Everything the cruise lines don’t want you to know” is the motto of this award winning maritime law blog authored by Miami lawyer Jim Walker.

The New York Times describes Jim as “a maritime lawyer in Miami who has attended more than half a dozen Congressional hearings about cruise ship crime and passenger safety.” Jim has been involved in maritime litigation since 1983.  Based in Miami, Florida, Jim represents passengers and crew members injured or assaulted on cruise ships around the world. He is interviewed frequently when there are fires and mishaps at seas.  He is asked to appear regularly on television programs and share his views of disasters at sea.

In 2018, Jim has appeared in the Miami Herald’s A Carnival ship just got a rare failing grade for dirty conditions; St. Kitts & Nevis Caribbean: “Pretty but Dangerous?; Miami Herald Inspectors caught Carnival crew hiding dirty conditions. It’s their third ship to fail; El Confidencial El crucero del terror: “No estaba seguro de que fuésemos a sobrevivir a la nochel;” Daily Mail Woman dies after falling from her balcony on a Carnival cruise and landing several decks below; Newsmax Woman Falls Overboard Cruise Ship in Gulf of Mexico; UPI Carnival Cruise passenger dies after falling from cabin balcony; Miami Herald Another Carnival cruise was caught with dirty conditions. That makes four in two months; Queerty FBI launches investigation into drugs on gay cruise after death of Joel Taylor; International Travel and Health Insurance Journal A danger too far?; Miami Herald On eight cruises in a row, passengers got ‘violently ill.’ A lawsuit may be coming; Quartz Reality Star’s Death Has Exposed a Dangerous Drug Culture on Party Cruises; Los Angeles Blade Should Atlantis Events Come With a Warning Label?; PJ Media Cruise Lines Cancel Mexican Shore Excursions after Ferry Explosion in Playa del Carmen; CBC Passengers angry and frustrated as cruise ship renovations ruin vacation; TravelPulse Unhappy Norwegian Sun Passengers Making Voices Heard; MSN Noticias Terror en un crucero: se rompió una tubería y se inundaron los camarotes; The Guardian Will Giant Cruise Ships Destroy the Wonders Their Passengers Claim to Love?; INews British Woman Spent Ten Hours in the Sea after She Fell Off of Cruise Ship; Quartz Two People Have Fallen Overboard Norwegian Cruise Line Ships in Two Months; NPR 2nd Overboard Case In Less Than 2 Months For Norwegian Cruise Lines; KVAL13 Royal Caribbean to cut 700 Jobs in Springfield by end of 2019; Fox News Carnival Cruise Passenger Come Forward After Discovering Camera in Stateroom – They Did Not Even Give Us An Apology; Cook Island News Cruise Ship Death Revealed; Curaçao Chronicle Police Investigating Possible Murder on Royal Princess; Newsweek Elderly Passenger Dies After Falling From Cruise Ship in ‘Rough’ Seas; Business Insider A Lawyer Who Represents Cruise Ship Workers Reveals the Most Shocking Thing He’s Heard about Their Job; Vox The Case Against Cruises – Cruises Are Increasingly Popular, But They Raise Safety and Environmental Concerns; Express Cruise Secrets; Former Cruise Ship Worker Reveals Shocking Wau Companies CON Passengers; TIME 5 Died After Falling Off Cruises in 2 Months. Advocates Say Cruise Lines Can Do More to Protect Passengers;  MarketWatch Royal Caribbean has another gastroenteritis outbreak — passengers might feel ill (again) when they see what recourse they have; Quartz People fall off cruise ships with alarming regularity. Can anything be done to stop it?; Miami Herald Overboard cases on cruise lines often under-reported to public; Newsweek Cruise Ship Crew Member Takes Own Life During Last Voyage With Company; Newsweek Cruise Ship Blackface Painting Stuns Honeymooning Washington Couple; Miami New Times Honeymooners Shocked by Bizarre Blackface “Artwork” on New MSC Cruise Ship; Business Insider Working on a cruise ship can be brutal — but 2 lawyers who rep cruise-line workers explain why even terrible cruise-ship jobs can be attractive.

In 2017, Jim continued as one of the “go to” maritime lawyers when things go wrong on the high seas. He appeared in Aquatic International Royal Caribbean Advertises for Lifeguards; Vocativ Online Cruise Magazine Offers ‘America’ To Banned Travelers; Fox News How safe are swimming pools on mega cruise ships?; Daily Mail ‘Somebody is going to get fired!’ Homeowner films her husband waving desperately as massive cruise ship comes terrifyingly close to their $2.3 MILLION waterfront home; Aquatics International Royal Caribbean Launches Lifeguard Program; Journal of World-System Research The Caribbean Cruise Ship Business and the Emergence of a Transnational Capitalist Class; Fox News Travel Cruise ship responsible for couple’s death, report finds; Daily Mail Cruise company is finally found responsible for fire that engulfed Amazon tour boat and killed retired Nebraska couple; gCaptain Norwegian Cruise Line Hires Lifeguards After Multiple Child Deaths; Miami New Times Congress Introduces New Cruise Ship Safety Regulations; gCaptain Why are Lifeboats Killing Seafarers?; Inquistr Disney Cruise Line Passenger Jumps Overboard While On Disney Dream Rescued By Coast Guard; Conde Nast Traveler What Happens When Someone Falls Off a Cruise Ship?; Courier’s Life Brooklyn Daily Mystery solved! Russian billionaire’s yacht can’t dock because it is illegal; NBC News Sex Assault Victims on Cruise Ships Are Often Under 18; New York Daily News Sexual assault victims on cruise ships are often minors; International Business Times Are Cruises Safe? Sexual Assault On Ships Poses Danger To Minors; NBC Nightly News ” Cruise Lines Are Not There to Protect You; Daily Mail Sexual assault victims on board cruise ships are often minors and the perpetrators are rarely punished, damning report finds; International Business News Are Cruises Safe? Sexual Assault On Ships Poses Danger To Minors; NBC Nightly News Hidden Dangers on Cruise Ships for Kids; Elliott Why your cruise ship’s flag matters; CNS Business Three cruise ships switch from Falmouth, Jamaica; Albuquerque Journal Cruise crime can cause chaos, complications; MarketWatch The dark side of cruises; Express WATCH: Cruise ship smashed by devastating waves in extreme weather; Altoona Mirror Hit the high seas, but be careful; Conde Nast Traveler How Cruises Have Handled All These Hurricanes; Miami New Times Miami’s Cruise Industry Gave $23,500 to Senator Who Stopped New Cruise Tax.; Miami New Times Florida Family Finds Hidden Camera in Carnival Cruise Ship Cabin; Miami Herald Family finds hidden camera in their Carnival cruise cabin. But who was recording?; New York Daily News Family discovers hidden camera in Carnival cruise cabin; FOX News Family finds hidden camera in Carnival Cruise stateroom; Daily Mail Family finds hidden camera pointing at their bed in their Carnival cruise ship cabin; Miami Herald 12 reported dead as tourist bus crashes in Mexico; Sun Sentinel Can cruise lines ensure shore excursions they offer are safe?; CBS News Skid marks may indicate tour bus that crashed was speeding, Mexican prosecutors say; CBS News 8 Americans among dead in Mexico tour bus crash (video); CBS This Morning Mexico tour bus crash: Eight Americans among the dead; Associated Press via NBC News Mexico tourist bus crash: Survivors heading home, 2 victims ID’d; Frommer’s Royal Caribbean Increases the Daily Fee Used to Tip Staff.

Jim was interviewed by a local television station regarding the drowning death of a child in one of NCL’s lifeguard-less swimming pools.

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In 2015, Jim appeared in Near-drowning on Royal Caribbean cruise raises conceTns about lack of lifeguards; AOL Travel U.K. 4-month-old baby kicked off Disney cruise ship; Inquisitr Royal Caribbean Passenger Falls Overboard Unnoticed – Man Saved By Passing Disney Cruise Line Ship; This is Cozumel Cozumel Cruiser’s Miraculous Sea Rescue; ABC KVUE Disney Crew rescues Royal Caribbean passenger; Daily Mail Disney cruise stages dramatic rescue of passenger who fell overboard from passing Royal Caribbean liner after holidaymakers spot him in water; CNN Man falls from one cruise ship, is rescued by another five hours late; Florida Today Disney crew rescues Royal Caribbean passenger; MercoPress Dramatic rescue of a passenger vessel who fell overboard triggers safety debate; Thrillist Dude Falls Overboard on Cruise, Gets Rescued by Disney Cruise Ship; Wall Street Journal Crisis of the Week: Royal Caribbean Goes Overboard; The Pulp Carnival Cruise Passenger Says She Was Raped by Crew Member While Her Kids Watched; x20 Org Maritime Thermal Imaging Cameras for Automated Man Overboard Rescue – Is Your Cruise Ship Safe?; Travel Weekly Factors in the industry’s improved safety record; ABC-5 Cleveland Couple issues warning about cruise ship security after engagement ring stolen; Cruise.co.uk “Disclosure of crimes committed on cruise ships should be a worldwide requirement;” Wikipedia M.S. Empress; The Independent (U.K.) Costa Concordia trial: Was captain Francesco Schettino really the only one at fault for the disaster?; The Gatestone Institute ISIS Sets Sights on the Mediterranean; Travel Pulse Cruise Ship Passenger Drowns at Bahamian Disney Island; Yahoo Travel / Fox News What Happens When Someone Falls Overboard on a Cruise?; Washington Times The Return of the Barbary Pirates; WDBJ 7 (CBS) Virginia Tech identifies student who went overboard a cruise ship and (video); KHOU Houston Body found after passenger falls from Carnival Triumph; TravelMole Was a terror attack on cruise passengers inevitable?; ABC-13 Carnival Triumph Arrives in Galveston Following Tragedy; NASDAQ Investor Place Royal Caribbean Cruises (RCL); Daily Mail Body found in the Gulf of Mexico after 54-year-old passenger is seen falling overboard on cruise surveillance footage; Yahoo Travel How the Cruise Industry is Coping with ISIS Attacks on Passengers in Tunisia; Yahoo Travel Is Cruising Safe? A Chilling Look at an Industry Under Siege; Caribbean 360 US issues second warning in two months on escalating Bahamas crime; Wikipedia Bardo National Museum attack; Consumer Traveler Is Cruising Safe?; WTSP Apparent murder-suicide aboard Tampa cruise ship (video); Examiner Ohio couple found dead on cruise ship, possible murder-suicide; New Europe Costa Concordia was carrying Mafia’s cocaine shipment; Elliott Terrorists target cruise ships — here’s what you need to know now; Ocala Post Carnival Cruise Line denied refund; later “had a change of heart;” Caribbean 360 US issues second warning in two months on escalating Bahamas crime; Maritime Executive Drug Bust: Cruise Ship Galley Worker Arrested; Loyola Consumer Law Review CRIMES AND MEDICAL CARE ON BOARD CRUISE SHIPS: DO THE STATISTICS FIT THE CRIMES?; World Cruise Industry Review Welcome to the safe side – examining the cruise industry’s safety record; Yahoo Travel Man Overboard! Disney Cruise Rescues Royal Caribbean Passenger from Ocean; Biscayne Times Check Those Score Cards – Not All Cruise Lines Operate the Same; LexPress (Mauritius) Accusé de crime sexuel aux Etats-Unis: un Mauricien plaide coupable; eGlobal Travel Media Arrests as drug lords switch to cruise ship trafficking; Orlando Sentinel Micky Arison: Florida’s Richest Person; Travel Mole Child drowns in cruise ship pool‘ Yahoo Travel After Another Child Drowns, Critics Ask: Why Don’t More Cruise Lines Have Lifeguards?; Examiner Prominent maritime attorney speaks out about children drowning on cruise ship. University of Miami Law School Carrier Liability for Damages Incurred by Ship Passengers: The European Union as a Trailblazer Towards a Global Liability Regime?; Loyola Consumer Law Review CRIMES AND MEDICAL CARE ON BOARD CRUISE SHIPS: DO THE STATISTICS FIT THE CRIMES?

More media appearances by Cruise Law News in 2015 includes Daily Mail Cruise ship from Boston carrying 3,500 on board runs aground near Bermuda; Seattle PI Attorney: Holland America failed woman raped, beaten on cruise; Inquisitr Disney Cruise Line: Officer Found Dead Aboard The Disney Dream In The Bahamas; Yahoo Travel Should Alaska Ban Floatplanes After Accident Kills Cruise Passengers?; Security Management Safety at Sea; Tourism Concern Floating Abominations: Exposing the Cruise Ship Industry; Ship Technology Market and Customer Insight Sound the alarm: should man overboard detection tech be fitted on cruise ships? Inquisitr Cruise Ship Catches Fire: Royal Caribbean Passengers Safe After Incident In Jamaica; Space Coast Daily VIDEO: Port Canaveral-Based Freedom of the Seas Catches Fire In Jamaican Port; Twitter Cruise Industry Supports Mass Murder of Whales in Faroe Island; Loop (Jamaica) Falmouth cruise ship blaze was no ‘small fire’ – US Maritime Lawyer; Marketplace Oceanliners cruise to better results; gCaptain Best Cruise Ship Captain Ever Addresses Passengers About Fire – VIDEO; Travel Pulse Viking Star Stranded with Engine Problem; Defi (Estonia) Reisijad: oleme juba mitmendat päeva Tallinna sadamas uhiuuel kruiisilaeval “lõksus;” Bergens Tidende (Norway) Motortrøbbel for Viking Star – Bergensbåten måtte avbryte cruise halvveis; Travel Agent Central Viking Star Has Propulsion Issue; Cruise Line Cancels Current Cruise; ABA Journal – Seven Cruise Ship Disasters: Royal Caribbean Brillia.nce of the Seas; ABA Journal – Seven Cruise Ship Disasters: Star Princess; Telegraph Alcohol ban for crew of Queen Mary 2 after Chilean chef jumps overboard; Sea Shepherd’s Paul Watson STOP THE VOYAGES TO HELL – Whale Friendly Tourists are not Welcome in the Danish Faroe Islands; Caribbean 360 Rising tide of Bahamas crime triggers new UK and Canada travel advisories; CBS Boca Raton Woman Stranded After Carnival Cips for Years,ruise Fire; Elliott Another cruise passenger goes overboard, but are we doing enough?; Yahoo News Man Overboard! Disney Cruise Rescues Royal Caribbean Passenger from Ocean; Go Port Canaveral Our Favorite Cruise Blogs; Real Lawyers Have Blogs Some lawyers blog for SEO, others blog to make a difference; Travel Pulse ‘Miracle Baby’ Delivered Aboard Royal Caribbean International Cruise; Caribbean 360 US latest to slap travel advisory on The Bahamas amid rise in robberies; Travel Agent Central Star Princess Hit With Norovirus: Ship Cleaned and Back in Service; Yahoo Travel The Caribbean’s Most Dangerous Cruise Stops Will Surprise You; Caribbean 360 Cruise concern about crime in Caribbean destinations; Crime Watch Daily Cruise Ship Crime Difficult to Prosecute, Convic; Yahoo Travel Another Passenger Overboard! Why Do People Keep Falling Off Cruises?; Inquisitr Fake Doctor Arrested After Treating Hundreds of Customers on Cruise Ships for Years; Cracked People Just Disappear: 5 Reasons Cruise Ships Are Nightmares; eGlobal Travek Media ‘Trust me, I’m a doctor’ – bogus cruise medic arrested; Caribbean 360 Cruise ship passengers killed in excursion accident in Tortola; Barbados Today Two Die in Tortola Excursion; Ship 2 Shore (Italy) MSC Cruises convicted in Brazil for exploitation; Tribune 242 Jet Ski Operator’s Arrest Draws International Concern; Law Fuel 7 Surefire Social Media Steps for Finding New Clients in 2016; Caribbean 360 Investigation launched as video shows cruise ship damaging Cayman Islands reef; Inside Counsel Holland America’s recent $21 million lawsuit amount ‘rather unusual,’ cruise expert says.

Jim Walker - Maritime Lawyer

Jim appeared in the documentary “Why Ships Sink” for Nova, discussing the Costa Concordia.

In 2014, Jim appeared in the Nassau Guardian “U.S. Attorney Raises A.larm Over Crime;” Caribbean360 “Bahamas “One Gunshot Away’ From Being Dropped by Cruise Lines;” ABC News’ “How Prepared Are Cruise Ships If You Go Overboard?; Nine News World “Woman Suing Cruise Company for Drunken Fall;” ABC 20/20 Program “Man Overboard Cases” (video); Il Mattino “Ubriaca vola in mare dalla nave da crociera. Le drammatiche immagini delle telecamere di controllo;” CNN “Cruise Ship Nightmares;” Wikipedia “Carnival Cruise Lines;” CTV News (Canadian Child Drowns In Cruise Ship Poolelevision) “Explorer of the Seas Norovirus;” CTV’s Kevin Newman Live; Antigua Observer “Cruise Lawyer Says German Ship Has No Case;” U.K.’s Daily Mail “Coast Guard Searches for Celebrity Cruise Line Chef Who Fell Overboard in the Caribbean;” Nassau Guardian “Challenging the Status of Crime in the Caribbean;” Dominican Today “Social Media and Managing Reputation;”  Huff Post Crime “Child Drowns In Cruise Ship Pool;” Baltimore Post-Examiner “Bahamas Fight Violent Crime in Midst of Hotel Boom;” Agenda (a Financial Times Service) “Critics Rip Carnival Exec’s Golden Parachute;” Washington Post “Norovirus Outbreaks Make Both Cruise Lines and Passengers Leery;” WKMG TV-6 (CBS Orlando) “Top Cruise Spots Also Top List for Crime;” CNN New Day, “Crew Member Accused of Attacking Cruise Passenger, Tying to Push Her Overboard,” Sun Sentinel, “Assaults on Cruise Ships Happen, But Not Often;” Liberty Voice “Holland America Line Room Service Included Rape Assault,” ABC NEWS Channel 7 Chicago “Woman Alleges Cruise Ship Sex Assault by Angry Crew Member;” FOX 45 “Cruise Attendant accused of Sexual Assault;” Market Watch “Do Cruise Lines Have a Crime Problem?;” Seattle Times “A sick way to cruise – Who’s to blame and what’s the compensation when norovirus strikes a cruise ship?;” KSAT “UTSA Student Sexually Assaulted During Cruise Vacation;” Nassau Guardian “Christie and Davis’ Troubling Statements on Crime;” “Fire Cruise: Crime, Drugs and Fires on Cruise Ships” by Ken Rossignol (“the Cruise Law News website was invaluable in assembling material for this book);” ABC Local News 5 Cleveland “Concern Grows Over Cruise Ship Crime Reporting; Local Law Enforcement Agencies Lack Jurisdiction;” Chicago Tribune “Taking the Kids — and keeping them safe around the water;” New Times “Videos Show MSC Cruise Line Employees Tossing Bags of Trash Overboard;” eGlobal Travel Media “MSC Cruises Magnifica Accused of Dumping Garbage in the Ocean Off Brazil;” Huffington Post “Cruise Ship Workers Appear To Throw Bags Of Garbage Right Into The Ocean (VIDEO);” U.K.’s Daily Mail  “Caught on camera: The moment cruise ship crew member hurled garbage bags straight into the ocean off Brazilian coast in violation of international law;” AOL Travel “Cruise ship worker filmed ‘throwing rubbish bags into ocean’ (video);” FOX News “What’s the deal with no lifeguards on cruise ships?;” Le Martin (Switzerland, French speaking newspaper) “Des ordures jetées à la mer! — Vidéo à l’appui, un avocat affirme que la compagnie italo-suisse MSC Croisières jette des poubelles dans l’océan” Reizen (Dutch newspaper) “Betrapt: bemanning cruise kiepert vuilnis zomaar in zee;” Travel Pulse “Royal Caribbean Faces PR Backlash After Issues On Three Separate Cruises;” Philly.com “Rough sailing when virus comes aboard;” Travel Pulse “Following Death Of Crew Member, Norwegian Cancels Calls to Roatán;” CNN “33 Dead in Ferry Sinking, Captain Faces Charges;” Big John & Amy Show 560 AM (Chicago) Korean Ferry Disaster; St Lucia OnLine “St. Lucia ranked in top 10 most dangerous cruise destinations in the world;” St. Maarten Island Time “Port of St. Maarten Not Listed in Cruise Law News Top 10 Most Dangerous Cruise Destinations in the World – Destination must remain safe, secure and hospitable;” Barbados Nation News “US Blogger Takes a Swipe at Barbados;” Nassau Guardian: U.S. Based Attorney Lists Bahamas As “Most Dangerous” Cruise Port;” OB2 “Legal expert ranks worst crime-torn cruise destinations;” U.K.’s Daily Mail “Riding the crime wave: Lawyers reveal the world’s most dangerous cruise ports of call;” Travel Mole “Report identifies most dangerous cruise destinations;” Nassau Guardian: Most Dangerous Cruise Destination Claim Not Accurate;” Nassau Guardian “Bahamas Spot On Crime List causes Skepticism, Concern;” Business of Tourism “Crime Levels Continue to Be Major Problem for Destination Bahamas;” Times Picayune “Coast Guard searching for man who jumped from cruise ship;” NB12 News (Video) “Bahamas Named Most Dangerous Cruise Destination;” WINN FM “Questions raised about fatal boat accident;” Il Fatto Alimentare “Passeggeri della Crown Princess vittime di un’infezione gastrointestinale causata dal Norovirus;” CNN “Brutal Cruise Ship Assault;” Cruising Done Right “Crime On the Rise? Find Out Yourself!; USA Prepares “Trash of the Wealthy Dumped in the Ocean;” LexBlog “Cruise lawyer Jim Walker captures media attention, forces response from government officials;” Nassau Guardian “Canadian Man Warns of Crime in the Bahamas;” Professional Mariner “Cruise industry debates whether mega ships are safe enough;” LexBlog “Blogging with Passion Turns Cruise Lawyer Jim Walker into Industry Watchdog;” Above the Law “On Blogging: Throw Your Heart Over The Bar, Let Your Writing Follow;” USA TODAY “The Top 20 Best Cruise Bloggers;” Cayman Compass “Tourism chiefs vigilant over crime threat;” Canna Law Blog “Pot Is Illegal And Don’t You Forget It: Royal Gazette “Island’s tough line on cruise ship passengers with drugs is criticized;” Royal Gazette “The Best of Times, the Worst of Times;” Maritime Executive “Man Overboard from Carnival Spirit;” Naples Daily News “Cruise ship crimes: What you should know (Video);” Opposing Views Family Not Allowed To Re-Book Norwegian Cruise Lines Reservation After Son Diagnosed With Cancer; TravelPulse Norwegian Faces PR Backlash For Refusing Cancer Family Refund; CNN Cruise Ship Horror Stories (Includes our client Laurie Dishman); Miami Herald / AP Carnival plans to build cruise port in Haiti; CBS Money Watch Haiti looks to welcome back tourists; Washington Post Some cruise lines take a hard stance on refunds, even when a relative dies; Maritime Executive Another Death in Cruise Ship Swimming Pool; Montreal Gazette Transgender cruise raises concern; Independent (Macedonia) Denisa Fell Off the Ship, the Captain Reported Her Missing; Macedonian Newspaper Security Cameras on the Ship Where Young Denisa Markoska Disappeared Not Working?; CruiseNewser April Fool’s Day: Carnival to incorporate in the US; PRNewser Another Cruise Industry #PRFail?; CruisingMates MSC allegedly dumps rubbish at sea; Wes Neuman Proper Behavior in a Hearing; Miami Herald: DOT Launches New Site for Cruise Passengers; Tradewinds Princess Crewman Killed; gCaptain Crewmember Killed, Another Injured in Cruise Ship Rescue Boat Accident; Sun Sentinel Celebration Passengers Describe Chaotic Scene; New York Times U.S. Embassy Warns of Crime in Bahamas; UPI U.S. Warns of Sex Assaults on Bahamas Tourists; WPRO Radio (Rhode Island) Watch Out for Crime in the Bahamas – WPRO Interviews Jim Walker; Tribune Water Sports Operators Hold Talks With Ministry Over Safety Of Tourists; SHM (Australia) Cruise Liner Loses Passenger at Sea; News Talk 2UE 954 (Australia) How many people fall off cruises each year? How? James Walker, lawyer & cruise safety advocate joins us; LexBlog Legal newsrooms may be shrinking, but coverage is increasing via blogs; Otago Daily News ‘Pukefest’ as norovirus bug hits cruise ship; The Independent (Ireland) Hundreds of luxury cruise passengers confined to cabins to avoid norovirus ‘pukefest;’ eGlobal Travel Media ‘Pukefest’ and ‘heave ho’ describe cruise ship outbreak; Tribune (Nassau, Bahamas) Bahamas Named Among Worst Cruise Ports; ABC 15 New Cruise Ship Law; LexBlog The blogging lawyer as a citizen journalist; U.K. Daily Mail New Regulations Force Cruise Companies to Publish Online Crime List Documenting Statistics for Thefts, Rapes and Murders Committed on Ships; Tribune US Crime Alerts Reported In NY Times; Gyi Tsakalakis Web Marketing Power of Web Presence; Above the Law 12 Awesome Law Blogs Of 2014; LexBlog Blog of the Year; Caribbean Council Social Media and the Caribbean; CruiseRadio 9 Cruise Websites for a Virtual Escape.

In 2013, Jim appeared in the following television shows, newspapers and radio programs: CNN Opinion’s “What Cruise Lines Don’t Want You to Know“, AP’s “No Central Agency Oversees, Inspects Cruise Ships,” WGN Radio (Chicago), Miami Herald, Newsday’s “Carnival Triumph: First Lawsuit Filed in Cruise Ship Fiasco,” Wall Street Journal Law Blog’s “Why Suing Carnival Could be a Waste,” Reuters, American Bar Journal’s “Cruise Ship Fires Occur with ‘Alarming Frequency,’ Maritime Lawyer Says;” Forbes’ “Ship Isn’t The Only Thing That Stinks At Carnival: Low Tax Rate Stirs Ire,” WWL Radio (New Orleans) “Cruise Ship Safety,” CNN Travel’s “Lawsuit Filed Over ‘Floating Hell’ Cruise” (Video), U.K’s Daily Mail, ABC News’ 20/20 “Troubled Waters” (Video), CNBC’s Squawk on the Street’s “Carnival & Legal Obligations” (Video), CTV’s “Will Compensation Keep Cruise Ship Lawsuits at Bay?, Business Insider’s “Passengers On Stranded Cruise Ship Are Camping On Deck And Waiting In Line For Food,” Times of Malta’s “International Lawyer Praises Malta on Cruise Liner Tragedy,” Bloomberg’s “Carnival Ship Fire Strands 3,100 Guests Off Mexican Coast,”  Sun Sentinel’s “Carnival Cruise Nightmare: Why Evacuation is not an Option,” America Public Media’s “Worst Cruise Ever: Can I Sue?;” Yahoo Finance’s “Cruise Ship Fire Highlights Past Incidents.”

The GO-TO CRUISE LAW ATTORNEY – FEATURED IN HUNDREDS OF TELEVISION, CABLE NEWS, RADIO, DOCUMENTARY, MAGAZINE & NEWSPAPER ARTICLES AND PROGRAMS ABOUT CRUISE SHIP ACCIDENTS, INJURIES, SEXUAL ASSAULTS AND CONTROVERSIES 

Rush Limbaugh’s “Media Targets Evil Carnival Cruise Company,” Insurance Journal, Travel Blackboard, Local 10 News (Miami), Business Insider’s “Good Luck Finding Out If The Cruise Ship You’re Traveling On Is Safe,” South Florida Business Journal”s “New Twists in Boozing and Ocean Cruising,” ABC’s 20/20 “Troubled Waters” (Video), U.K. Daily Mail, Times of Malta’s International Lawyer Praises Malta on Cruise Liner Tragedy,” Business Journalism’s “Cruise Ship Saga: Business Story Angles and Resources,” ABC News’ “Death of Cruise Ship Singer Jackie Kastrinelis Remains a Mystery,” KRPC TV (Houston) “Local 2 Investigates Carnival Cruise Fires” (Video), U.K. Daily Mail’s “First Passenger Sues Cruise Line Over ‘Horrifying’ Conditions on Stricken Carnival Vessel,” WOR 710 Radio (New York), Thomson Reuters’ Triumph Passengers Bring Class Action Against Carnival,” Seattle Times’ Cruise Lawsuits Are In, But Carnival Has Advantage,” Travel Weekly’s “Triumph Suits Add to CCL’s Woes,” Newsweek’s “Carnival Cruise from Hell,” Daily Business Review: “Justice Watch: Triumph Passengers Face a Sea of Issues,” Travel agent Central’s “Update on Carnival Triumph – Lawsuits Filed, One First-Timer Weighs In,” CBS Peter Greenberg “Why It’s Hard for Passengers to Sue Post-Carnival Triumph,” Local 10 (Miami) “3 Carnival Cruise Line fires since Nov. 2010” (video), Travel agent Central’s Can Victims of Costa Concordia Sue in the U.S.?, Daily Business Review’s and National Law Journal’s “Federal Judge Sends Concordia Lawsuits back to Miami-Dade,” CruiseMates’ “Cruise Ship System Failures,” Quaratz’s “One of the Secrets to Carnival Cruise’s Unsinkable Business Model: Free Coast Guard Rescues,” Philadelphia Inquiry’s “Pregnant?You May not be Able to Cruise,” South Florida Business Journal’s “Carnival Shares Drop with Reputation Under Assault,” CBS Baltimore’s “FBI Investigating Suspicious Death On Cruise Ship That Set Sail From Baltimore,” International Business Times’ “Cruise Ship Death: FBI Probes Suspicious Death Aboard Royal Caribbean Baltimore Cruise; “MSN News’ “Cruise Ship Death Spotlights Murky Waters of Fatalities at Sea;” Cruising Done Right’s “Maritime Lawyer Raises Questions,” NBC Rock Center with Brian Williams’ “Carnival CEO Comes Under Congressional Heat” – Watch NBC Video here; South Florida Business Review’s April Fool’s Day: Carnival Will incorporate in the United States, NBC’s “Would Your Cruise Have Fewer Problems if Americans Ran It?;” E-Travel Blackboard’s US law firm spends $3 million to charter cruise ship;” NBC’s “Family Seeks More Answers in Disappearance of Man From Cruise Ship;” Huffington’s Post’s “Paul Rossington, Missing Carnival Cruise Passenger, May Have Been Trying To Rescue Girlfriend Kristen Schroder;” Seattle Times’ Taking a Hard Look at Cruise-Ship Problems:” CNN’s “FBI to Review Honeymooner’s 2005 Cruise Ship Death;” Boston Herald’s “Murder, Crime Warnings in Nassau;” The Economic Times’ “How Normal are Cruise Ship Mishaps Like Fires and Power Failures?; eTravel Blackboard (Australia)’s “Cruise Lawyer Says Bridge Being Unaware of Man Overboard Situations Should Not Happen;” The Slant’s “Carnival is Taking on Water But Don’t Abandon Ship;” KGW News Station (Oregon) Salem Cruise Passenger Missing and Presumed Drowned;” U.K. Mirror’s What can cruise passengers expect from their own Bill of Rights?; Sun Sentinel’s CLIA, “Cruise Operators Adopt Passenger Bill of Rights,” Travel Weekly’s “Cruise Lines Adopt First ‘Bill of Rights’ for Clients at Sea;” eTravel Blackboard’s US Cruise Lawyer: “Cruise Ship Fires: When is Enough, Enough?;”  K-Talk Utah Radio (NBC) Malcolm Alvin’s Malcolm Out Loud Show; eTravel Blackboard’s “US Judge Changes Mind About Legal Jurisdiction;” Anderson Cooper AC 360 Keeping Them Honest – “Who’s Keeping Cruise Passengers Safe?;” HuffPost Music Canada’s “Sean Richard Bell, Manitoba Cruise Ship Musician, Arrested On Child Pornography Charges;” Florida Today’s “Cruise Ship Crime Stats Aren’t Smooth Sailing;” Florida Today’s “Who’s Working on the Ships You’re Sailing Aboard?;” USA Today Watchdogs Urge Better Reporting of Cruise Ship Crime;” Chicago Tribune’s Can You Trust the Cruise Lines’ New Passenger ‘Bill of Rights?; Miami Daily Business Review’s “Plaintiffs Celebrate Ruling In Concordia Shipwreck;” e-Travel Blackboard’s “National Lawyers Strike Suspends Concordia Schettino’s Trial;” New York Times’ “Those Wordy Contracts We All So Quickly Accept;” Global Travel Industry News’s “Cruise Line Bill of Rights – Trustworthy?;” Trusted Luxury Cruises’ “Silversea Cruises: Silver Shadow Failed Inspection;” eTravel Blackboard’s “US Lawyer Says Silversea’s Silver Shadow Fails Sanitation Inspection;” Alaska Dispatch’s “Corporate Interests 4, Alaska Zero. Game Over?:;” Skift Travel’s “Cruise Lines to Begin Disclosing All Onboard Crimes on Own Websites;” CNN’s “Luxury Cruise Fails Surprise Health Inspection;” eTravel Blackboard’s “US Senate Cruise Industry Hearing Reveals Cruise Crime is Hidden;” NBC News’ “Luxury Cruise Line Vows Changes After Ship Fails CDC Inspection;” KOAA’s “More Problems for Cruise Ships;” NBC News’ “Lawmakers Turn Attention to Crime on Cruise Ships;” NBC 6’s “Major Cruise Lines Begin Posting Crime Stats;” Miami Herald’s “Report, Punish Crimes in Cruises:” Washington Post’s “Will a New Law Force Cruise Lines to Better Report Onboard Crime?;” Yahoo Voices’ “Are Cruise-Safety Concerns Justified? Bigger Ships, More Destinations, Limited Accountability – Should Passengers Think Twice?;” Coach Class – Travel for Real People’s “Cruise Passenger Bill of Putative Rights;” Travel Weekly’s “Cruise Editor’s Bookmarks: Three Interesting Reads;” Wall Street Journal’s “Reputation, Regulatory Issues Dog Cruise Industry;” Noticias 25 Internacionales’ “Uno de los cruceros más lujosos del mundo no pasó la inspección sanitaria;” About Cruise Ship’s “Disney Line Sexual Assault;” Lloyd’s List “MLC: Cruiseship Employees Work Ever Longer Shifts;” Associated Press/ CBS “Carnival Cruise Lines Says 6-Year-Old Boy Drowned in Pool at Sea;” CNN’s New Day Reports: “Costa Captain Says Not My Fault;” Travel Agent Central “Dawn Princess Hit by Electrical Fire, Guests Called to Muster Stations;” Huffington Post “Woman Overboard On Grand Princess Cruise Feared Dead;” Miami Herald “Overboard Cases on Cruise Lines Often Under-Reported to Public;” Wikipedia – “Carnival Cruise Lines;” WPTV-NBC “Law Requires Man Overboard Systems on Cruise Ships to Detect a Passenger Falling Overboard;”  Cay Compass “Critics Urge Caution on Cruise Port Deal;” Change.org “P&O Ferries: Install CCTV Cameras on Passenger Decks;” Tampa Bay Business Journal “Raising the Sunshine Skyway Could Open the Bay for Giant Cruise Ships;” This is Kent “A Mum is Forever;”  Global Travel Industry News “Royal Caribbean Cruise: Passenger overboard – Coast Guard Taking Over;” Daily Mail “Coast Guard Searches for Passenger Who Jumped Overboard Royal Caribbean’s Adventure of the Seas;” Lund University “Cruise Ship Passengers and Their Rights;” Vice “Cruising for a Bruising;” Cruise Week Who Will Keep CNN Honest?; ETB Travel News US lawsuit filed against Royal Caribbean after injury to child.

In 2012, Jim appeared on ABC’s 20/20 special on the Costa Concordia disaster. He appeared on Australia’s Dateline program “Lost at Sea” about passengers and crew members disappearing from cruise ships. Jim was featured on PBS’s documentary “Disasters at Sea: Why Ships Sink” which looked at cruise disasters from the Titanic’s sinking in 1912 to the current date. He also appeared on CNN’s special “Cruise to Disaster” which explored the Concordia disaster.

Jim attended Duke University and graduated cum laude in 1980. He attended Tulane University School of Law, graduating in 1983 after taking Tulane’s internationally renowned admiralty curriculum.

Jim has experience regarding issues of cruise ship crime and sexual assault. Over the past ten years, he has represented over 1,000 clients including over 75 individuals who have been victimized on cruise ships, cruise excursions and ports of call. Six of Jim’s clients have testified before the United States Congress regarding cruise ship safety. Jim has handled the following cases in the past ten years:

  • The case of Laurie Dishman, sexually assaulted on Royal Caribbean’s Vision of the Seas. Her case resulted in changes to the cruise industry and the introduction of the Cruise Ship Safety and Security Act of 2010.
  • The “Missing Honeymooner Case” involving the disappearance of George Smith IV of Greenwich Connecticut from Royal Caribbean’s Brilliance of the Seas cruise ship. Jim represented Mr. Smith’s widow, Jennifer Hagel.
  • Over 75 sexual assault cases against women and children on cruise ships, resulting in many million and multi-million dollars settlements.
  • The 2006 Star Princess fire disaster. The cruise ship fire resulted in one hundred cabins being destroyed and the death of one passenger, Richard Liffridge. Jim represented Mr. Liffridge’s family in litigation against Princess Cruises in California.
  • Numerous cases involving serious injury and death of passengers and crew members aboard Carnival, Celebrity, Costa, Norwegian, Oceania, Princess and Royal Caribbean cruise ships.

Jim is married to Lisa O’Neill who he met while they were undergraduates in college thirty years ago. Jim and Lisa are also law partners.

Watch 5 Years Later (Facebook video).

Lisa is also a Duke cum laude graduate, and attended the University of Florida School of Law in Gainesville, Florida. She served on Law Review as the Senior Articles Editor, won the prestigious Gertrude Brick Award, and graduated cum laude. Jim and Lisa work on all cases together.

In 1999, the firm created the web site CruiseLaw.com as an information resource for passengers and crew members worldwide. Here is what some publications are saying about Jim Walker:

“Top Maritime Lawyer” – ABA Journal.

“Top Cruise Lawyer” – USA Today.

“Miami-based Maritime Attorney and Industry Watchdog” – Conde Nast Traveler.

“Prominent Private Practice Maritime Attorney” – Fox News.

“A Premier Lawyer for Cruise Passengers” – Reuters.

“Prominent Cruise Plaintiff Attorney” – Law.com (America Law Media).

“One of the nation’s leading maritime attorneys” – News 6 Orlando.

“Leading Miami Attorney” – Newsweek Magazine

“Leading Maritime Lawyer in Miami” – Arizona Republic / USA Today

“. . . it is nice to see a lawyer with scruples, and one that is honest with them” – Port Canaveral Blog

“An Outspoken and Candid Maritime Attorney Who has Represented Some of the Highest Profile Cruise Plaintiffs in History” – Cruisemates

“Longtime Maritime Lawyer Who Represents Clients Suing Cruise Lines” – New York Times

“Internationally Renowned Maritime Lawyer and Cruise Safety Advocate” – Times of Malta

“Vocal advocate for having lifeguards on every ship” – Family Travel Forum

“Cruise companies are watched closely by Jim Walker of US-based maritime lawyers Walker and O’Neill” – New Zealand Herald.

“Man For the Other Team” – International Shipping Publication Tradewinds.

“Famous Miami Maritime Attorney” – CruiseNewser.

“Prominent Florida-Based Lawyer for Cruise Ship Passengers” – Staten Island Live.

“Leading U.S. Based Cruise Lawyer” – eTravel Blackboard (Australia).

“Prominent Miami Maritime Lawyer” – Travel Agent Central.

“Industry Watchdog” – FOX News and LexBlog

“King of anti-cruise tirades . . . his impressive background and litigation record against cruise lines must be taken seriously.” – Travel Weekly.

“Perpetual Pain-In-The-Cruise-Lines-Neck Jim Walker” – Gadling.

“A well-known thorn in the side of cruise lines” – Cruising Done Right (travel agent publication).

Lexblog names Cruise Law News “Blog of the Year” writing: “. . . no attorney’s passion shows through more than Jim Walker’s in his blog, Cruise Law News. Not only is he an advocate for cruise passengers, but also a fervent watchdog for the industry as a whole. His 2014 included, among a multitude of accomplishments, traveling to Washingto, DC to back Senator Rockefeller’s Cruise Passenger Protection Act and forcing government officials in the Bahamas to have to answer to their ranking on the Top 10 worst destinations.”

Jim is the author of Cruise Law News – described as a “Hard-Hitting Blog” by Miami’s Daily Business Review.

Jim writes the “authoritative cruise blog” – Sydney Morning Herald.

Hard-hitting commentary – Daily Herald.

“Cruise Law News, published by Attorney Jim Walker, has blown the doors off the cruise industry and has grown to be one the most widely read digital publications in the law.”

The U.K. Metro newspaper refers to Jim as the “Devil of Cruise Reporting.”

Prominent Miami-based maritime lawyer – Engle International.

Respected Miami-based maritime lawyer – eGlobal Travel Media.

Maritime lawyer and cruise ship expert Jim Walker. – NY Post.

Never shy about calling out cruise lines – Cruise Ind.

LexBlog says “Walker is the world’s leading reporter on deaths, injuries, and safety matters relating to the cruise industry. Via his blog, he not only reports the news, but is the de facto cruise industry watchdog.”

Professional Associations

  • Admiralty Law Committee of the Florida Bar (former member)
  • Florida Admiralty Trial Lawyers Association (former member)
  • Maritime Law Association of the United States
  • Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum

Education

  • Kent School, Kent Connecticut 1976
  • Duke University, Durham North Carolina 1980
  • Tulane School of Law, New Orleans Louisiana 1983

Bar Admissions

  • Florida Bar Association
  • Louisiana Bar Association (not active)
  • United States District Courts, Eastern District of Louisiana and Southern District of Florida

Media, Television, Radio, Magazines and Newspapers

Jim and his clients have been featured on television, cable news and radio shows, as well as in documentaries, newspapers and magazine articles.

ABC, CBS, MSNBC, CNN, FOXNews, DATELINE, 48 HOURS, 20/20, Larry King Live, A & E Investigative Reports, Hannity & Colmes, Greta Van Sustern, Nancy Grace, Inside Edition, Julie Banderas, Big Story Weekend, CourtTV, Catherine Crier, Montel Williams, Joe Scarborough, Rita Cosby, Mike & Juliet, Geraldo Rivera, Nancy Bloom, Dan Abrams, UK’s BBC-Radio 4, Heartland w/John Kasich, E! Entertainment, TruTV, Canada’s CATV-5, Good Morning America, TIME Magazine, National Law Journal, RADAR Magazine, Lawyer’s Weekly USA, Miami Herald, American Law Media, Tradewinds, Fort Lauderdale’s Sun-Sentinel, Miami Business Review, LA Times, NY Times, Salt Lake Tribune, Florida Today, Daytona Beach Journal, Sacramento Bee, Washington Post, Greenwich Times, Greenwich Citizen, Greenwich Post, San Francisco Chronicle, U.K.’s Telegraph, St. Petersburg Times, Miami’s New Times, U.K. Mirror, London’s Guardian, Edmonton Post, Chicago Sun-Times, Bahamas Journal, Italy’s “Chi l’ha Visto?” television show, Germany’s Wunderwelt Wisen, CruiseCritic, South Florida Business Journal, Open Secrets organization, Queerty, Baltimore Sun, Bahamas Tribune, National Public Radio (NPR), USA Today, Gadling, FOX Business, Slate Magazine, ABA Journal, Australia’s The Age, Attorney at Law Magazine, Huffington Post, U.K.’s Daily Mail, BBC, Freeport (Bahamas) News, Haaretz, Trip Advisor, Wikipedia, Palm Beach Post, India Times, E Turbo News, Global Travel News, Comunidade News (Brazil), Canada’s CTV, OutFront with CNN’s Erin Burnett, Slate, The Daily, London’s Financial Times, Newsweek Magazine, Newsweek’s The Daily Beast Blog, Fund Web, Reuters, Consumer Affairs, Australia’s Herald Sun, Canada’s NewsTalk 1010 Radio, Houston Chronicle, Wall Street Journal, Public Broadcasting Service (PBS), Tampa Bay Business Journal, Perez Hilton, Business Insider, Greenwich Magazine, Herald Sun, CNN Money, the Australian newspaper, Christian Science Monitor, International Business Times, Maritime Executive, Businessweek, Bloomberg, Alaska Dispatch, Minnesota Post, Virgin Islands Daily News, Arizona Republic, Trip Advisor, Daily Kos, Jamaica’s Gleaner newspaper, Antigua Observer, N.Y. Daily News, U.K.’s Daily Mail, UPI, Inquisitr, Christian Post, KTIC Radio, Cordova Times, Bloomberg News, Business Insider, Times of Malta, CNN Opinion, Wall Street Journal Blog. Newsday, CBC Radio (Canada), American Public Media Market Place, WGN Radio (Chicago) Chicago Tribune, WWL Radio (Miami), CNBC Squawk on the Street, WIOD Radio (Miami) and the Associated Press have all covered Jim’s cases and his client’s causes.

Watch Jim on ABC’s 20/20 program in January 2012 about the Costa Concordia disaster:

//www.youtube.com/embed/UVORPMW188g?feature=player_embedded

Watch Jim on Australia’s Dateline program “Lost at Seas” in March 2012 about cruise ship disappearances:

//www.youtube.com/embed/bLgc1dqhCsQ?feature=player_embedded