Cruise Ship Passenger Safety Tips

It seems almost weekly we hear about a cruise ship scandal involving a missing passenger, crew member accident or other strange story.  Perhaps this increase in maritime cruise incidents led to the passage of The Cruise Vessel Security and Safety Act, signed this summer by President Obama.  The new Act requires cruise lines to improve their onboard safety measures and to report any suspicious or dangerous activities such as passengers vanishing, crew members going overboard, suicides, murders, and sexual assaults.

Cruise vessels are often foreign-flagged from countries like Liberia and Panama which affects the laws they have to follow if a crime occurs.  In addition, filing lawsuits is also much more restricted for cruise ship passenger injury cases.  Most American passengers have to bring their cases in Miami, Florida courts, forced into a venue not of their choosing.  In addition to the venue issue, these cases have drastically shortened notice and filing requirements.  Read your ticket carefully.

About 12 million North Americans set sail on a cruise this year, according to the Cruise Lines International Association.  Cruise companies are required to report serious incidents involving Americans to the FBI and Coast Guard.  The FBI opened 184 cases on crimes that occurred aboard cruise ships between 2002 and 2007.

Sexual assaults on cruse ships have been heavily reported in the news.  Sexual and other physical assaults were the leading crimes committed onboard cruise ships in recent years, according to the FBI.  The rate of sexual assault on cruise ships is almost twice the U.S. rate of forcible rape, according to at least one cruise industry expert.

Readily available alcohol and a partying mentality on the vessels can change the mindset of travelers who are out for a good time.  Of the attacks investigated by the FBI, a majority involved alcohol.  The number of attacks on ships is probably higher than reported, because rape victims are afraid to come forward with their attackers nearby on the ship.  FBI statistics show that in nearly half of the incidents, a crew member is the suspect.

In addition to physical violence, cruise ship passengers need to watch out for illnesses.  Stomach ailments spread quickly and easily in close quarters like a cruise ship.  Norwalk virus is a stomach sickness occurring on cruise ships.  You can reduce your potential exposure to stomach bugs by washing your hands frequently, washing all produce before eating it, and cleaning and disinfecting surfaces you touch.

For all onboard accidents and health issues, be prepared for inadequate medical care.  Ship doctors are usually not U.S.-trained or licensed and the shipboard supplies are not that great.  A cruise line won’t assume liability for the medical care you receive onboard so taking out travel insurance is recommended by experts.

 

Woman Receives $125000 Settlement for Cruise Ship Injury

A 67-year-old woman said she had hoped her first vacation on a cruise ship would be smooth sailing.

But Elizabeth Reimer, who lives in Texas, said things turned turbulent when she took a misstep while boarding a Carnival Cruise ship that sailed out of the Texas coast.

She reached a settlement with the Miami-based company on Thursday, but Reimer wishes the cruise ship accident had not occurred in the first place.

In April, she got on the Carnival Conquest cruise ship, which sailed to the Grand Cayman Island. The ships in Grand Cayman must stay anchored off shore, Carnival said in a statement. Passengers need to board a small tender boat to get to the dock. They are operated by another company. As Elizabeth exited the tender, she fell. Her leg was caught between the boat and the dock.

Reimer fell as she was exiting a small tender boat. It became a trip she’d never forget because, she says, she was left to fend for herself.

“The boat fell away from the dock and it was an open place, and I could see the water as my leg went down,” said Reimer, describing how, she says, she almost drowned. “It has made me have nightmares about falling into this void that I can’t get out of and drowning.”

“When they said, it’s just bruised, just walk it off, I thought maybe I could walk it off,” she said.

She couldn’t. Her lower leg, her tibia, was fractured.

“I wanted only to get back in the bed and not hurt anymore,” said Reimer.

She spent the rest of the cruise in a wheelchair.

Attorney Joseph Maus says people might be surprise to know that if they’re injured on a cruise ship, they need to work quickly.

“People have only one year to file a suit, which is three years less than if you fall anywhere else,” said Maus.

On Thursday, Carnival settled with Elizabeth for $125,000. Elizabeth says she wishes she wouldn’t have taken the cruise at all.

Maus wants to remind people that there are main things to consider before filing suit against the cruise ship company after a cruise ship accident. There are limitations to where a suit can be filed as listed on the cruise ticket. There are also limitations to the time in which you have to file suit. If you or someone you know has been injured it is best to consult with an attorney immediately.

Costa Classica Cruise Ship Involved in Accident With Cargo Ship

News agencies are reporting the Costa Classica, a cruise ship with a 1,308 passenger capacity, was involved in a collision with a Belgian flagged cargo vessel.  If the reports are accurate, this would be the second time in a few years the Classica has collided with another ship.  In 2008, it was reported the Costa Classica had a collision with the MSC Poesia when the Classica was sitting at anchor.

The Classica was built in 1991 and is one of the older ship in the Costa fleet.  The ship is 723 feet long, has 654 cabins onboard, and carries a crew of 590 members.  A photograph being posted by Eastbay.com shows an approximate 60 foot gash down the starboard side of the ship, resulting from the accident

News reports also indicate that several passengers reported to the infirmary for injuries suffered during the cruise accident.  At least three passengers were taken ashore for further medical treatment.  The accident occurred at the mouth of the Yangtze River on the Classica’s return to Shanghai.

Passengers were required to muster at emergency stations after the collision, which occurred at 4:46 a.m., and have now been debarked. There were some minor injuries, and three passengers have been taken to hospitals.

Costa Classica’s next cruise, slated to visit ports in Japan, Hong Kong and Korea, has been cancelled. At this point, no other details are available about the ship’s repair or what arrangements Costa is making for those who had planned to embark the ship today.

Cruise ship accident attorney Joseph M. Maus says that passengers injured during the Classica accident need to be aware of ticket limitations contained in their ticket contract.  These limitations include where and when a claim for injuries resulting from the Classica accident can be brought.