Personal Injury

Months after the world changed with the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, the final cruise ship carrying passengers has arrived at port. On Monday, the MV Artania cruise ship finished a six-month voyage around the world as it pulled into port at Bremerhaven, Germany. CNN.com reports that the ship’s voyage was anything but typical as…

If anything, the coronavirus pandemic has caused a significant shakeup of the cruise industry. While some international destinations, such as Canada, Australia, and some Caribbean islands, have vowed to suspend cruising into the late summer and early fall, other locales are looking to begin hosting cruisers again as soon as possible. The industry will see…

Every year the cruise industry carries over 10 million travelers to destinations near and far. It is no secret that many destinations have come to rely on cruise companies calling on their ports as an integral part of their local economic infrastructures. So when cruising came to a sudden halt in March, many of these…

In the travel industry, it is no secret that the cruise sector is aiming to get back to business as quickly as possible. Carnival Cruise Lines looks to be first among the major international cruise companies to return, with voyages already scheduled to begin on August 1. But the kind of cruise itineraries that travelers…

After thousands of cruise ship passengers were sickened by coronavirus, and dozens of them died, it was only a matter of time before the affected passengers began to sue the cruise lines that negligently exposed them to the virus. Dozens of cruise passengers filed one such lawsuit Tuesday. CBSNews.com reports that over 60 passengers of…

The family of a man who died from coronavirus, which he contracted aboard a cruise ship, is suing the cruise line for his death. USAToday.com reports that 64-year-old Ronald Wong and his wife Eva sailed aboard the Grand Princess cruise ship out of San Francisco on February 21. According to the complaint, both Ronald and Eva contracted…

The Canadian government has decided to extend its ban on large cruise ships until October 31, effectively cancelling the summer cruise season. Q13Fox.com reports that Canada’s Transport Minister Marc Garneau announced the no-sail order on Friday in an attempt to stem the vessels’ contribution to the spread of coronavirus in the country. The order will…

Social distancing on a cruise ship? The very idea seems to contradict the concept of cruising itself. But if cruise ships are to return to the seas soon they may have to incorporate reduced capacity and increased distance between passengers. Telegraph.co.uk reports that Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line has signaled that it will only book its…

O’Malley v. Royal Caribbean Cruises, Ltd., 2018 WL 4323792 (S.D. Fla. Sept. 10, 2018):  The Court denied the cruise line’s motion for summary judgment.  The Court held RCCL knew about the danger posed by ping-pong balls falling down to the floor of a roller rink, RCCL failed to address the danger, and failed to warn…

While the major cruise lines have all announced that they will return to service in August or later, many smaller cruise lines are planning to return to cruising sooner. Some regional cruise companies, especially in the South, are planning to return as soon as June. And at least one international cruise company is planning to…

It is no surprise that in the months of March and April, the cruise industry suffered from a wave of cancelations much larger than anything ever before seen. The ramifications of the situation continue, as cruise companies continue to process the refunds, many of which are up to two months overdue. But while there is…

Though cruise lines are currently under a Centers for Disease Control (CDC) no-sail order until July 24, many are speculating about how the future of cruising will look. Bloomberg is one of the lastest news outlets to try its hand at predicting the future of cruising and included both smaller and larger cruise lines in…

As cruise line executives plan a return to cruising, they face an uphill battle with respect to keeping their passengers safe. Cruise ships were already the sites of frequent illness outbreaks before the coronavirus pandemic, particularly outbreaks involving norovirus. Now industry executives will have to ensure that the vessels remain free of all virus outbreaks,…

Though cruise industry executives insist that there is strong demand among the public for a return to cruising, cruise companies are nevertheless currently unable to fully capitalize on the demand. Under a no-sail order by the Centers for Disease Control until July 24, the major cruise lines have all announced that they will cancel sailings…

Aponte v. Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines Ltd., 739 Fed. Appx 531 (S.D. Fla. June 22, 2018): RCCL allowed a puddle of soap to remain on the floor of a common passenger restroom. RCCL’s puddle caused the Plaintiff to slip and fall and sustain severe and permanent injuries.  Motion for Summary Judgment reversed by the 11th Circuit…

A New York couple is suing a cruise line, claiming that the company negligently exposed them to coronavirus. FoxNews.com reports that Long Island, New York residents Fred and Marlene Kantrow boarded the Celebrity Eclipse cruise ship on February 29 and sailed aboard the ship for approximately a month, returning on March 30. Upon returning home…

What a difference a couple of weeks make. On the heels of one of the worst periods in company history, in which the company’s leadership seriously doubted that it would be able to survive financially, Norwegian Cruise Lines is not plotting a full comeback.  Though NCL has not announced exactly when it will return to…

Williams v. Carnival Corporation, 2020 WL 837177 (S.D. Fla. Feb. 20, 2020): Carnival allowed a large puddle of water to accumulate on the open deck.  Carnival’s puddle caused the Plaintiff to slip and fall and sustain severe and permanent injuries.  Carnival filed a motion for summary judgment.  The Court denied Carnival’s motion for summary judgment. …

Cruising is set to get more exciting, and perhaps a lot more dangerous, as a cruise line is in the process of testing a roller coaster on land, with the intention of installing it on a cruise ship in the future.  FoxBusiness.com reports that Dream Cruises is testing its so-called Space Cruiser Coaster, which the…