Royal Caribbean gives update after passenger was 'sliced open' when waterslide on world's biggest cruise ship shattered

Royal Caribbean has responded after a man was left injured after riding a water slide onboard their Icon of the Seas cruise.

It was launched last year, with the ship holding space for 7,600 guests and 2,350 crew members across 2,800 cabins and 20 decks.

The cruise ship being used is actually the biggest in the world, and had departed from Miami, US on 2 August, with its return expected on 9 August.

But on Thursday 7 August, the guest cut himself on a broken panel of a waterslide named the 'Frightening Bolt Waterslide', which is 46ft tall, as seen in footage captured by a fellow passenger.

Buckets of water can be seen escaping the tube, with concerned passengers screaming at staff to 'stop the slide.'

An image was posted on social media by one of the cruise ship travellers, revealing a jagged hole being cut out from one of the slide's panels.

Nobody fell through the hole, as was first reported, as a man was instead said to have sliced himself on the hole. Cruise Hive reported that passengers saw a male ride with 'skin laceration injuries from his legs to his hands.'

It was said that nobody on the ground was harmed, and that the guest is in stable condition.

But now, Royal Caribbean have provided an update on the situation, stating: "The slide remained closed for the rest of the voyage while engineers assessed the damage."

They went on: "The company has not provided a timeline for reopening and is investigating whether the failure was due to a manufacturing defect, installation issue, or an unexpected impact.

"Other pools and water attractions on board remained open, but passengers noted an increase in visible safety checks across the ship in the days following the incident."

The statement follows an initial one from a spokesperson who said that 'acrylic glass broke off a water slide as the guest passed through the slide.'

Social media footage showed the size of the hole in the slide (Storyful)

In a statement to LADbible group, a Royal Caribbean spokesperson said: "The health and safety of our guests, crew, and the communities we visit are our top priority.

"To maintain an environment that supports the highest levels of health and safety onboard our ships, we implement rigorous cleaning procedures, many of which far exceed public health guidelines."

The Frightening Bolt slide has been described as 'the tallest at sea' on the Royal Caribbean website, which is part of 'the largest waterpark at sea' for passengers to enjoy.