Recent Blog Posts

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 »

Nurses Sue Royal Caribbean and Nursecon After Convention Cancelation
Nurses are claiming that Royal Caribbean and Nursecon stole their deposit for a convention that they were supposed to attend but were never able to due to the coronavirus. The nurses believe that they should get that money back, but Royal Caribbean seems unwilling to give it back. Jessica Mitchell filed a class-action lawsuit… Read More »

Crew Members Aboard Cruise Ships File Lawsuits Against Employer
The CDC estimates that there are nearly 80,000 cruise ship crew members that have been left stranded aboard approximately 100 cruise ships. Thus far, rescue efforts have focused on getting passengers off the ships, but the crew members remain largely forgotten. Meanwhile, the crew members remain quarantined on board. Some ships are along side… Read More »

Another Coronavirus Victim Sues Princess Cruises
Princess Cruises is fielding another lawsuit related to the fateful voyage aboard the Grand Princess. This lawsuit involves the death of a retired Dallas firefighter, Michael Dorety. His wife sued Princess Cruises after he contracted coronavirus aboard the vessel and died several days later in the hospital. She is seeking at least $1 million… Read More »

Costa Cruises Faces Coronavirus Lawsuits
Costa Cruises, a subsidiary of Carnival Corp. and sister line to Princess Cruise Lines, is the latest cruise line facing lawsuits amidst the coronavirus pandemic. These lawsuits are related to the Costa Luminosa. The passengers who filed the lawsuit attempted to get off the ship after a report that two other passengers disembarked. They… Read More »