Cruise Ship

The cruise industry largely shut down in March and April 2020 as the coronavirus pandemic began to ravage the world. Cruise ships were hit particularly hard in the early days of the pandemic, with thousands of cruise passengers falling ill and dozens dying. Though the cruise industry has been largely sidelined in the months since…

The travel world rejoiced earlier this month when Carnival Cruise Line announced that it would return to operations in November. But the joy was short-lived after Carnival announced this week that it would cancel all cruises through November.  The U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) opened the door for cruise companies to return to operations…

On Friday, CEOs of the world’s largest cruise companies participated in a virtual meeting with Vice President Mike Pence and other high ranking governmental officials to discuss strategies to restart the cruise industry. MiamiHerald.com reports that the CEOs of Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Norwegian, and MSC discussed a proposal which would allow the companies to resume…

Baby Phoebe went on her first vacation in February. Before the end of the trip, she would be gravely ill with a meningitis infection that would result in triple amputation. NBC Miami reports that after Phoebe and her family set sail on the Royal Caribbean’s Symphony of the Seas, Phoebe fell severely ill. The family…

The coronavirus pandemic has caused the shutdown of virtually every aspect of society. While many sectors are beginning to open up, Florida’s court system is operating at reduced capacity. WFLX.com reports that Florida’s courts are facing a logjam, with a massive number of pending cases expected to grow into next summer.  The WFLX.com article details…

Earlier this week we blogged about a complaint that we filed on behalf of a Norwegian Cruise Lines passengers who was injured on the Norwegian Getaway cruise ship due to faulty stairwell design. But the Getaway is not the only Norwegian ship that suffers from hazardous stairwells. Below, we present an excerpt of a lawsuit we filed on…

Anyone who has been in a cruise ship stateroom is likely familiar with the way stateroom bunk beds are arranged. The top bed may be parallel to the bottom bed or perpendicular to it, but the top bunk is always accessed by a ladder of some type. When not properly maintained these ladders can be…

Today we take a look at another case that was caused by a cruise company’s negligence. This case resulted from hazardous heavy doors that Carnival Cruise Line uses on its ships. In high winds these doors may move or suddenly close, injuring passengers in a number of ways including causing people to fall over and become injured from…

A Kansas court has sentenced a Topeka man to 12 years in prison for the murder of his girlfriend aboard a Carnival cruise ship. FoxNews.com reports that in December 2019, 55-year-old Eric Duane Newman pleaded guilty to one count of murder in the second degree. He had been accused of killing his girlfriend Tamara Tucker…

For the second time within the past week, a man is making headlines for being convicted of killing his romantic partner aboard a cruise ship. NBCLosAngeles.com reports that 62-year-old Lonnie Loren Kocontes was convicted of killing his 52-year-old ex-wife Micki Kanesaki while on a Mediterranean cruise in 2006. Kanesaki’s body was recovered by the crew…

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. …

Cruise lines often seek to defeat passenger negligence claims by filing motions for summary judgment. These motions ask the court to rule in favor of the Defendant without a trial and throw the Plaintiff’s case out.  A recent order by United States District Court Judge, Cecilia Altonaga, explains how a cruise line Defendant’s motion for…

The Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals recently issued its opinion in Carroll v. Carnival Corporation d/b/a Carnival Cruise Line, No. 17-13602, U.S. App. LEXIS 11860 (11th Cir. Apr. 15, 2020). Carroll v. Carnival Corporation is a trip and fall case. Elaine Carroll tripped over the leg of a lounge chair while she was walking through…

COVID-19 and Legionnaires’ Disease share several aspects in common. Both conditions have symptoms of fever, cough, and shortness of breath. Both illnesses are particularly dangerous for individuals over the age of 50, or those with chronic lung diseases, weakened immune systems or smoking habits. However, the two illnesses differ in the way they spread and…

The Celebrity Infinity cruise ship is in a holding pattern off the coast of Florida, filled with crew members who have not been able to leave the ship during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. After the successful docking of the Holland America ships Zandaam and Rotterdam yesterday, it is still unclear what will happen to the ships’ crew…

Just days ago the officials with Holland America expressed hope that its troubled ship, the MS Zaandam, would dock at Florida on March 30. Now that plan is in significant doubt after company officials reported that four passengers aboard the ship have died and two more have tested positive for coronavirus. Every day it seems that…

After suffering what seemed to be a normal cut on his eyelid shortly before going on a cruise with Norwegian Cruise Line, Roman Mejias’ mother treated the cut with Neosporin. But instead of beginning to heal like a normal cut, over several days Roman’s cut developed sepsis and his eye eventually grew to the size…

Late last week, someone released a video that purported to show the moments leading up to the death of Chloe Wiegand. The video appeared to show Chloe’s grandfather, Salvatore Anello, leaning his torso out of an 11th-floor window just before lifting her up to it. Royal Caribbean Cruise Line cited the video as part of its…

A South Carolina man who suffered a stroke while aboard a cruise ship has passed away.  Bruce Campbell suffered a stroke while he was playing bingo on a Carnival cruise to the Bahamas. Authorities took him to a medical facility in Freeport, Bahamas for treatment before an anonymous donor paid approximately $20,000 to transfer him…

Six Carnival Cruise Line passengers were injured when two of the company’s ships collided in Cozumel yesterday. In a letter to passengers, the company attempted to explain the incident. According to FoxNews.com, the letter apologized for the incident, in which the Carnival Glory struck the Carnival Legend cruise ship while maneuvering in the port of Cozumel,…

A Holland America cruise ship was delayed by a propeller issue which caused the ship’s departure to be pushed back a full 24 hours. According to the San Diego Union-Tribune, the Oosterdam was set to leave San Diego on Saturday but instead, the company performed “required maintenance” on the ship’s propeller. The company said that…

Earlier this week we blogged about a man who died after falling several stories aboard the Carnival Horizon cruise ship. Information about the victim and the circumstances continue to trickle out. Brownsburg, Indiana resident Brian Rice fell approximately four stories – from the ninth story of the Horizon – as the ship was returning to…