Recent Blog Posts
Were Dismissed Claims Against Princess Cruises Truly Trivial?
Carnival and Princess Cruises scored a major victory just recently when a federal judge in California dismissed lawsuits against the company based only on “noneconomic” damages. These lawsuits were filed under a theory of the negligent infliction of emotional distress. They were filed by passengers of the Ruby Princess and Princess Diamond after these… Read More »
Bahamas Paradise Forced to Pay Crew $875,000 for Unpaid Wages
Last week, we wrote about how crew members from lesser-privileged areas of the world often rely on the cruise industry for their livelihood. The crewmembers aboard the two Bahamas Paradise cruise ships have kept on board without pay since March. They are among several thousand cruise ship workers who were waylaid aboard cruise vessels… Read More »
Monroe County Referendum Seeks to Curtail Cruise Ship Sizes
Three referenda on the November ballot will deal specifically with size of cruise ships calling Key West and the number of passengers they allow off those ships. These proposed laws could have a serious impact on local businesses, affecting an estimated 1.1 billion dollars in tourist revenue. Now the Key Wests Harbor Pilots and… Read More »
Cruise Enthusiasts Who Had Cruise Canceled Sue Royal Caribbean
Early in the pandemic, the U.S. government had yet to place a “no sail” order over the industry. Cruise lines, however, after news broke that several outbreaks had occurred, canceled cruises that passengers had already paid for. The passengers filed suit against Royal Caribbean but recently withdrew that complaint. The voluntary dismissal came after… Read More »
Judge Tosses COVID-19 Lawsuits Against Princess Cruises
We’ve discussed extensively the lawsuits emerging from Princess Cruises, another Carnival Corp. subsidiary, specifically, the Grand Princess and the Princess Diamond. Many commented that they believed these lawsuits were doomed from the start based on provisions under maritime law that restrict injury lawsuits against ship owners. Recently, a federal judge dismissed several lawsuits filed… Read More »
Forum Selection Clause Upheld in Miami Court
Lawlor White and Murphey, Michael F. Guilford, P.A. and Parrish Appeals lost their attempt to avoid application of the federal court forum selection provision found in most passenger ticket contracts. The attorneys had drafted their complaints in fashion that avoided the federal court’s admiralty jurisdiction. When a passenger purchases a ticket from a major… Read More »
Couple Sues Royal Caribbean After Deadly Volcano Explosion
A Virginia couple recently filed a lawsuit against Royal Caribbean after they say they suffered severe burn injuries in a volcano eruption that occurred in New Zealand. The volcano erupted on December 9, 2019 on White Island. Forty-seven people were visiting the island at the time of the eruption, and 21 of those people… Read More »
Holland America Sued After COVID-19 Outbreak
Holland America, a subsidiary of Carnival Corp., has been hit with a COVID-19 lawsuit after an outbreak claimed the lives of passengers and crew. The outbreak occurred in March aboard the MS Zaandam. The plaintiffs hope to make the case for a federal class-action lawsuit on behalf of all the passengers aboard the MS… Read More »
Ruby Princess Investigated Over COVID-19 Deaths
You’ve likely heard of the Grand Princess and the Princess Diamond as two of the earliest locations where COVID-19 cases surged. Well, a third vessel is now under investigation after several passengers fell ill and at least a few died. The Ruby Princess recently embarked in the Philippines to drop off workers who were… Read More »
Hurdles Facing Cruise Ship Passengers in Coronavirus Lawsuits
You’ve likely read at least one article in the past few months discussing the fateful voyages of the Grand Princess and Princess Diamond. These were among the first two cruise ships reporting coronavirus cases in the United States. Passengers aboard both vessels have filed lawsuits against Princess Cruises and their parent company, Carnival Cruise…. Read More »
