Cruise ships have become a popular form of vacation travel, with all the fun of travel to exotic destinations and the amenities of a luxury resort all rolled into one.  But the fun comes at a price; and passengers should be aware that they will be exposed to hazards which can cause serious injury and even wrongful death.  On a modern cruise ship, thirty five hundred passengers and crew are crowded into a small space with a lot of activity going on much of the time.  In an excited crowd it can be difficult for passengers to see and avoid the many tripping and falling hazards that are uncommon ashore, but that are common on ships.  For instance, raised thresholds at the bottom of many doors, and single step elevation changes in dining rooms, and bars and seating areas that are difficult to see.   Surprisingly, the exterior deck areas on passenger ships can be extremely slippery and hazardous when they are wet.  Unfortunately, a fracture hip or torn up knee is a common result of a wet deck slip and fall.   Additionally, with so many different people in such close quarters, a cruise ship can be a breeding ground for MRSA, food poisoning and infectious diseases.   The list of shipboard hazards could be increased "ad infinitum."

Passengers

Although cruise ship disasters are rare, there have been several instances in the past few years which have resulted in hundreds of serious injuries and even death.  There have been other issues on cruise ships such as passengers being sexually harassed and even sexually assaulted by crew members. As well, shore excursions can be dangerous, particularly when operated by unskilled "local" contractors hired by the cruise line.

When it comes to cruise ships and maritime law, all passenger cruise lines have a contractual statute of limitations stated on their cruise tickets. Most cruise lines allow only one year from the date of injury or death for you or your family to file a lawsuit for personal injury or wrongful death. The ticket also limits the place where you can file suit, often to one city or county in the world.  Los Angeles and Miami are the two most common mandated "venues" to file suit.

Seamen

Crew members on cruise ships work very long hours, seven days a week for up to ten consecutive months at a time. Injured crew members face special problems because they are far from home and dependent on the cruise line for support and medical care.  U.S. maritime law, including the Jones Act, mandates that the employer provide compensation to an injured seaman including wages to the end of the voyage and Maintenance and Cure (room, board and medical care) without regard to fault.  Maintenance and Cure are due even when the injury was the crew member's fault. However, when the injury the ship owner's fault, the injured crew member is entitled to additional damages, including full lost wages, the cost of future medical care and even compensation for pain and suffering.  Crew members such as officers of the ship, deck hands, engineers, cabin stewards, waiters and maintenance workers, are all covered under the Jones Act. Cruise ship crew members can be injured in many ways: slip-and-fall, assault and battery, heavy lifting, painting elevated spaces, climbing, repetitive strain, crawling through tight quarters and even sexual assault.

Injury, Illness or Death

When you are injured on a cruise ship, you need to know your rights.  The cruise line will use specially trained crew members, investigators, claims adjusters and maritime lawyers to take advantage of the fact that they know maritime law and you don't.   Regardless of which cruise line you were on, where the accident happened, or where you live, it is essential that you have a lawyer specializing cruise line events such as serious injury, illness or wrongful deaths on cruise ships to ensure that your rights are protected and that you get the compensation that you deserve.