Odyssey Of the Seas
  • Ovation of the Seas
  • Quantum of the Seas
  • Voyager of the Seas
  • Spectrum Of the Seas
  • Symphony of the Seas 
  • Wonder Of the Seas
  • Icon of the Seas 
    

The FlowRider does not require that a person have a certain level of skill before getting on, which means if someone has never surfed or been on a boogie board, he or she can still try the FlowRider. The attraction is also a public one, which means that others will be watching the participant. 

What passengers may not know are the dangers associated with the FlowRider. There have been a number of documented cases over the years involving injuries related to the FlowRider. These injuries range from minor cuts and bruises to the more severe, such as broken bones, sprains, and strains. Depending on how the rider falls, he or she can also sustain traumatic head or brain injuries, which can be permanent and even life-threatening. Other injuries can include accidental or near-drownings.

The fact that you must sign a waiver before getting on the FlowRider should raise concern that Royal Caribbean is aware that there is the possibility of injuries. The waiver is meant to protect Royal Caribbean from lawsuits if someone who is on the FlowRider is injured. However, this does not mean that the cruise line has a free pass for any negligence-based injuries that may be sustained.

Royal Caribbean has a liability to its passengers to provide safe activities while onboard its ship, ensure that its crew members and instructors are properly trained in these activities, and maintaining these activities to the highest standards of quality and safety.