Cruise Ship Accidents

A cruise ship is like a mini floating city. With all of the staff, passengers and equipment on such a large vessel, there is ample opportunity for something to go wrong. Here are some of the accidents that may befall cruise ship passengers:

• Slip and Falls: Cruise ship passengers can fall on wet decks and tripping hazards, especially in high-traffic areas. Another considerable slip and fall risk is the narrow staircases that can be found on many cruise ship floors.
• Dock Accidents: Cruise ships dock frequently to allow passengers on and off for excursions. If docking procedures are not practiced, such as not properly securing the gangway, passengers can fall victim to serious injury, like broken bones or falling overboard.
• Onshore Excursion Accidents: Cruise lines claim that passengers are responsible for accidents that occur onshore. Nonetheless, there are situations where the cruise line may be responsible for onshore accidents. For example, if crew members do not properly inspect equipment, adhere to activity rules, or sufficiently warn passengers about the risks of cruise-sponsored onshore activities, the cruise line may be at-fault for the accident.
• Drowning: If a passenger falls overboard, they are in serious danger of drowning. This is especially so if the cruise ship does not have adequate technology to locate the overboard passenger in the water. Another drowning danger are the unsupervised pools on cruise desks. These can be the terrible scene of a drowning incident, and children are particularly at risk.
• Inadequate Medical Care: Cruise lines provide medical care, but it is far from the level of service you would expect at a regular hospital. Cruise infirmaries usually do not have the resources or the staff to provide the care that all passengers need. In fact, many cruise companies use doctors that are not licensed to practice medicine in the U.S. A misdiagnosis by cruise ship medical personnel, or not having the supplies to treat your symptoms, can lead to serious complications.
• Inadequate Security: Unfortunately, crimes do happen on cruise ships. Thefts, physical violence and sexual assault can all be perpetrated against innocent passengers. Cruise ships have an obligation to passengers to provide adequate measures to help keep everyone safe.
• Norovirus: This virus is becoming a bigger and bigger problem for cruise ships. The norovirus causes gastrointestinal distress and is very communicable (spreads easily). The virus can also survive outside of a host for up to three weeks or more. In early 2014, norovirus outbreaks lead to hundreds of ill passengers.
• Disasters: Although rare, disasters – such as ship grounding, collision, or sinking – do occur. A notorious cruise ship disaster in the news recently was the Costa Concordia capsize off the coast of Italy. In January 2012, the Costa Concordia struck an underwater rock, capsized and sank, killing 32 people onboard.