If you want to participate in the FlowRider attraction on a Royal Caribbean cruise ship, the cruise line requires its passengers to sign an electronic waiver. The waiver purports to relieve the cruise line of any and all liability arising out of use of the FlowRider. However, the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeal ruled last
Danger on the High Seas: Royal Caribbean’s Deadly FlowRider
Watch the video of the FlowRider at the bottom of this page. Looks like fun doesn’t it? The rider surfs on the water and never wipe-outs. Easy right?
Not at all. The person in the video below is a skilled and experienced Royal Caribbean employee who has spent many hours riding the FlowRider.
Now
Caribbean Fantasy Flunks Sanitation Inspection – Why Doesn’t the CDC Shut Nasty Ships Like This Down?
Professor Ross Klein’s website reports that the Caribbean Fantasy, operated by American Cruise Ferries, failed a surprise inspection by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention last month.
The Caribbean Fantasy received a failing score of 81. The CDC report is, in a word, gross.
The CDC discovered major problems with the
Korean Passenger Disappears From Cruise Ship
The Global Post reports that an elderly South Korean tourist fell off a cruise ship off South Korea’s east coast today.
The cruise passenger was identified as a 75-year-old male, with the family name of "Jeong." He reportedly fell overboard three kilometers northwest of Jumunjin, a port on the east coast, at around 2:50 p.m.
Two More Cruise Ships Flunk CDC Food Sanitation Inspections
The Centers for Disease Control Prevention (Vessel Sanitation Program) has given failing scores to two cruise ships following inspections this summer.
The Regent’s Seven Seas Navigator and Un-Cruise Adventures’ Safari Endeavour flunked the CDC’s sanitation inspections.
Regent’s Seven Seas Navigator scored a dismal score of 79. You can read the report here.
The Safari
HAL Cruise Ship Musician Jailed for Child Pornography
A Canadian newspaper reports that a crew member aboard the Holland America Line Veendam cruise ship was jailed for possession of child pornography.
Sean Richard Bell, age 37, was arrested almost three months ago for possessing images and video of what are described as underage naked boys. He pleaded guilty today in a Halifax courtroom
CLIA CEO Christine Duffy Interview: Denial & Scare Tactics
Travel Weekly published a rather fascinating interview by Arnie Weissmann of the CEO of the Cruise Line International Association (CLIA), Christine Duffy, entitled "Cruising at a Crossroads."
Over the past eight years, there have been eight Congressional hearings on important issues which have plagued the cruise industry, such as the suspicious disappearances of
What the Cruise Lines Need Now – A Little Good News
The cruise industry is being pummeled in the world of social media. The endless stories of cruise ship fires, propulsion issues, engine failures, and, most recently, elderly passengers abandoned ashore after suffering serious injuries seem to come at a non-stop pace. The bad news affects the public’s perception of cruising. A Harris Poll conducted this spring
Azamara PR Disaster Continues: Is a Law Required to Prevent Cruise Lines from Abandoning Injured Passengers?
The fall-out over Azamara’s abandonment of an elderly couple from Clearwater Florida continues.
The luxury cruise line Azamara, a subsidiary of Miami based Royal Caribbean Cruises, has been accused of abandoning its guest Dodge Melkonian, an 89-year-old World War II veteran, and his wife at a "rural" hospital in Turkey after Mr. Melkonian broke his
Royal Caribbean Takes the Heat Over Azamara’s Abandonment of Elderly Cruise Couple
"Royal Caribbean In Hot Water Over Couple’s Cruise Medical Ordeal" reads the internet headline on CBS News. This morning CBS Morning News covered the story of a 89 year-old cruise passenger, on the Azamara Journey luxury cruise ship, who broke his hip on the ship.
Although the couple was initially satisfied with their
Millennium Passengers Fear Riot & Call 911
KRBD FM Community Radio for Southeast Alaska has an interesting story today about cruise passengers aboard the broken down Celebrity Millennium cruise ship calling 911 in Ketchikan out of fear that a "riot" would break out.
It seems like some cruise passengers were unruly about the cancellation of the cruise and communications about where the
Wall Street Journal: “Reputation, Regulatory Issues Dog Cruise Industry”
Today the Wall Street Journal published an article about the cruise industry’s efforts to overcome damage to its reputation while battling off criticism by a consumer group and efforts by Congress to regulate the industry.
The WSJ points out that the cruise lines have a lot to be concerned with, including "stranded vessels, fires, people
Coast Guard Medevacs Sick Passenger from Norwegian Dawn
Cape Code Today reports that U.S. Coast Guard medevaced a 50-year-old man from a NCL cruise ship 160 nautical miles from Nantucket. The man was hoisted by a MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter and flown to meet an ambulance in Hyannis and then transported to Cape Cod Hospital.
The cruise ship is reportedly the Bahamian flagged Norwegian Dawn.
U.S. Appellate Court Affirms Dismissal of Another Costa Concordia Case
The Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeal has affirmed an order of dismissal on forum non conveniens grounds of a case filed by an Italian citizen and Italian business for damages as a result of the Costa Concordia disaster.
In a case styled Giglio Sub, S.N.C. and Francesco Onida versus Carnival Corporation et al., the
Cruise Ship Crime & Sexual Assault Lawyer: Read About Our Experience, Reputation & Results
There has been a great deal of debate over the past decade regarding the amount of crime which occurs on cruise ships. The cruise industry claims that crime is "rare," whereas at least one cruise expert who testified before Congress stated that the rate of crime on cruise ships is twice that of crime ashore.
Azamara Abandons 89 Year Old Passenger in Turkey with Broken Hip
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WFTS, an ABC affiliate in Tampa, Florida, reports on a story that we hear about all too often – an elderly passenger is injured during a cruise and ends up alone in a foreign hospital where no one speaks English. The cruise ship then sails off.
In a case which has received attention from
Lawsuit Filed Against Royal Caribbean After Injury to Child
Today local NBC affiliate channel 6 aired a story today about a 9 year old boy who underwent emergency brain surgery after being injured during a cruise sponsored game on a Royal Caribbean cruise ship.
The incident occurred on the Monarch of the Seas.
The child’s family say that they trusted Royal Caribbean to organize
Sun Princess Joins Ranks of Disabled Cruise Ships
USA TODAY and the Mirror newspaper in the U.K. report that Princess Cruises has canceled today’s sailing of the Sun Princess, citing a power problem.
The Sun Princess is an 18 year-old cruise ship which just had a $30 million make-over. It was scheduled to sail a 14-night voyage from Singapore to Freemantle