cruise ship litigation

Published on: June 3, 2025

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

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: June 3, 2025

Child Killed in Fall from Third-Story Balcony at Sleepover, officials say. What to Know.

By Leesfield & Partners

A 12-year-old girl died after falling from a third-story window at a Massachusetts apartment during a sleepover with friends, news outlets reported.

Arya Lebeau died a day after the incident on May 24, according to reporting from The Miami Herald.

“I cannot express the amount of grief I feel at the loss of my only baby,” the child’s mother, Charlene Cabrera, said in a statement on a public GoFundMe page.

Published on: May 27, 2025

Cruise Ship Captain Dies after Suffering Medical Emergency on Ship. A Look Back at Leesfield & Partners’ Medical Malpractice Cases.

By Leesfield & Partners

A cruise ship’s captain died after suffering a medical emergency at sea, officials said.

“It is with profound sadness that we share the news of the passing of Captain Michele Bartolomei, who had a sudden medical emergency and died onboard Diamond Princess,” Princess Cruises told reporters with PEOPLE Magazine. “Captain Bartolomei was a respected leader, whose decades of service at sea exemplified professionalism, dedication, and care for both guests and crew.”

The incident happened Monday while the ship was in Taiwan in the middle of a 19-day voyage. Passengers were given the news of the captain’s passing in a letter that was delivered to their cabins that informed them of which captain would be taking over for the rest of their trip.

Published on: May 7, 2025

Royal Caribbean Set to Purchase Resort in Bahamas. What to Know.

By Leesfield & Partners

Royal Caribbean has been given the greenlight to buy a 40-acre property that has sat dormant since 2011, according to Cruise News Today.

The Bahamian government authorized the cruise lines to purchase the Xanadu Beach Resort south of Freeport as part of a $348 million project. The companies plan to update the site and turn it into an “entertainment center” for passengers. The property – once the epicenter of grandeur and a playground for some of Hollywood’s elite –has been empty and on the market since at least 2011.

The project contributes to the growing cruising presence in the area, joining Carnival Celebration Key – another resort scheduled to open in summer 2025. These expansions are emblematic of a boom in the cruise sector, which has made an impressive recovery following the industry-wide shut down during the pandemic.

Published on: December 13, 2024

Cruise Passenger Reports to Miami-Dade Police Rape by Crew Members. What to Know.

By Leesfield & Partners

Police are investigating rape allegations after an MSC Cruises passenger claims she was raped by multiple crew members on a recent voyage.

The woman, a 44-year-old from Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, who was not named in the article, reported the incident to police on Dec. 7 when her ship returned to PortMiami. The woman alleges that while traveling alone for a week-long cruise she mistakenly mixed her anti-anxiety medication with alcohol and went to the ship’s buffet. The woman said she planned to take the food back with her to her cabin to eat before going to bed.

A waiter allegedly found her and took her plate to her room, according to reporting from The Miami Herald. Instead of leaving, the woman said the waiter lingered before raping her. The next day, the woman said what room she was staying in while speaking with a different crewmember.

Published on: December 13, 2024

Fire Breaks Out on Cruise Ship with Headquarters in Miami. What to Know.

By Leesfield & Partners

An electrical fire broke out on the first night of a cruise leaving Port Canaveral over the weekend.

The electrical fire allegedly started in an emergency generator room of MSC Seashore Sunday. No injuries were reported in this incident and the fire was quickly put out, according to reporting from media outlets following cruise line news. As a result of the incident, guests reported smoke, dining room closures and elevator shutdowns.

The ship is set to return to Port Canaveral on Dec. 15.

Published on: November 15, 2024

Cruise Ship Passenger Evacuated Amid Medical Crisis. Here’s What You Need to Know About Most Cruise Lines.

By Leesfield & Partners

A cruise passenger recently experienced a medical crisis and was successfully evacuated. However, in the experience of Leesfield & Partners, such evacuations are not always granted. When they are denied, it often results in serious harm to the passenger’s health.

One reason a cruise ship might deny a passenger a medical evacuation is because evacuations often result in a delayed voyage, which impacts their passengers’ traveling plans and their own schedules. Thankfully, the 69-year-old woman at the center of the recent incident was able to seek additional and potentially life-saving medical attention thanks to the evacuation.

The woman was taken by helicopter from her Carnival Cruise Lines ship to the Fernando Luis Ribas Dominicci Airport in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and was accompanied by her spouse and one staffer from the on board medical team, according to reporting from a national news outlet. Once there, local emergency responders transported her to Centro Médico Hospital.

Published on: November 12, 2024

Hurricane-Force Winds Injure Cruise Ship Passenger. What Do These Companies Owe Their Passengers?

By Leesfield & Partners

Hurricane-Force Winds Injure Cruise Ship Passenger. What Do These Companies Owe Their Passengers?

A Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines passenger was injured after their ship was hit by forceful winds, according to USA Today.

The ship, Royal Caribbean’s Explorer of the Seas, “experienced sudden movement” on Nov. 7 as the ship headed to Miami, Florida, from Barcelona, Spain. The incident happened as the ship sailed through Tenerife in Spain’s Canary Islands. The passenger is being disembarked for additional medical attention, a cruise line spokesperson told reporters.

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.

Published on: October 25, 2024

Critics Rave Over Cruise Ship Doctor TV Show. Leesfield & Partners Knows the Reality is Starkly Different

By Leesfield & Partners

Despite great reviews calling Joshua Jackson a “miracle worker” for pulling off the antics shown in his new show, Doctor Odyssey, which follows the adventures of a cruise ship doctor, Leesfield & Partners knows the bleak reality and its consequences for passengers.

In nearly five decades of personal injury practice in Miami, Leesfield & Partners attorneys have recovered over $66 million for hundreds of victims of negligence at the hands of cruise ship doctors. Despite these companies marketing their ships as vessels with state-of-the-art infirmaries and staffed with some of the leading medical professionals in the field, this is often not the case. In fact, it has been the experience of this law firm that these ships have hired subpar doctors and nurses who do not meet the standards necessary to practice medicine in the United States.

These companies are able to skirt these regulations because they operate under different regulations while at sea, often traveling between countries and in international waters, paving the way for doctors who are not licensed in the U.S. to be hired for these roles.