Yesterday it was announced at the marketing debut of Royal Caribbean’s Quantum of the Seas, that one of the ports of the new cruise ship would be Nassau in the Bahamas when it was launched in 2014. My first reaction was that Nassau was a dangerous location to host the new Royal Caribbean cruise
2013
Quantum of the Seas – A Cruise Lawyer’s Dream?
Today was another weird day in the world of cruise law. Sitting in my office I watched CNN coverage of the bombing in Boston on my big screen TV’s most of the day while also following the travel industry’s internet coverage of the unveiling of images of Royal Caribbean’s Quantum of the Seas (as well…
Royal Caribbean Cruise From Hell Allegations: Mom Falsely Imprisoned While Cruise Ship Refuses to Rescue Daughter
Courthouse News Service published a shocking article today entitled A Caribbean Cruise From Hell.
The article involves the story of the disappearance of a young woman from Tennessee, 21 year old A’riel Marion, and the cruise lines outrageous mistreatment of her mother, Vera Marion, during a cruise aboard Royal Caribbean’s Allure of the Seas…
Criminal Case Continues Against Captain Schettino – Island of Giglio Requests Compensation of 80,000,000 Euros
A court in Italy is proceeding with preliminary hearings to consider evidence whether Captain Francesco Schettino will face trial for criminal charges for his involvement in the Costa Concordia disaster.
Schettino, labelled "Captain Calamity" in the press, appeared at the proceedings yesterday, faces a trial on charges of manslaughter, causing a shipwreck and abandoning ship. …
Under Pressure, Carnival Agrees to Reimburse U.S. for Coast Guard & Navy Costs in Responding to Disabled Triumph & Splendor Cruise Ships
Under public criticism and pressure initiated by U.S. Senator Rockefeller, Carnival announced today that it will reimburse the federal government for costs of over $4,000,000 incurred by the U.S. Coast Guard and U.S. Navy in responding to its Triumph and Splendor cruise ships.
Senator Rockefeller set his sights on the cruise industry at a Senate…
Here We Go Again: 55 Celebrity Cruise Passengers & 2 Crew Members Robbed at Gun Point in St. Lucia
Cruise Critic reports that 55 cruise passengers and two crew members from the Celebrity Eclipse were robbed at gunpoint by three men on Friday, April 12 2013 while in St. Lucia.
Celebrity Cruises issued a statement indicating that passengers were visiting the Botanical Gardens in Soufriere at the time of the robbery and were on…
Did Costa Cover-Up A Near Concordia-Like Disaster?
A newspaper in Italy is reporting that six and one-half years before the Costa Concordia disaster, another Costa cruise ship ruptured its hull during a "sail-by" maneuver off the coast of Capri.
Libero Quotidiano reports that in June 2005, the Costa Fortuna was sailing by the island of Capri off the western side of Italy.
More Toilet Problems for Carnival: Crown Princess Poop Ship!
"Poop ships" and Carnival have become synonymous this year following the public relations debacle as thousands of passengers aboard the Triumph cruise had to endure several days without working sanitation as they were towed to Mobile Alabama.
This evening, a news station in Houston is reporting that the Carnival-owned Princess Cruises’ Crown Princess is experiencing…
Photos of Cuban Immigrants’ Boat “Rescued” by Disney Wonder Emerge
A passenger aboard the Disney Wonder sent a couple of photographs of the boat "rescued" between Cuba and South Florida.
As we mentioned yesterday, the Disney Wonder and the Carnival Conquest cruise ships were involved in separate incidents where they picked up Cuban nationals who had set out to sea to try and escape…
Cruise Booze: Is a Passenger’s Drinking Problem Just His Own?
An article this weekend from the popular cruise community Cruise Critic caught my attention: "Royal Caribbean Removes Passenger from Cruise Ship for Rowdy Behavior."
The article is about Royal Caribbean kicking a passenger off the Rhapsody of the Seas for what is described as "rowdy behavior" that included throwing items overboard while the…
Carnival & Disney Cruise Ships Intercept Rafters Heading to South Florida
The U.S. Coast Guard is reporting that yesterday two cruise ships responded to migrants at sea in two separate incidents. A Coast Guard representative characterized the migrants as floating in two "rustic vessels" south of Key West Florida.
The cruise ships involved are the Disney Wonder home ported in Miami, and the Carnival Conquest which…
Carnival Fascination Cruise Ship Flunks Health and Sanitation Inspection
A Carnival cruise ship has become the sixth cruise ship this year to flunk a sanitation inspection by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The Carnival Fascination failed the surprise inspection with a score of only 84. You can read the report from the CDC here. It’s full of dirty and unsanitary…
Costa Concordia Disaster Continues: Cruise Line Avoids Criminal Liability By Paying Fine of Only One Million Euros
Multiple news sources are reporting that the Italian prosecutors have agreed to drop all criminal charges against Costa Cruises arising out of the Concordia disaster in exchange for a fine of only one million Euro’s.
Just one million Euro’s (around $1.31million) for killing 32 people, including children? What a pittance.
I’m sure Carnival-owned Costa is…
Cruise Lines Depend on U.S. Coast Guard for Safety & Security But Pay Nothing
Today I read a press release by the U.S. Coast Guard about a maritime safety exercise conducted in the waters of Freeport Grand Bahamas.
U.S. Coast Guard crew members from the Coast Guard Cutter Diamondback conducted a safety exercise with Royal Caribbean’s Monarch of the Seas on April 2, 2013. The exercise was called "Black…
Cruise Ship Cocaine Smuggler Lucky to be Alive
During a six day cruise out of Miami, Norman Mosch swallowed 87 pellets of cocaine during a stopover in Jamaica back in December of 2012.
The Sun Sentinel writes that cruise passenger Mosch swallowed 2 pounds and 2 ounces of cocaine-filled pellets after he had been recruited to smuggle the drugs back to Miami. Not surprisingly…
Carnival Passenger Sentenced to 20 Years for Raping Teen During Cruise
A judge sentenced 31 year old Carnival cruise passenger Casey Dickerson to 20 years in prison to be followed by 15 years probation for raping a 15 year old girl aboard the Carnival Sensation cruise ship. Dickerson and a pack of four boys raped the child last year. Dickerson supplied the boys with alcohol during the…
Boy Involved in Near Drowning on Disney Cruise Ship Struggling to Recover
A number of readers have asked me for information about the little four year old boy who nearly drowned last week aboard the Disney Fantasy cruise ship.
Today there is a short article in the Orlando Sentinel indicating that the child may face "extensive brain damage" but his parents, "helped by their faith, remain…
Report of Gastrointestinal Sickness Outbreak on Celebrity Infinity Disappears: Honest Mistake or Diabolical Cover-Up?
Those of you who read this blog regularly know that I find lots of information about things that the cruise lines would prefer you not know on Professor Ross Klein’s website called CruiseJunkie.com. A silly name I know, but the information is quite serious if you are interested in accurate information about cruise passengers…