Cruise Ship Excursion

Published on: August 8, 2025

Iconic Miami Beach Landmark to Open Water Park. What to Know.

The Fontainebleau in Miami Beach, which has largely been credited with altering the landscape of luxury hospitality in the area and was once the playground for elites including Elvis Presley, Judy Garland and Frank Sinatra, has recently announced plans to build a water park on the iconic property.

The home of LIV, one of the top nightclubs in the country that has been the stage for some of the most-famous performers in the industry, is seemingly using the planned construction of a water park to beckon to new clientele: families with children. The park will include 11 slides to the hotel’s pool area, according to reporting from The Miami Herald.

In a statement to the newspaper, hotel officials said the move will transform the property into ” … a destination for all-ages, with all-new pools and water features, family attractions and slides, food and beverage offerings, and elevated poolside entertainment.”

Published on: July 28, 2025

Body of Missing Norwegian Cruise Ship Passenger Found on Trail, officials say

By Leesfield & Partners

Authorities have recovered the body of a missing cruise ship passenger after she went missing on a hike last week in Juneau, according to media reporting.

The body of Marites Buenafe, 62, of Kentucky, was found Thursday by an Alaska Army national Guard helicopter crew below the ridge line of the Gold Ridge Trail. Buenafe, a doctor with Uk Healthcare, a series of hospitals and clinics with the University of Kentucky, was reported missing to the Juneau Police Department on July 1 by family members. Her family told authorities that she had gone for a hike that morning and planned to take a tram part of the way up a mountain before walking to Gastineau Peak and Gold Ridge.

She did not return to the cruise ship that was docked in Juneau by its departure time.

Published on: July 1, 2025

Bus Malfunctions, heat and abandoned passengers. Find out what ‘went wrong’ on this cruise ship excursion.

By Leesfield & Partners

At least two passengers were left behind after an excursion “went wrong,” involving extreme heat and bus malfunctions, according to reporting from Cruise News Today.

A Norwegian Cruise Line excursion began to “fall apart” after mechanical issues caused a bus delay, said Cruise News’ Doug Parker. The two guests were left behind after a scheduled stop in Germany was cut sort during the excursion. The pair was helped by another cruise ship and was later able to re-board.

Thankfully, no injuries were reported in this incident, however, Leesfield & Partners attorneys knows that accidents and injuries can happen at any time.

Published on: June 18, 2025

Member of Cruise Ship Crew Injured in Fall. How Leesfield & Partners has Represented Passengers and Crew for Decades.

By Leesfield & Partners

While a cruise ship was docked in Santorini, Greece, a 31-year-old engine department worker fell, prompting an emergency evacuation.

The incident happened on Sunday, June 15, 2025, while the worker was heading down the stairs to the engine room. During the fall, he injured his left leg. He was transported to an emergency clinic, according to Cruise News Today, before being taken to a medical center on shore in Athens, Greece.

In nearly five decades of personal injury practice and representing countless passengers and crew hurt on cruise ships, Leesfield & Partners attorneys are familiar with the many ways in which injuries can occur on these ships. From terrible falls, excursion injuries, inadequate medical care and crimes aboard ships, our attorneys have seen it all — and all the ways in which cruise lines will attempt to skirt liability.

Published on: June 16, 2025

Cruise Ship Adds ‘Thrill Ride’ this November. What to Know.

By Leesfield & Partners

Cruise passengers are sure to get a thrill out of “robotron,” a robotic arm ride, on the top deck of the MSC Seascape this November.

Robotron will be the first of its kind at sea, suspended about 175 feet above the water. Passengers will be offered panoramic views of the sparkling water and white-tipped waves while on the ride, flipping and spinning as they go. Riders may even be dangled over the side of the ship’s deck, according to media.

While this ride is sure to get adrenaline junkies’ hearts racing, Leesfield & Partners has seen numerous times how ships’ onboard adventures have meant injuries for passengers.

Published on: June 12, 2025

Larger Cruises are Skipping this Part of the Cayman Islands. What You Should Know.

By Leesfield & Partners

Larger cruise lines are leaving Grand Cayman, an island in the Cayman Islands, off of their itineraries, causing a 25-year low in monthly cruise visitors, according to cruise news sites.

The latest data alleges that the Grand Cayman — the largest of the three islands making up the British territory — is experiencing a 27% dip in visits from April 2024 to April 2025. This is the lowest number in monthly cruise visitors seen by the island since 2000. This excludes numbers recorded during the pandemic, when the cruise industry saw a shutdown of operations to mitigate the transfer of COVID-19.

Cruise lines are choosing to skip this tropical oasis because it favors tender ports, meaning cruise passengers are brought to shore in tender boats. As cruise lines continue rapid expansions, it is unfeasible for larger ships carrying thousands of passengers to disembark using this method.

Published on: May 29, 2025

Cruise Ship Saves Group Stranded in the Ocean. A Look Back at Previous Leesfield & Partners Cruise Ship Cases.

By Leesfield & Partners

A couple who told reporters with ABC News that they dreamed of traveling the world on their catamaran tell the shocking story of how they were saved by a cruise ship along their journey.

Helena Franczak and Dustin Leonard, two crew members and their three dogs were on the catamaran when it was damaged at sea in the South Pacific. The couple was heading to Fiji when the weather took a turn for the worst, taking the vessel’s mast and leaving them stranded over 170 nautical miles from New Caledonia, a French territory made up of dozens of islands in the South Pacific.

While stranded, they noticed a cruise ship in the distance and shot off a flare to get the attention of the ship’s crew. The daring rescue took extreme caution and skill as “it takes a little mistake … and you may sink them,” the ship’s captain told reporters.

Published on: March 4, 2025

Leesfield & Partners Files Lawsuit Against Royal Caribbean After Passenger Shatters Spine in Jet Ski Crash

By Leesfield & Partners

What was supposed to be a fun adventure aboard a Royal Caribbean voyage quickly turned into a disaster for one family after a tour guide violently crashed into a woman on a jet ski excursion.

Leesfield & Partners has recently filed suit in the case seeking damages for the severe injuries that Royal Caribbean’s tour guide caused to our client in the crash. The case is being handled by Partner Justin B. Shapiro.

What Happened?

Published on: January 14, 2025

Boaters, Dog Stranded After Cruise Ship Sinks Vessel in Florida. What to Know.

By Leesfield & Partners

At least two people and their dog were left stranded, clinging to a buoy in the Tampa Bay over the weekend, officials said in a news release Monday.

The incident happened before 6 p.m. Saturday near Gadsen Point after a cruise ship caused a wake that made their boat crash and sink. Both boaters were injured in the incident and swam to the buoy to wait for help.

U.S. Coast Guard officials as well as deputies from the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office found the trio at 6:11 p.m. Both people were taken to a local hospital.

Published on: November 1, 2024

Illinois Man Killed During Cruise To The Bahamas. Now, His Friend Is Facing Felony Charges.

By Leesfield & Partners

A utility task vehicle (UTV) cruise ship excursion in the Bahamas became deadly following the tragic death of an Illinois passenger. Now, the man’s friend who was driving the vehicle is facing felony charges.

James Darling, 21, of Park Forest, Illinois, was recently charged with vehicular manslaughter in the death of his friend, according to local media. Darling also faces additional drug charges.

The incident happened on Oct. 20 in Arawak Cay, a man-made island in Nassau that is also known as Fish Fry.