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Injured in a cruise ship accident?
Our Cruise Ship Accident Lawyers Can Help
Our cruise ship accident lawyers have been helping injured passengers and crew members for more than 35 years. We help you understand your rights as a passenger or crewmember and will assist you in filing an injury claim against the cruise line. If you believe negligence played a role in your injury – or just have questions about the your accident – please contact our office today.
70+ Years Experience
Over $100MM+ Won
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Waks and Barnett, P.A. – Cruise Ship Injury Lawyers
When you are injured on a cruise ship, choosing the right attorney can be just as important as understanding what caused your injury. Cruise ship injury cases are governed by specialized maritime law and are often subject to strict deadlines and contractual requirements that do not apply to ordinary personal injury claims. The cruise lines also have experienced legal teams working to protect their interests from the moment an accident occurs.
Waks and Barnett, P.A., also known as CruiseLawyers.com, is a well-respected Miami, Florida law firm focused on representing passengers and crew members injured on cruise ships and other vessels.
For more than 35 years, our attorneys have represented people whose lives have been affected by cruise ship accidents, medical negligence, falls, catastrophic injuries, sexual assaults, and other incidents occurring at sea.
Our attorneys bring more than 70 years of combined experience in maritime law and cruise ship injury claims. That experience matters because cruise ship cases are different from typical personal injury cases. The applicable law may be federal maritime law, the passenger’s ticket contract may contain important restrictions, and the cruise line may have specific requirements concerning where and when a lawsuit must be filed.
Over the years, Waks and Barnett has represented thousands of injured passengers and crew members involving major cruise lines, including Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Norwegian, Disney, Princess, Celebrity, MSC, Virgin Voyages, and others. Our attorneys understand how cruise lines investigate accidents, defend injury claims, and use the terms of their passenger contracts to limit passengers’ rights.
That experience gives our clients an important advantage: we know what to look for, what questions to ask, what evidence may be important, and how to approach a claim against a large cruise company.
If you were hurt in a cruise ship accident and need help getting compensation for your injuries, you need a law firm with more than 35 years of proven success fighting against all the major cruise lines.
The attorneys at Waks and Barnett, P.A. in Miami, Florida can help you successfully file an injury claim against the cruise lines to help you recover money for:
- Your pain and suffering associated with your injuries
- Hospital, doctor and medical bills
- Lost pay, wages and salary
- Loss of future earnings
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Long-term or lifelong disability
- Other costs, credit card bills or debt associated related to your cruise ship injury
Our firm has represented thousands of passengers and crew who have been seriously injured, hurt or medically impaired while on a cruise vacation with Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Norwegian and all other cruise lines.
Representing Injured Passengers Against All Cruise Lines - No Matter Where You Live
You do not have to live in Florida to work with CruiseLawyers.com. Waks and Barnett represents injured cruise passengers throughout the United States and internationally. Our firm is based in Miami, Florida because that is where most of the major cruise lines are headquartered. This means cruise injury lawsuits against those cruise lines must be filed and litigated in Miami – no matter where you live or where your cruise ship sailed from or returned to.
Other cruise lines are based in California and Washington state, and claims must be filed there. When you sign your ticket contract before sailing, you are also agreeing to a forum selection clause that is dictated by the cruise line. Not only do the cruise lines tell you where you have to file an injury claim, they also dictate timelines for injury claim deadlines. Our experienced cruise ship attorneys can help guide you through the process of filing a claim and We’ve handled claims against all of the major cruise lines, including:
- Azamara Cruise Lines
- Carnival Cruise Lines
- Celebrity Cruises
- Costa Cruises
- Crystal Cruises
- Cunard Line
- Disney Cruise Line
- Holland America Line
- Margaritaville at Sea
- MSC Cruises USA
- Norwegian Cruise Line
- Oceania Cruises
- Princess Cruises
- Regent Seven Seas Cruises
- Royal Caribbean
- International
- Seabourn Cruise Line
- Silversea Cruises
- Island Queen Cruises
- Pullmantur Cruises
- P&O Cruises
- Virgin Voyages
- Windstar Cruises
The cruise lines listed above are not the only companies our attorneys have experience pursuing. While they represent some of the largest cruise lines in the industry, Waks and Barnett, P.A. also investigates claims involving other companies, contractors, concessionaires, medical providers, crew members, and third-party businesses that may have played a role in a passenger’s injury.
Cruise ships are essentially floating communities, with numerous independent companies and service providers operating onboard. Depending on the circumstances of an accident, responsibility may extend beyond the cruise line itself. Identifying every potentially responsible party can be an important part of investigating a cruise ship injury claim and determining what legal options may be available.
Our attorneys have extensive experience investigating and litigating cruise ship injury claims and understand the importance of looking beyond the most obvious defendant. Whether your injury resulted from a dangerous condition, an accident involving ship personnel, negligent medical care, an assault, or the actions of a third party operating onboard, we can investigate the circumstances and determine who may be legally responsible.
Regardless of how you were injured or who may be responsible, you should contact the cruise ship injury attorneys at Waks and Barnett, P.A. as soon as possible. Our Miami, Florida attorneys can evaluate your claim, investigate the circumstances surrounding your injury, and help you understand your legal rights and options. With decades of experience handling maritime and cruise ship injury cases, we know how to pursue claims against the parties whose actions or negligence may have contributed to a passenger’s injuries.
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Free Case Review by Florida Cruise Lawyers
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Why Choose our Cruise Ship Accident Attorneys?
At Waks and Barnett, P.A., we are dedicated to helping those injured aboard cruise ships recover the compensation they deserve for their injuries, pain, and suffering. For more than 35 years, our Miami firm has represented injured cruise ship passengers and crew members — and only passengers and crew members, never the cruise lines. That singular focus is one of the biggest factors that differentiates Waks and Barnett, P.A. from other law firms, but our record of settlements and verdicts would not be possible without a staff of maritime lawyers who possess the skill, experience, and determination needed to effectively litigate each claim our firm accepts.
In fact, our clients appreciate the confidence that comes with knowing that every attorney working on their case is experienced in the maritime laws, international regulations, and restrictive ticket contract provisions that will affect the outcome of their claim — including the six-month notice requirement, the one-year filing deadline, and the forum selection clause that places most of these cases before the federal court in Miami. Passengers are often surprised to learn how quickly those deadlines run, and how aggressively cruise lines defend the claims brought against them.
The level of knowledge our cruise ship lawyers bring to each case reflects decades of litigating exclusively in this area, and as most accident victims come to learn, having an experienced maritime attorney involved early is an essential element to ensuring that a case reaches a resolution that benefits you, the victim.
Over $100MM REcovered for Our Clients
Successful Case Results
Our lawyers are absolutely determined to get you the compensation you deserve for your injuries. Over the past 35 years, we’ve achieved numerous, positive settlements and verdicts for the benefit our clients against Carnival Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean, Norwegian, Disney and many other cruise lines.
$2M
Medical Negligence Claim – Norwegian Cruise Line
$5.5M
Head Injury – Stairway Accident on Cruise Ship to Teen Boy
$2.4M
Severe Injuries – Stair Railing Accident on Cruise Ship
$1.2M
Herniated Disk – Result of Serious Fall on a Cruise Ship
Over $100 Million Recovered for Our Clients
Our lawyers are absolutely determined to get you the compensation you deserve for your injuries. Over the past 35 years, we’ve achieved numerous, positive settlements and verdicts after cruise ship accidents for the benefit our clients.
When the cruise lines negligence causes real harm to passengers, we hold them accountable.
- $2,000,000 for a medical negligence claim against Norwegian Cruise Line
- $5,500,000 for a head injury suffered by a teenage boy on a cruise ship stairway
- $2,400,000 for sever injuries suffered from a stair railing accidnet
- $1,200,000 for a passenger who suffered a serious herniated disk injury after a fall on a cruise ship.
We make it a point to devote our full attention and resources to each of our clients. That begins with the first phone call and carries through until your case is resolved. This is the approach we’ve taken for over 35 years and across thousands of personal injury cases.
Our clients, who are often the victims of terrible accidents or utter negligence by the cruise lines, benefit from our dedication to their cases and the compassion and understanding we provide to them.
With our meticulous approach to casework and extensive experience dealing with personal injury claims – especially as it relates to maritime and cruise injury law – we can help you resolve your case in the most effective manner possible.
What the 2026 Cruise Safety Data Shows — and What It Does Not
Federal reporting for the first half of 2026 provides passengers with a partial view of onboard risk. Under the Cruise Vessel Security and Safety Act, cruise lines must report certain serious crimes to the FBI, and the Department of Transportation publishes those figures quarterly.
First and second quarter 2026 figures:
- Q1 2026 (January 1 – March 31): 43 reported incidents fleet-wide, including 24 rapes, 13 sexual assaults, five thefts exceeding $10,000, and one suspicious death. Royal Caribbean reported 14 incidents; Carnival reported 11.
- Q2 2026 (April 1 – June 30): 50 reported incidents, including 25 rapes, 19 sexual assaults, four thefts exceeding $10,000, one suspicious death, and one assault with serious bodily injury. Carnival reported 20 incidents; Royal Caribbean reported nine.
Combined: 93 reported incidents in six months, of which 81 — roughly 87 percent — were sexual in nature.
Publicly available numbers do a poor job of reporting serious crimes and accidents that result in severe injuries. CVSSA reporting captures a narrow category of serious crimes aboard voyages that embark or disembark in the United States.
It does not record slip and fall injuries, elevator and escalator incidents, gangway and tender accidents, shore excursion injuries, or medical negligence at sea. With Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) projecting 325 member ships and approximately 690,000 berths in service in 2026 — following a record 37.2 million passengers in 2025 — the reported figures represent a fraction of the incidents occurring onboard.
What are the Most Common Types of Cruise Accidents and Injuries?
Sadly, accidents and injuries can occur at any point on a cruise vacation – and they happen more frequently than most passengers would ever imagine. Thousands of injury claims are filed against the cruise lines every year.
Accidents can happen on the ship, on an excursion, on private islands like Coco Cay, Castaway Cay and Half Moon Cay. Severe injuries can also happen anywhere on the ship – incidents in your cabin, slipping on wet floors in restaurants, tripping on ripped carpeting, malfunctioning doors, negligent medical care by ship medical personnel and many other hazards.
What Should Injured Passengers Know After a Cruise Ship Accident?
After an accident, most cruise ship passengers and their families are focused on just one thing – trying to get better, especially if their injuries are severe. They may be dealing with hospital stays, doctor visits, surgeries, therapy and rehabilitation. The last thing on their mind is that they should talk to a cruise ship attorney.
However, at some point, passengers tend to think that maybe the accident and resulting injuries were not their fault, and perhaps, the cruise line was responsible. Was there negligence? Did someone make a mistake? Was equipment not working?
We advise anyone who was hurt on a cruise ship to seek legal advice. A case review from a cruise ship injury lawyer is free. An experienced maritime attorney can listen to your story and help you understand if you have a valid reason for filing an injury claim. While each cruise line has different deadlines and legal hurdles to must abide by, they are all outlined within the cruise line’s ticket contract.
- Review Ticket Terms: Cruise tickets contain strict fine print that limits your rights and shortens deadlines to sue.
- Provide Notice Quickly: Many cruise lines require written notice of an intent to file a claim within six months of the incident.
- File Within a Year: Most cruise contracts reduce the standard maritime statute of limitations to just one year to file a formal lawsuit.
It’s important to know that cruise ship lawsuits begin with filing an injury claim against the cruise line. But who files those injury claims and where do you file those cruise lawsuits? The cruise line actually tell you exactly how to do that in the Ticket Contract that you signed before going on your cruise. However, most passengers never even read this contract. The Ticket Contract tells you how, when and where lawsuits against the cruise line can be filed.
As most cruise ship injury lawyers will tell you, the terms and conditions are written by cruise ship company lawyers with one main purpose – to protect the cruise line from lawsuits. They make it really difficult to sue them. Cruise lines are very good at getting you to spend money with them and are just as good at minimizing their responsibility to pay hurt passengers after an accident.
If you or an attorney you’ve hired to manage your case does not abide by the terms and conditions of the cruise line, your case could be dismissed and you risk not being able collect much-needed compensation for injuries related to your accident. Don’t let that happen. Please call us at this number, 1-305-271-8282 so we can help you.
Cruise Injuries
Getting Severely Hurt on a Cruise is Common
You may not think of the possibility of having an accident while on a cruise ship, but it happens every day. Severe injuries may require advanced medical care both on board the ship and after you arrive home from your vacation.
- Fractures and Broken Bones
- Hand, Arm and Shoulder Injuries
- Ankle and Knee Injuries
- Neck and Spinal Cord Injuries
- Back and Herniated Disk Injuries
- Concussion and Head Injuries
- Strokes and Heart Attacks
- Slip, Trip & Fall Injuries
- Medical Negligence
- Excursion Accidents
- Tender Boat Accidents
- Sexual Assault & Rape
- Swimming Pool Injuries
- Crewmember Accidents
What Should I Do Immediately After a Cruise Accident?
If you or a loved one is injured aboard a cruise ship, the actions you take in the immediate aftermath can significantly impact the strength of your legal claim. Taking these steps early helps protect your claim and provides your attorney with the evidence necessary to hold the cruise line accountable.
- Seek medical attention immediately, even if your injuries seem minor. Request that the ship’s medical staff document your condition in writing.
- Report the incident to the cruise line and request a written copy of the incident report.
- Document everything you can — photograph the area where the accident occurred, note the conditions (wet floors, broken equipment, lack of signage), and record the names of any witnesses.
- Avoid giving recorded statements to the cruise line’s representatives without first consulting an attorney.
- Contact a cruise ship injury attorney promptly to ensure your rights are preserved and critical deadlines are not missed. You can even call directly from the cruise ship or nearest port.
What Makes a Cruise Ship Injury Lawyer Different from Other Personal Injury Attorneys
Not every personal injury attorney is equipped to handle cruise ship injury claims. Maritime law is a specialized field with procedural requirements and legal standards that differ substantially from state-level tort law. A cruise ship injury lawyer understands the nuances of passenger ticket contracts, forum selection clauses, notice provisions, and the legal doctrines that apply specifically to common carriers operating on navigable waters.
An experienced cruise accident attorney will also understand the gap between policy and practice that often exists on large cruise ships. Cruise lines invest heavily in marketing their well-advertised safety protocols, but the reality onboard does not always match the promise. Maintenance lapses, understaffing, inadequate training, and delayed responses to known hazards are issues that surface repeatedly in cruise injury litigation.
When evaluating potential attorneys, passengers should look for a firm that focuses exclusively on maritime injury claims, has a track record of representing passengers and crew members rather than cruise lines, and is based in or regularly practices in the Southern District of Florida where most cases are heard.
The substantive work of a maritime injury firm in the months following an incident extends well beyond drafting a complaint. It typically includes:
- Obtaining and analyzing the passenger ticket contract — the operative document governing notice, filing, choice of law, and forum selection — and identifying the specific deadlines that apply to the client’s case.
- Issuing formal preservation demands for surveillance footage, key-card access logs, maintenance records, incident reports, witness statements, medical records from the ship’s infirmary, and crew schedules — typically within days of engagement.
- Identifying and locating crew witnesses before they rotate off the vessel, including obtaining their full crew identification, contract dates, and contact information.
- Coordinating with the client’s treating physicians to establish a complete medical record and, where appropriate, retaining independent medical experts on causation and future care.
- Investigating the cruise line’s safety history with respect to the specific hazard at issue — prior incidents involving the same equipment, the same crew member, the same excursion operator, or the same shipboard system.
- Managing all communications with the cruise line’s in-house and outside counsel, so the client is not pressured into recorded statements, premature settlements, or release documents that may compromise the claim.
- Preparing the case for litigation in the Southern District of Florida — including familiarity with the judges who handle the bulk of these cases, the local rules of that district, and the procedural rhythms that govern maritime litigation specifically.
Notable Accidents our Cruise Injury Attorneys Have Litigated
Injuries at sea rarely occur in isolation. Most trace back to conditions a cruise line knew about or should have discovered. The cases below reflect the types of incidents our attorneys have litigated and the safety failures behind them.
Child Injured on Metal Strip In Carnival Ship’s Cabin:
Passenger sustained physical injuries and permanent scarring when she tripped and fell onto a metal strip while on the defendant’s ship. The plaintiff holds Carnival Corporation responsible because the defendant allegedly failed to properly warn its passengers regarding the hazardous condition aboard its vessel
Bimini SuperFast Passenger Trips on Threshold:
Because of the fall, the passenger fractured her wrist and had to undergo surgery to repair the damage. The critical issue in the case was whether there were signs on the door warning of the presence of the threshold. Fortunately, the incident was captured on video. Our firm presented the testimony of a forensic video expert who broke down the videotape frame by frame and told the jury that at least some of the signs the cruise company claimed were on the door probably were not.
Royal Caribbean Cruise Passenger Injured on Waterslide:
Passenger sustained physical injuries when another rider on the slide ran into him. The plaintiff holds Royal Caribbean responsible, because the defendant allegedly failed to control people going down the slide or provide adequate warning to the plaintiff.
Norwegian Cruise Ship Passenger Injuried From Fall While Boarding Tender:
Passenger sustained physical injuries from falling when she was attempting to board a tender from the dock. The plaintiff holds NCL (Bahamas) LTD responsible because the defendant allegedly failed to provide adequate assistance to plaintiff and its passengers that were attempting to board the tender.
Frequently Asked Questions About Cruise Ship Injury Claims
Passengers and crew members are often surprised to learn how quickly maritime claims are governed by strict deadlines, restrictive contract terms, and evidence that can disappear within days. The questions below address issues raised most often after an injury at sea — including notice requirements, filing deadlines, forum selection clauses, and what “reasonable care under the circumstances” actually requires of a cruise line. Understanding these answers early can preserve rights that are otherwise easily lost.
Do I have to hire a cruise ship accident lawyer, or can I hire my local personal injury lawyer?
You are entitled to hire any attorney you choose. As a practical matter, however, your case will almost certainly be litigated in Miami, and most out-of-state personal injury attorneys ultimately refer cruise cases to a Miami maritime firm. The earlier a cruise injury law firm is engaged — directly or by referral — the more of the case’s runway is preserved.
How quickly should I contact an attorney after a cruise ship injury?
As soon as reasonably possible. Most cruise ticket contracts require written notice of a claim within six months of the incident and require any lawsuit to be filed within one year. Surveillance footage and other key evidence may be lost within a much shorter window.
What does it cost to hire a cruise ship injury attorney?
Our firm handles cruise ship injury and wrongful death cases on a contingency fee basis. The initial consultation is free, and no attorney’s fees are owed unless a recovery is obtained. Clients are not asked to pay hourly fees, retainers, or out-of-pocket litigation costs as a precondition of representation.
What if my injury seems minor — is it still worth speaking to an attorney?
Yes. Cruise ship injuries that initially appear minor can develop into significant medical issues weeks or months later, particularly for older passengers and injuries involving the head, back, or joints. A free consultation costs nothing, and the contractual deadlines will run regardless of how the injury feels at the time.
Does it matter which cruise line I was sailing on?
The legal framework under maritime law applies to all major cruise lines. The specific provisions of each line’s passenger ticket contract — including notice requirements, forum selection, and choice-of-law clauses — vary in detail but not in their general structure. An experienced cruise injury attorney will identify the specific provisions that apply.
Hire The Best Cruise Ship Accident Attorneys
When you are injured on a cruise ship, you need more than a lawyer who handles personal injury cases. You need an attorney who understands the cruise industry, maritime law, and the unique challenges involved in pursuing a claim against a major cruise line. At Waks and Barnett, P.A., also known as CruiseLawyers.com, our practice has been focused on cruise ship and maritime injury cases for more than 35 years.
Our attorneys handle these cases from start to finish. We do not simply refer your case to another law firm after evaluating your claim. We investigate the circumstances of your injury, identify the parties who may be responsible, gather and preserve important evidence, negotiate with the cruise line and its insurers, and, when necessary, take the case to trial.
We also understand that every cruise ship injury is different. A fall on a wet deck, a medical emergency, an assault, an excursion accident, or an injury caused by a dangerous condition may involve very different legal and factual issues. Our attorneys take the time to understand what happened to you, how your injury has affected your life, and what evidence may be necessary to establish your claim.
Experience matters when you are dealing with a cruise company and its legal team. Cruise lines have sophisticated claims departments and defense attorneys whose job is to protect the company’s interests. Having an experienced cruise injury lawyer on your side can help level the playing field and ensure that your rights are being protected.
Our firm is based in Miami, Florida, one of the world’s leading centers for the cruise industry. We represent injured passengers throughout the United States and internationally, and we are familiar with the maritime laws, contractual requirements, and court procedures that can affect cruise injury claims.
If you or someone you love was injured on a cruise ship, do not wait to find out whether you have a claim. Cruise ticket contracts can contain short deadlines and other requirements that may affect your rights. Contact Waks and Barnett, P.A. for a confidential consultation and let our experienced cruise ship injury attorneys evaluate your case.
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Our cruise injury law firm has managed thousands of cases. We can quickly help you determine if you have a valid case and set you on the right course for successfully recovering money for medical bills, lost wages and for the pain and suffering you’ve experienced.
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