The family of a woman who went overboard on a Taylor Swift-themed cruise has sued the company behind it, Royal Caribbean Group.
On Oct. 22, 66-year-old Dulcie White fell overboard on the Allure of the Seas cruise in the Bahamas. The ship’s crew immediately alerted the authorities, who began searching for White, but her body was never found.
In a lawsuit filed in the Southern District of Florida on Oct. 28 of this year, White’s family places blame on the crew of the Allure of the Seas. In it, her family claims that she was served “at least seven alcoholic beverages continuously within a span of approximately six hours and eight minutes.”
“She was swaying, stammering, slurring her speech, had alcohol on her breath, couldn’t keep her composure straight, had glassy eyes, while she was in plain view of the crewmembers,” the complaint reads. “Each of these crewmembers were negligent for continuing to serve her alcoholic beverages in her intoxicated state.”
The lawsuit alleges that the Allure of the Seas crew members served White its all-inclusive “CHEERS!” alcohol package that costs $69.95 per day and enabled its guests to drink 15 alcoholic beverages every 24 hours.
Speaking to CBS News about the lawsuit, White’s daughter Megan Klewin claimed that her mother “did overdo it” because of the drink package. "She was completely intoxicated in a way I haven't seen before,” said Klewin. “It saddens me that that is my last memory of her."
Klewin also explained what she witnessed when White went towards the balcony that she ultimately fell over. "I wasn't looking and the next chance that I did look up, I saw her back,” said Klewin. “She was seated on the edge of the balcony like she had climbed up. She was seated and then fell over before I could get to her."
The crew members’ reactions to White going overboard have also been brought up in the lawsuit, which claims that the Allure of the Seas never performed common ship maneuvers that are used when someone goes overboard or launched a rescue boat.
In a statement to CBS News, Royal Caribbean Group said, “We don’t comment on pending litigation.”