Royal Caribbean Admits Error After Denying Boarding to Special Needs Teen

The cruise line offered compensation after staff wrongly rejected the family's documentation, but the mother deems it inadequate.

Shannon Nutting's 16-year-old son, who has special needs, was denied boarding at Port Canaveral despite prior confirmation his student ID was acceptable.
Royal Caribbean later acknowledged the error, attributing it to staff miscommunication and procedural mistakes.
The family was offered a full refund and future cruise credits, but Nutting rejected these as insufficient given the financial losses incurred traveling to the port.
The cruise line suggested the family fly to Cozumel, Mexico, at their own expense to join the cruise mid-trip, an option they declined.
After more than a year of planning, the family stayed in Florida for a few days to salvage their vacation following the incident.