ASSAULT AND SECURITY ON CRUISE SHIPS
Assaulted on a cruise? Find out if the ship should have protected you.
Passengers expect a ship to be safe, yet assaults can happen in cabins, bars, corridors and ports. If the cruise line failed to screen crew, staff its security properly or act on known warnings, however, it may have to answer for what happened. Because the ship controls the footage and the reports, early action can matter.
Most cruise tickets give you one year to file, and often six months to give written notice. So the clock started the day of the assault.
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Results
- $150KCarnival · passenger accident
- $80KRoyal · slip & fall
- $35KRoyal · slip & fall
- $100KHolland America · slip & fall
- $38KMSC · slip & fall
- $70KCarnival · slip & fall on deck
HOW ASSAULTS HAPPEN AT SEA
At sea, the ship is the only security you have.
A ship is a closed community far from the police, and guests often have no easy way to leave a dangerous situation. Because of that, how a cruise line screens its crew, staffs its security team and responds to a report can shape what happens next.
A cruise line owes the people on board reasonable care. For example, a case may look at whether crew were screened, whether known risks were acted on, whether bars served guests who were visibly drunk and how quickly security responded. In addition, camera footage, key card logs and incident reports can show what happened and when.
Crew misconduct
Staff who misuse their access, or who were hired without proper checks.
Weak crew screening
Thin background checks and no action on past complaints.
Cabin & corridor attacks
Unsecured doors, wide key access and hallways no one watches.
Bars, clubs & drinking areas
Fights, drink tampering and guests served while visibly drunk.
Understaffed security
Too few officers, thin patrols and a slow response.
Camera & monitoring gaps
Blind spots, unwatched feeds and footage that was not kept.
Ignored warnings
Earlier complaints about the same person, with no action taken.
Late or missing reports
Incidents not recorded, evidence lost or witnesses sent home.
Ports & the rest of the trip
Tenders, shore excursions and more. A hazard isn’t limited to the places listed here.
WHAT YOU HAVE TO PROVE
The cruise line failed to protect you.
Under general maritime law, a cruise line owes passengers reasonable care under the circumstances. In an assault case, that can mean showing the line knew, or should have known, about the risk, such as earlier complaints or poor screening of crew. It can also mean showing the line did not act as it reasonably should have, for instance by leaving an area unwatched or responding too slowly.
A foreseeable risk
Earlier complaints, known problems or weak screening that pointed to the danger.
A failure to protect
Poor security, no monitoring, a slow response or no action at all.
Injury and loss
Medical and counseling records, lost income and the trip itself.
WHAT TO DO AFTER AN ASSAULT ON A CRUISE
Your safety comes first, then the records.
Get to safety
If you are in danger, go to a trusted crew member or a public area and call for help. Your safety matters more than anything else.
Get medical care
See the ship’s doctor or a hospital, and your own doctor once you are home, because each visit creates a record. Keep every bill.
Report it
Tell ship security, then ask for a copy of the report. Do not sign statements you have not read.
Write down what you remember
When you feel ready, note the time, the place, who was involved and anyone who saw or heard it.
Keep your ticket and messages
Your ticket sets the deadlines and the court. Save your folio, photos, texts and key card too.
Call a Cruise Injury Attorney
Camera footage, key card logs and reports can be lost or overwritten. We can send a written request that they be preserved.
ASSAULT AND SECURITY RESULTS
All results[Confirm] CASE TYPE
$0.0M[Confirm] One plain, restrained line about a real case the firm handled.
[Confirm] CASE TYPE
$0.0M[Confirm] One plain, restrained line about a real case the firm handled.
[Confirm] CASE TYPE
$0.0M[Confirm] One plain, restrained line about a real case the firm handled.
Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
IN CLIENTS’ WORDS
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“Katherine works very hard and is excellent.”
QUESTIONS BEFORE THE CALL
Can I sue a cruise line if I was assaulted on board?
Often, yes, depending on the facts. A cruise line can be held responsible when it fails to take reasonable care, for example by not screening crew, ignoring earlier complaints or leaving security understaffed. However, the ticket can limit where and when you can file. For that reason, a free case review is the quickest way to learn where you stand.
What if the person who attacked me was a crew member?
That can matter a great deal. A cruise line is generally expected to take reasonable care in hiring, supervising and acting on complaints about its crew. If it ignored warning signs, it may have to answer for what happened. Because every case differs, we look at the crew member’s history and how the line responded.
What if the attacker was another passenger?
The cruise line may still be responsible, although the attacker is accountable too. The question is often whether the line failed to protect you, for example by serving someone who was visibly drunk, ignoring earlier trouble or having too little security. Since the ship holds the footage and reports, we ask that they be preserved early.
Does it matter if I waited to report it?
Reporting late can make a case harder to prove, but it does not automatically end a claim. Many people wait, and we understand why. Please call when you feel ready, though keep in mind that the filing deadline is usually the bigger risk.
Does it matter if I had been drinking?
It can be raised by the defense, but it does not automatically defeat a claim. Having been drinking does not make an attack your fault, and the cruise line’s own conduct still matters. Even so, we look at every factor honestly before giving a view.
How long do I have to file an assault claim?
Most cruise tickets give you one year to file, and often six months to give written notice, both far shorter than usual injury deadlines. Time limits can differ for some claims, so please do not assume it is too late. Since the clock may already be running, call as soon as you can, and we will check the dates that apply to your ticket.
What does it cost to find out if I have a case?
Nothing. The case review is free, and if we take your case, we work on contingency, so our fee comes only from what we recover for you. If we do not win, you owe us nothing in attorney fees.
FREE CASE REVIEW
Hurt on a cruise? Talk to Debi’s team today.
No fee unless we win. The call costs nothing, and we respond as soon as possible.