Royal Caribbean Passenger Takes Cruise Ban Dispute to Court

A passenger who was prevented from boarding a Royal Caribbean cruise in Brisbane is pursuing a claim worth A$22,000 after the cruise line placed him on a “no sail” list.

Mark Timothy Grant arrived at the Brisbane cruise terminal with his partner and son expecting to embark on the first of five Royal Caribbean cruises that he says he had won through casino play.

However, Grant was denied boarding after Royal Caribbean alleged that he had breached its casino rules by counting cards and engaging in other behavior. He is now seeking A$22,000, which he says represents the value of the five cruises.

Grant’s claim was initially dismissed by the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal. He subsequently appealed the decision and, on September 14, Senior Member Samantha Traves ruled that the consumer dispute could proceed.

The appeal decision allows Grant to continue pursuing his claim. It does not determine whether he counted cards or establish that Royal Caribbean is required to compensate him.

Royal Caribbean operates its Club Royale casino loyalty program, which allows passengers to earn points, benefits and other offers through casino play. These rewards can include complimentary cruises.

The program’s terms also state that members who violate its rules, or who are prohibited from sailing or gambling, may lose their benefits and offers. Whether those conditions justified Royal Caribbean’s actions in Grant’s case will be a matter for the tribunal to determine.

Grant has previously been involved in another legal dispute concerning advantage play. In a separate case involving The Star casinos in Queensland, Grant and another player challenged their exclusion following allegations that they had used edge sorting. The technique involves taking advantage of differences or irregularities on the backs of playing cards.

In its 2022 ruling, the tribunal concluded that there were no reasonable grounds for the exclusions under the legislation relevant to that case and overturned them.

However, the dispute involving The Star concerned separate circumstances, a different operator and a different legal issue. That decision does not determine the outcome of Grant’s current claim against Royal Caribbean.