SWIMMING POOL ACCIDENTS ON CRUISE SHIPS
Hurt at a cruise ship pool? Find out if the pool deck was safe.
Cruise ship pools are crowded, wet and busy from morning to night, and a slip, a dive into shallow water or a chemical burn can cause serious injuries. If the deck, the water, the depth markings or the supervision fell short, however, the cruise line may have to answer for it. Because crew and cameras watch the pool, 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 you were hurt.
FREE CASE REVIEW
Tell us what happened.
Confidential. Submitting does not create an attorney-client relationship.
Results
- $150KCarnival · passenger accident
- $80KRoyal · slip & fall
- $35KRoyal · slip & fall
- $100KHolland America · slip & fall
- $38KMSC · slip & fall
- $70KCarnival · slip & fall on deck
HOW POOL ACCIDENTS HAPPEN ON CRUISES
A cruise pool is a wet floor, a change in depth and a crowd.
Pool decks stay wet, and many pools are shallow at one end, deep at the other and crowded in between. Because the ship moves, water can slosh and decks can tilt, so a guest can slip, dive badly or be knocked over.
A cruise line owes the people on board reasonable care. For example, a case may look at how the deck was treated and cleaned, whether depth was clearly marked, how drain covers and water chemistry were checked, and who was watching the pool. In addition, camera footage, pool logs and earlier injury reports can show what the line knew and when.
Slips on the pool deck
Wet, polished or poorly treated surfaces around the water.
Diving & shallow-water injuries
Head and neck injuries where depth was not clearly marked.
Drain & suction hazards
Loose or missing drain covers and strong suction.
Chemical burns & irritation
Pool or hot tub chemicals that were poorly managed.
Hot tub & spa burns
Water that was too hot, or guests left unwatched too long.
Ship motion & sloshing water
Sudden movement that throws guests off balance.
Crowds & horseplay
Packed pools with weak rules and little supervision.
Weak supervision
Pools where no one is assigned to watch the water.
Anywhere else around the pool
Stairs, ladders, loungers and bars. A hazard isn’t limited to the places listed here.
WHAT YOU HAVE TO PROVE
The pool area was not kept safe.
Under general maritime law, a cruise line owes passengers reasonable care under the circumstances. In a pool case, that usually means showing the line knew, or should have known, about the danger, for example a wet deck, an unmarked depth or a faulty drain cover. It can also mean showing the line did not supervise, warn or maintain the area as it reasonably should have.
A dangerous condition
A wet deck, hidden depth, faulty drain or poorly managed water.
Notice
Crew knew, or it existed long enough that they should have.
Injury and loss
Medical records, ongoing care, lost income and the trip itself.
WHAT TO DO AFTER A POOL INJURY
Get checked first, then record the pool area.
Get medical care right away
Head and neck injuries can show up later, so get checked even if you feel fine. Keep every bill and record.
Report it and ask for the report
Tell the pool staff and guest services, then ask for a copy of the incident report. Do not sign statements you have not read.
Photograph the pool area
Take pictures of the deck, the depth markings, any signs and your injuries, if you can do so safely.
Get names
Collect names for pool staff and guests who saw what happened.
Keep your ticket and folio
Your ticket sets the deadlines and the court. Save your folio and messages from the cruise line too.
Call a Cruise Injury Attorney
Camera footage, pool logs and water test records can be overwritten. We can send a written request that they be preserved.
SWIMMING POOL RESULTS
All results[Confirm] INJURY TYPE
$0.0M[Confirm] One plain line about a real pool case the firm handled.
[Confirm] INJURY TYPE
$0.0M[Confirm] One plain line about a real pool case the firm handled.
[Confirm] INJURY TYPE
$0.0M[Confirm] One plain line about a real pool case the firm handled.
Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
IN CLIENTS’ WORDS
“Working with Debi was a great and stress free experience. She is extremely caring. Her staff is amazing and very responsive. Truly grateful to have worked with Debi. I highly recommend Chalik & Chalik to anyone needing an attorney who will fight for you best they can.”
“Chalik & Chalik is a great firm if you prefer a smaller and more family oriented firm. The paralegals at this firm are an absolute treasure and they will work so hard to help you out and make sure you are taken care of throughout the case and if you have any questions they will help answer any of them.”
QUESTIONS BEFORE THE CALL
Can I sue a cruise line for a swimming pool injury?
Often, yes, depending on the facts. A cruise line can be held responsible when it fails to take reasonable care, for example by leaving a deck slippery, skipping depth markings or ignoring a faulty drain cover. 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 I dove in or ran on the deck?
The cruise line may say you broke a rule, and fault can be shared. That does not automatically defeat a claim, however. Whether the rules and depth markings were clear, and whether the deck itself was safe, can still matter. As a result, we look at the whole picture.
Does it matter that there was no lifeguard?
Cruise lines often post a sign saying no lifeguard is on duty, and they may point to it as a defense. It does not automatically end a claim, however. Supervision, warnings and how fast the crew reacted can still matter, so please keep any photos of the signs.
What injuries are common around a cruise ship pool?
Slips on wet decks, head and neck injuries from diving into shallow water, chemical burns, hot tub burns and injuries from drain suction are all possible. Some effects show up days later, so a doctor visit matters even if you feel fine. Because medical records help show what happened, please keep every one.
My child was hurt at a cruise ship pool. Does anything change?
It can. Claims for children can follow different rules from claims for adults, so please call us even if time seems to have passed. In the meantime, keep your child’s medical records, anything a parent signed and your booking.
How long do I have to file a pool injury 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. Because the clock may already be running, please call as soon as you can. We will then 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.