Slip and Fall

Published on: December 18, 2025

This Major Cruise Line Banned This Smart Device From Ships. What to Know.

MSC Cruises recently implemented a ban on smart glasses in common areas aboard its ships, citing the device’s ability to “covertly or discreetly” record as a reason, according to reporting over the weekend from USA Today.

While the news has only recently made headlines, MSC officials told reporters that the policy took effect in July. Guests are still able to bring the glasses aboard ships and use them on shore or in their cabins, but are prohibited from using them in the ship’s common areas.

“Smart glasses and similar devices are listed among prohibited items to ensure our security teams can intervene and confiscate the device if misuse occurs,” MSC said in a statement emailed to USA Today. “This measure is in place solely to protect the privacy and safety of all guests and crew.”

Published on: November 24, 2025

This Cruise Line Has Closed Waterslides on Multiple Ships. Here’s Why.

By Leesfield & Partners

Royal Caribbean has shut down slides on multiple ships in its fleet in a bid to improve safety months after a passenger was injured in an incident that caught national attention.

The incident happened in August when a slide’s acrylic panel shattered, injuring a passenger. The slide was closed and then repaired. Videos showing the aftermath went viral and caught nationwide attention.

Since then, company’s safety initiative has closed slides on at least three ships, according to reporting from The Miami Herald. No official word has been released on whether more slides will face closure or the duration of the alleged shutdown.

Published on: November 24, 2025

Excursion Boat Sinks, Man Falls Between Cruise Ship and Pier: What to Know About These Recent Cruise Ship Accidents.

By Leesfield & Partners

At least 51 cruise ship passengers were in need of rescue off the coast of the Dominican Republic after the tour boat they were on sunk on Sunday, Nov. 9, according to media.

The incident involved a catamaran with a shore excursion from a two-week cruise ship and allegedly resulted from an “internal failure,” according to Cruise News Today.

The stop in Samana Bay had been added following re-routing due to inclement weather conditions related to Hurricane Melissa. No “major” injuries were reported.

Published on: September 18, 2025

Cunard’s Queen Elizabeth to Port in Miami. What to Know.

By Leesfield & Partners

Cunard’s Queen Elizabeth will call Miami home, at least for a little while, a history-making move for the company.

After an “increasing demand from North American guests,” the ship will be making trips to the Caribbean from what many consider to be the cruising capital of the world, according to reporting from The Miami Herald.

The ship will be in Miami from mid-October until April 2026, making trips that range from nine to 28-night voyages to locations such as Jamaica, Mexico St. Thomas, St. Lucia, Honduras, Mexico, Barbados and Puerto Rico. After its departure in April of 2026, the ship will return to Miami next October until April 2027.

Published on: August 15, 2025

Cruise Passenger Falls Off Pier on Way to Ship — What Had Him So Distracted?

By Leesfield & Partners

A cruise ship passenger filming the walk to their cruise ship was so distracted by his phone screen that he walked straight off the pier, falling into the water below, according to various news outlets.

The incident happened Thursday at Royal Caribbean’s CocoCay, a private island in the Bahamas. Rescue teams sprang into action and tossed the passenger a life preserver before rescuing the man and bringing him back to shore via jet ski, officials said.

Thankfully, no injuries were reported. For many cruise passengers injured by slippery decks, crew negligence, or other cruise ship accidents, the outcome is far less fortunate. Leesfield & Partners — a personal injury law firm with offices in Key West, Orlando, and Miami, home to the world’s largest passenger port — knows this truth better than most. With countless recoveries obtained on behalf of injured passengers and grieving families, our skilled trial attorneys are keenly aware of how quickly a vacation can turn tragic, leaving victims with life-altering injuries.

Published on: August 8, 2025

Man Injured in Water Slide Incident Aboard World’s Largest Cruise Ship.

By Leesfield & Partners

At least one passenger was injured after viral video online shows acrylic glass panel of water slide on Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas suddenly shattering while he was inside, media outlets reported Friday.

The incident happened Thursday and the man was treated for injuries by the ship’s medical staff, the cruise line said in a statement to media. The severity of the man’s injuries was not immediately available Friday.

Videos of the aftermath have gained traction online showing passengers screaming to lookouts on the slide, warning them that there was a gaping hole spouting water in the acrylic drop slide. The ship — which set sail from Port Miami on Aug. 2 — closed off the slide for the remainder of the voyage while officials conduct an investigation into how this could have occurred.

Published on: August 8, 2025

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

By Leesfield & Partners

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: June 3, 2025

At Least Three Ships Affected by Strong Winds, Passengers Injured. What to Know.

By Leesfield & Partners

Heavy winds over the weekend caused chaos for multiple cruise lines over the weekend and multiple injuries to passengers.

At least three ships were affected by the winds, with one incident being caught on camera by a passenger who was filming from his cabin balcony.

The first incident was caused by 69 mph gusts that caused the ropes of an Alaskan cruise to snap, knocking a gangway into the water. The ship, which was later guided back by tugboats, began to slowly drift away from the pier. The gangway fell into the water and was retrieved by a crane.

Published on: January 21, 2025

Doctors: He Can ‘Barely Lift His Arm Away from His Body.’ Leesfield & Partners Secure Confidential Settlement for Injured Cruise Ship Passenger.

By Leesfield & Partners

A man suffered a life-changing injury when he slipped and fell, sustaining a torn rotator cuff while aboard a cruise ship in 2023.

The incident happened as the man, his wife and grandchild were walking in a dining area that had recently been mopped, but not dried. There were no signs or cones that would have prevented him from walking in the area or alerted him to the hazard at the time he fell. As a result, he suffered a torn rotator cuff that doctors later determined would require surgery.

Surgical Intervention

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.