"Leesfield & Partners"

Published on: May 29, 2025

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

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: 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 20, 2025

Cruise Ship Crime Rates Reach High for Second Consecutive Year, Experts Warn. How Leesfield & Partners has Routinely Represented Passengers.

By Leesfield & Partners

Cruise ships leaving the U.S. have reached a two-year high, according to data from the Department of Transportation.

Allegations of at least 48 crimes were reported from Jan. 1, 2025, to March 30, 2025, according to numbers reported to authorities and published regularly by the Department of Transportation. Under the Cruise Vessel Security and Safety Act (CVSSA) of 2010, cruise lines are required to report crimes like physical assaults, rape, and sexual assaults to the FBI. Of these incidents, seven were assaults with serious bodily injury, 10 were sexual assaults and 23 were rapes.

Robert McDonald, a criminal justice lecturer at the University of New Haven and former agent with the secret service, told reporters with Fox News that having a number of people drinking alcohol in confined quarters, “whether that’s at a resort, whether it’s on a cruise ship” there is a potential increase for these incidents to occur.

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

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: May 7, 2025

Health Officials Warn of a New Strain of Norovirus Following Three Recent Outbreaks on Cruise Ships

By Leesfield & Partners

Over a hundred passengers and dozens of crew members across three cruise ships reported symptoms of norovirus as health officials warned of new strain.

Officials with the Centers for Disease Control have warned about a “newly dominant strain” of norovirus, which they said could be driving the uptick in recent cases seen on land and on cruise ships. This comes after significant cuts to the CDC’s Vessel Sanitation Program’s (VSP) workforce last month. These employees were tasked with investigating outbreaks and conducting routine health inspections on cruise ships before their dismissals, which were a part of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s plan to issue layoffs to public health agency employees.

Following these cuts, CDC officials called the move “frustrating” and has exacerbated the already taxing issue of being short-staffed. When the news first broke of the layoffs, the agency was already in the middle of responding to two outbreaks.

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: May 7, 2025

Passengers Banned from Carnival Cruise Lines After Brawl Breaks Out on Ship in Galveston, Texas.

By Leesfield & Partners

Approximately two dozen people were banned from sailing with Carnival Cruise Line after an all-out brawl broke out as passengers disembarked from a ship over the weekend.

The incident, which was filmed and posted online, happened on April 26, 2025, inside a terminal as passengers disembarked in Galveston, Texas. The footage shows a horde of people pushing at one another, tackling and launching fists as multiple security guards attempted to break up the scuffle.

A spokesperson for Carnival told USA Today reporters Tuesday that police are investigating the incident and that the 24 people involved will no longer be able to sail with the cruise line.

Published on: April 24, 2025

Teen Faces Felony Charge After Violent Outburst on Cruise Ship Elevator. What to Know.

By Leesfield & Partners

A North Carolina teenager faces a felony charge after raging in a cruise ship elevator in which he allegedly beat another man into unconsciousness.

Michael White, 18, was taken into custody in Fort Lauderdale Friday after the incident aboard Royal Caribbean’s Liberty of the Seas. He was charged with felony aggravated battery, causing bodily harm.

At least one other person was listed as a co-defendant, according to reporting from local media, but that person’s name did not appear in Broward court records.

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.