FL Tag Archives — Page 4 of 5 — Cruise Ship Lawyers Blog

Published on: June 3, 2025

Germiest Spot on Cruise Ships Revealed. Can You Guess Where?

When asked to name the germiest surfaces on cruise ships, one might think about commonly touched areas such as doorknobs, stair railings or elevator buttons.

While these places have been known to transfer illness-causing germs such as norovirus — as the CDC warned earlier this year — a microbiologist has revealed a far more surprising source of contamination.

Microbiologist Jason Tetro told the Reader’s Digest that private hot tubs on ships are a breeding ground for germs and bacteria. In October 2024, these private hot tubs on the balconies of guests were linked to multiple outbreaks of Legionnaires’ Disease on cruise ships. These outbreaks were linked back to two cruise ships on different cruise lines.

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 14, 2025

Skydiver Suffering Parachute Malfunction Saved by Daring Instructor. Then, He Needed Saving, Too.

By Leesfield & Partners

A skydiving instructor made a daring rescue to save one of his students after a midair parachute malfunction.

No serious injuries were reported in the incident, which left the skydiving instructor dangling from a tree, The Miami Herald reported Monday.

First responders were notified of the incident around 5:30 p.m. on May 2 when a 911 caller reported that a skydiver had gone missing east of Palatka Municipal Airport. When the instructor noticed that the student’s parachute had failed, “he did not pull his own chute in order to reach the student,” officials with the Putnam Sheriff’s Office said via a Facebook news release.

Published on: May 7, 2025

Man Convicted of Cruise Ship Sexual Assault Sentenced. What to Know.

By Leesfield & Partners

A man was sentenced to 20 years in prison and five years of supervised release for a sexual assault that took place on a Baltimore cruise ship, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland said Thursday.

Jalen Kelley, 22, of Abingdon, Maryland, was found guilty in December of aggravated sexual abuse, sexual abuse and assault while aboard a Baltimore cruise ship.

Kelley raped the victim, a minor, on Jan. 1, 2023, aboard the ship. In reporting from The Miami Herald, the teen allegedly needed to use the restroom, and Kelley allowed the minor to use the bathroom in his cabin. When the minor finished using the restroom, Kelley attacked the teen.

Published on: April 24, 2025

Carnival Cruise Passenger Allegedly Raped by Junkanoo Beach Jet Ski Operator. What to Know.

By Leesfield & Partners

A Carnival cruise passenger has accused a jet ski operator of assaulting her while on a recent voyage, according to media.

The alleged assault took place at Junkanoo Beach in Nassau, Bahamas,

The U.S. Embassy issued a recent warning to women after several concerning incidents in which jet ski operators in The Bahamas have allegedly raped tourists. The harrowing incidents have been linked to jet ski operators in Nassau, including Paradise Island beaches, Junkanoo Beach, Saunders Beach and Cabbage Beach.

Published on: April 1, 2025

Two Men Charged for Sexually Abusing Teen on Royal Caribbean Cruise, officials say

By Leesfield & Partners

Two men have been accused in the rape of a 14-year-old boy in a sauna aboard a Royal Caribbean ship headed for PortMiami.

The men, Ricardo Daniel Mondragon Leal, 37, and Jose Juan Prudencio Diaz, 36, were charged on Friday, March 21.

Mondragon faces charges of sexual battery on a minor, lewd and lascivious molestation on a child aged 12 to 16 years old, lewd and lascivious exhibition on a child under 16 years old by a person over 18 years old.

Published on: April 1, 2025

Cruise Passenger Speaks Out After Having Four Strokes Aboard Ship. What are Some Common Symptoms?

By Leesfield & Partners

A Wisconsin man was with his wife on a 35-day Holland America cruise when he suddenly collapsed amid a medical emergency, doctors said he suffered four strokes.

The incident happened on day 10 when Greg Tomensky, 72, was on his way to lunch and keeled over, he told reporters with ABC News. This was the start of an hours-long ordeal in which he would suffer four strokes while the ship was hundreds of miles off the coast of Hawaii. Thankfully Tomensky lived to tell the tale.

“I am very grateful that they got there and what they did,” he recounted.

Published on: March 6, 2025

Passenger Could Face Criminal Charges After Trying to Board Ship in Aruba. What to Know.

By Leesfield & Partners

A cruise passenger in Aruba attempted to board the ship with a firearm and could now faces criminal charges.

The incident happened on Feb. 26 when a Royal Caribbean passenger attempted to board Oasis of the Seas following a stop at the cruise port in Aruba. Security discovered the firearm during a routine security screening conducted when passengers return to the ship.

Local law enforcement took the passenger, whose name has not yet been released by authorities or cruise ship officials, in for questioning.

Published on: February 26, 2025

Viral Video of Thrill-Seeking Cruise Ship Activity Leaves Viewers Skeptical. What do You Think?

By Leesfield & Partners

A video showcasing a passenger testing out a new slide advertised as the “quickest way” to travel eight floors on a cruise ship has gone viral.

The video, which has over 460,000 likes, thousands of comments and has been shared nearly 60,000 times, shows a passenger getting inside a tube-like slide and securing himself in a sack. Once the passenger was loaded up, the tube door closed, and the floor vanished from underneath him.

The man can be heard yelling all the way down, his laughter echoing through the tube. The camera then pans to the side of the ship where the slide curves off the edge, suspended over the pool deck for a moment of adrenaline-spiking danger.

Published on: January 30, 2025

Cruise Ship Docked at PortMiami This Week Made Headlines. See Why.

By Leesfield & Partners

A new ship with the Cunard Line, a British shipping and cruise line owned by the Carnival Corp., docked in Miami last week, here’s a look inside the new ship on a line who will soon call South Florida home.

Queen Anne, which docked in PortMiami on Jan. 21, is Cunard’s first new ship in over a decade and precedes the South Florida move of Queen Elizabeth, its sister ship. That move is set to take place later this year, according to local media. The ship was docked in South Florida to give travel agents, tourism leaders and media a tour of the massive, 3,000-guest ship.

The ship is currently on a world tour, which began on Jan. 7, according to reporting from The Miami Herald. Locations already checked off the ship’s list include Hamburg, Germany, Mexico and Costa Rica. On Feb. 4, the ship will stop in San Francisco before continuing on to Honolulu.