Jim's Personal Stories

In 2010, the Cruise Vessel Security and Safety Act (CVSSA) became law. The statute required, for the first time, cruise lines to disclose incidents of missing passengers, sexual assaults and other shipboard crimes to the American public.

The legislation was the result of the dedication and hard work of our client and good friend, Laurie

NCL New OrleansI left New Orleans in November 1987 after attending law school at Tulane and  practicing law in the Big Easy for four years.  There were no cruise ships based in or visiting New Orleans back then. The closest thing was the Natchez riverboat which would paddle around the muddy Mississippi for a few hours.

This

Today we enjoyed a great day in St. Petersburg, Florida at my father-in-law’s house.

The weather was amazing and our extended families congregated and enjoyed our time together.

Our extended family ranges in age from 1 year old to 93 years old. There was lot’s of laughter, hugging and fellowship.

Thanks to all of our

In an exclusive story, Cruise Line News has learned that cruise industry giant Carnival Corporation recently incorporated its business in the United States (in the state of Delaware). Carnival intends to announce this historic development tomorrow, April 2nd, at Carnival’s headquarters in Miami.

Since 1972, Carnival has incorporated its business and registered its cruise ships

Emmett Till Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s holiday is a time to reflect on Reverend King’s legacy and stories of overcoming racial hatred and injustice.

As Dr. King organized and led marches for equal rights in the South, he was fighting prejudice against black Americans which had lasted generations.

Over the course of the 100 years before

Today was a beautiful sunny 75 degree day in Miami.  Usually we spend Thanksgiving with my parents in Arkansas where the leaves have fallen and its colder. 

Last year was my Dad’s last Thanksgiving.  It was strange not seeing him carve the turkey today.

This year we stayed in Miami.  Lots of family members and friends came

Tonight I watched the news programs about the death of Steve Jobs, the college drop-out turned garage computer creator turned genius behind the Apple iPod, iPhone and iPad products and Pixar studio. 

Jobs had a almost Zen like approach to his iconic products and his life, as revealed during his 2005 commencement speech at Stanford University.

At this time, he had already co-founded Apple

Welcome to Miami Nana!This past week I have received a few emails from Cruise Law News subscribers wondering why there have been no blogs for the past week. 

There certainly have been no shortage of interesting cruise stories.  Another public relations snafu by Royal Caribbean, a cruise ship collision, a couple of interesting legal cases, and even a

The images of the "rebel forces" advancing into Tripoli mesmerized me this weekend.  It has been a surreal experience to see the "Green Square" in Tripoli filled with joyful Libyans celebrating the anticipated fall of Colonel Gaddafi. 

Tripoli LibyaIn 1965 my Dad took our family to Tripoli after he obtained a job as a geophysicist for a major U.S. oil company in Libya.  

Dad had

Whistler mountain bikingLast night our family arrived back in Miami after a three week vacation in the Pacific North West.  We enjoyed Pike Place Market in Seattle, kayaked in the Orcas Islands (amazing), mountain biked in Whistler, and hiked Mt. Rainier.  What a blast.

Aside from a spectacular wipe-out on a mountain bike trail by my youngest son, we returned to Miami safe and

Father’s Day is this weekend.  This will be the first time in my 52 years of life that I don’t have a father alive to call and tell him that I love him.  My Dad died on the morning of March 15, 2011.

My Dad lived 81 and 1/2 years. He was born in a