The Disney Treasure had to make an emergency return to Port Canaveral just one day after setting sail due to a guest getting a piece of steak lodged in their throat.
Emergency Return for Disney Treasure
Reddit user gayo-mayo shared their story on the Disney Cruise Line forum, claiming that the cruise ship turned around for them. They explained in their post that they were on the Disney Treasure cruise from September 26, 2026, to October 3, 2026, with their aunt, uncle, and cousin.
On the night of the incident, the family had an 8:15 p.m. dining reservation at 1923. Due to their family member’s dietary restrictions, they got their food later than usual, around 9:45 p.m.
“I got the filet mignon and was about halfway through when I had trouble getting a piece down. It felt like it was stuck, so I took a sip of water to wash it down. I felt like I was choking and the water sat for a second down my throat and then forced its way back up.
I was panicking, but trying to stay as calm as possible, looking for something to spit back into so I didn’t make a mess. I ended up using an empty glass. I felt like I had to throw up, so I quickly tried finding a bathroom, rushing out of the restaurant and wandering the lobby looking for the men’s room.
Thank god a staff member saw me looking panicked and looking at the women’s room with a ‘omg where’s the men’s’ look. I then tried to throw up the piece of steak, but couldn’t. It was like throwing up but nothing was coming out and it felt like I had a plug in my throat. I made it back to the room to try to use water to force it one way or the other, which also didn’t work.“
After unsuccessfully attempting to get it out, the guest and their family went to the medical room. The nurse thought it was a muscle spasm that was tense and nearly sent them back to their room. However, after consulting with a doctor, they knew it was more serious than just a muscle spasm or acid reflux.
The medical staff gave them medication to relax their esophagus and tried to dislodge the food with Coca-Cola, but it didn’t work.
“There was a bit of a hopeful period, where I could keep some spit and some water down, and when I did throw up, there were some flakes of steak. After giving it my full effort, to the point where the Doctor had to stop me because he was worried I could burst my esophagus from pushing it so far, he made the call to contact the Captain. I had to pack a backpack full of anything I will need to go home, so most of my stuff is still on the ship.“
After discussions on how to get them off the boat, which included a helicopter, the coast guard, or docking in another town, the staff ultimately decided to turn around and head back to Port Canaveral. While getting into an ambulance, the ship played the “Wish Upon a Star” horns.
They reiterated how bad they felt about disrupting the other guests’ plans on the ship.
After making it off the ship, they were taken to a nearby hospital where they underwent an endoscopy to remove the piece of steak. After some tests, the guest was released and flew back home
In an edit to the original post, the Disney Cruise Line guest apologized for any inconvenience the incident caused, and many people in the comment section wished them well — some were even on the cruise ship.
“Your life is 100% worth turning a ship around. I’m happy they made the right call. Don’t feel guilt.”
“Save your ‘sorry’ for when you do something wrong. This was not wrong. It wasn’t an accident caused by lack of care. You did absolutely nothing wrong, your body just didn’t cooperate. Sometimes bodies don’t work the way they should and it’s not within the control of the person.
You did NOTHING WRONG. You can feel sad for yourself and everyone else on the ship, you can say you’re sorry that other people had to change the plan, but you, personally, did nothing wrong. There is nothing to apologize for. Anyone who puts their vacation or the crew’s work shift ahead of safety and the life of another person is selfish. You having a medical emergency is not.
So glad you’re ok!“
“We’re on this sailing. Thank you for sharing and we’re so happy to hear you’re ok! We just got to Tortola and are having painkiller to cheers to your health now that we know you’re ok with no lasting effects. We haven’t heard one person complain about the itinerary change and I know 99.9% of the folks onboard would be happy to hear you’re safe and healthy!“
According to a Reddit user on the ship, there was no change to the destination order; the ship just shortened the time spent in Tortola.
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The post Disney Treasure Makes Emergency Return to Port Canaveral After Guest Gets Steak Lodged in Throat appeared first on WDW News Today.
