Cruise ship excursion accident attorneys

Were You Injured on a Cruise Ship Excursion?

Our attorneys help passengers who were severely injured during a cruise ship excursion, tour or activity.

Bus, taxi and transport vehicle accidents
Sailing and boating accidents
Jet ski and parasailing accidents
Shuttle or tender boat accidents
Hiking and climbing accidents
Horseback riding accidents
Snorkeling and diving accidents

Call today for a free case review at 1-305-271-8282.

Cruise Lines are accountable for your safety

Our cruise ship Accident Attorneys can Help

The attorneys at Waks and Barnett, P.A. have represented injured cruise ship passengers and crew members for more than 35 years from our offices in Miami.

Serious Injuries Can Happen on Cruise Ship Shore Excursions

A shore excursion is any organized activity or tour that takes cruise ship passengers off the ship and into a port of call destination. Excursions are offered through the cruise line directly, through third-party operators working under contract with the cruise line, and independently by local operators at the port.

The distinction between cruise-sponsored excursions and independently booked activities matters legally — but it is not always determinative of whether a cruise line bears responsibility for an injury. Cruise lines often argue that independently booked activities are entirely outside their responsibility.

Courts have not always agreed. Many of our clients were injured on excursions and tours.

Common shore excursion activities that give rise to injury claims include:

Water-based activities: snorkeling, scuba diving, parasailing, jet skiing, banana boat rides, kayaking, glass-bottom boat tours
Adventure activities: zip-lining, ATV tours, rock climbing, jungle hikes, canopy tours
Transportation-based excursions: bus tours, van transportation to cultural or historical sites, train excursions
Animal and nature encounters: swim-with-dolphins programs, horseback riding on the beach, wildlife sanctuary tours
Cultural tours: walking city tours, archaeological site visits, cooking classes, market tours
Water parks and beach clubs booked through or recommended by the cruise line

Passengers taking cruise-sponsored excursions are typically transported from the ship to the excursion site, participate under the supervision of a contracted operator, and return to the ship before departure.

Throughout this process, the cruise line has a continuing legal duty to exercise reasonable care under the circumstances — even when the activity itself is conducted by a third party.

Shore excursions are one of the most anticipated parts of any cruise vacation. Snorkeling in clear Caribbean water, zip-lining through a rainforest canopy, exploring ancient ruins by tour bus — these activities are marketed as the highlights of a cruise itinerary. Cruise lines promote them aggressively, earn substantial commissions from them, and in many cases operate them directly.

They are also among the most common sources of serious injury in the cruise industry.

When an excursion accident happens, passengers quickly discover that the legal landscape is more complex than a shipboard injury — and the defenses cruise lines raise are more aggressive. Questions of jurisdiction, liability waivers, independent contractor arguments, and exculpatory clauses in excursion contracts all come into play. Without an experienced maritime attorney, these defenses can succeed even when the cruise line was clearly at fault.

Cruise Accident Attorney
Joel Barnett

Free Case Review

(305) 271-8282

Common Types of Cruise Ship Shore Excursion Accidents

Excursion accidents take many forms depending on the activity and destination. The following are among the most common categories that give rise to legal claims.

Transportation Accidents — Bus, Van, and Vehicle Crashes

A significant number of serious excursion injuries occur not during the activity itself, but during transportation to and from the excursion site. Overcrowded buses, improperly maintained vehicles, drivers operating in unfamiliar or dangerous road conditions, and inadequate seatbelt availability have all contributed to crashes that have left cruise passengers with severe and permanent injuries. When the transportation is provided by or arranged through the cruise line, the cruise line’s liability is most direct.

Water Activity Accidents — Snorkeling, Diving, Parasailing, Jet Skiing

Water-based excursions generate some of the most serious injury and wrongful death claims in cruise ship litigation. Equipment failures, inadequate supervision, unsafe water conditions, operator negligence, and the failure to screen participants for health conditions have all contributed to drownings, decompression injuries, traumatic injuries from falls into water, and near-fatal incidents during parasailing. The cruise line’s duty to vet the operator and warn of known risks is particularly important in these cases because the consequences of failure can be catastrophic.

Adventure Activity Injuries — Zip-Lining, ATVs, Horseback Riding

Zip-line tours, ATV excursions, and horseback riding programs are popular high-activity offerings at many Caribbean and Central American ports. Poorly maintained equipment, inadequate safety instruction, operator inexperience, and failure to match participants to appropriate activity levels have all led to serious falls, fractures, spinal injuries, and head trauma. When these activities are booked through the cruise line and marketed as professionally managed, the standard of care expected of the operator — and the cruise line’s responsibility for selecting them — is correspondingly higher.

Criminal Acts and Attacks During Excursions

Passengers can also be harmed by criminal acts during excursions — theft, assault, sexual assault, or robbery in port areas. Cruise lines are required to warn passengers of known dangers in areas they invite passengers to visit. If a port area has a documented history of crime against tourists and the cruise line fails to disclose this risk, or if the cruise line directs passengers to unsafe areas without adequate warning, the cruise line may bear legal responsibility for the resulting harm.

Dock and Embarkation Injuries During Excursion Transfers

Some excursion injuries occur at the point of boarding — when passengers are transferred from the ship to a tour boat, small vessel, or dock facility. Unstable docking surfaces, improper boarding assistance, wet conditions, and inadequate staffing during transfers have all led to falls and fractures. These injuries may give rise to claims against both the cruise line and the dock or vessel operator.

Excursion Accidents Involving Natural Disasters and Environmental Events

One of the most well-known and legally significant excursion accidents in recent history was the December 2019 White Island (Whakaari) Volcano eruption in New Zealand, which occurred while cruise ship passengers were on a crater tour. Lawsuits established that cruise lines and tour operators can be held liable when they knowingly send passengers to demonstrably dangerous environments — including volcanoes with elevated activity warnings — without adequate disclosure of the risk. The principle that emerged from that litigation continues to shape cruise excursion liability law.

how did the accident happen?

Why Can These Shore Excursion Accidents be So Bad?

In all fairness, most shore trips result in passengers having a good time and returning to their cruise ship safely. However, just because passengers returned safely, it doesn’t mean the tours, vehicles or tour operators were operating safely or within legal guidelines.

So why can these accidents be so terrible? Tour operators may not be abiding by rules, regulations or laws (assuming there are any)! Equipment and vehicles may not be properly maintained or be equipped with the proper safety features one might expect in the United States. Simple things like brake light, seat belts and properly inflated tires could lead to accidents. Driver error, unsafe operation and inexperienced employees could lead to issues.

Certainly, the emergency response and level of medical attention is nowhere near the level of what U.S. passengers are used to.

Some or a mixture of all of these could create a tour bus accident, a boat collision, a scooter wreck — any number of accident scenarios can happen in a foreign country and as a passenger, you may have little help offered to you.

What Compensation is Available After a Shore Excursion Accident

A successful shore excursion accident claim may recover compensation for a broad range of economic and non-economic losses. Because excursion injuries frequently occur in remote locations, involve delays in appropriate medical care, and sometimes require emergency medical evacuation, the costs associated with these injuries can be substantially higher than comparable land-based accidents.

Damages that may be recoverable include:

Past and future medical expenses, including emergency treatment at a foreign hospital, medical evacuation costs, surgery, hospitalization, rehabilitation, physical therapy, and ongoing care
Lost wages and impaired future earning capacity, where injuries have affected the ability to return to work
Physical pain and suffering caused by the accident and resulting injuries
Emotional distress and psychological harm, including post-traumatic stress disorder from serious accidents
Loss of enjoyment of life — the impact of the injuries on daily activities, hobbies, and quality of life
Travel disruption costs, including missed cruise itinerary days, emergency accommodations, and unplanned return transportation
Wrongful death damages — including loss of consortium, funeral and burial expenses, and loss of financial support — where a passenger was killed in an excursion accident
Punitive damages, in cases where a cruise line’s conduct was particularly egregious or where it knowingly endorsed a dangerous operator despite prior warnings

What Can You Expect From Our Cruise Ship Attorneys?

If you’ve been injured on a cruise vacation you want someone to fight for you against the cruise line attorneys, the insurance companies and other parties.

That is what we do for you – that is what you can expect from our firm and our attorneys. And while we can not guarantee results in the courtroom – no attorney can – we do guarantee that we will work diligently to achieve the best possible result for you.

We will thoroughly review your potential case, investigate the facts surrounding your accident and create a plan of action for pursuing compensation for your injuries.

If you choose to have us represent you, we’ll send a retainer package. From there, we’ll represent you and work toward resolution, either through a settlement with the cruise line or through a decision made by the court.

Remember, there is no fee charged to you for our services. We work on a ‘contingency fee‘ basis which means there is no charge for our services unless you receive compensation from the cruise line.

Our clients need help! It’s why they turn to us investigate their injury claims and file lawsuits on their behalf against the cruise lines for slip and fall accidents, swimming pool accidents, cases of medical negligence, rape and sexual assault and crew member injury claims.

If you or your family have questions about a cruise injury, accident or medical issue, please call us at this number, 1-305-271-8282.

Cruise Ship Excursion Accident Lawyers: Your Rights Under Maritime Law

They are also among the most common sources of serious injury in the cruise industry.

When an excursion accident happens, passengers quickly discover that the legal landscape is more complex than a shipboard injury — and the defenses cruise lines raise are more aggressive. Questions of jurisdiction, liability waivers, independent contractor arguments, and exculpatory clauses in excursion contracts all come into play. Without an experienced maritime attorney, these defenses can succeed even when the cruise line was clearly at fault.

The attorneys at Waks and Barnett, P.A. have represented injured cruise ship passengers and crew members for more than 35 years from our offices in Miami. If you or a loved one was injured in a cruise ship shore excursion accident, this page explains what you need to know.

Why Shore Excursion Accident Cases Are Legally Complex

A shore excursion accident is not a simple personal injury case. It involves layers of legal complexity that distinguish it from both land-based tort claims and straightforward shipboard injury cases.

The Independent Contractor Defense

The most common defense cruise lines raise after a shore excursion accident is that the operator who conducted the activity was an independent contractor — not a cruise line employee — and therefore the cruise line is not responsible for the operator’s negligence. Cruise lines include language in excursion tickets and contracts specifically designed to advance this defense.

Courts have not accepted this defense universally. When a cruise line has the right to control how an excursion is conducted, when it selects and vets the operator, when it sells the excursion through its own booking system and represents it as safe and reliable, or when it has prior knowledge of unsafe conditions involving that operator, courts have found the cruise line liable regardless of independent contractor status. The key legal question is not merely the label applied to the relationship — it is the degree of control the cruise line actually exercised.

Exculpatory Clauses and Liability Waivers

Excursion tickets and booking agreements frequently contain exculpatory clauses — provisions that purport to release the cruise line and operator from liability for injuries occurring during the activity. Courts approach these clauses with skepticism and have regularly declined to enforce them when they are ambiguous, overly broad, or when the injured party was not given a meaningful opportunity to understand what they were waiving.

An experienced maritime attorney will analyze the specific language of any waiver in your case and identify grounds to challenge its enforceability — including arguments that the clause was unconscionable, did not clearly cover the type of negligence that caused your injury, or was presented in a manner that did not constitute valid consent.

Jurisdiction and Foreign Law Issues

Many shore excursion accidents occur in foreign countries. This raises questions about which country’s law applies to the claim against the excursion operator, whether the operator can be sued in the United States or must be pursued in a foreign jurisdiction, and whether U.S. courts will exercise personal jurisdiction over a foreign company that conducts tours exclusively in another country.

These jurisdictional issues are among the most complex in maritime litigation. They do not, however, affect the claim against the cruise line itself, which is subject to U.S. maritime law and must be filed in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida under the forum selection clause in your ticket contract.

The Negligent Selection Theory

Even when a cruise line successfully distances itself from direct liability for an operator’s negligence, a separate and important claim may exist: negligent selection. If the cruise line failed to properly vet the excursion operator, ignored prior complaints or known safety deficiencies, or endorsed an operator whose history should have disqualified it, the cruise line may be held independently liable for its own failure in the selection process — regardless of what happened during the excursion itself.

The Duty to Warn

Cruise lines have an obligation under maritime law to warn passengers of known dangers in the ports and areas they are directed to visit. If a cruise line knows — or should have known — that a particular excursion activity, port area, or operator presents a documented risk to passengers, and fails to disclose that risk, the failure to warn can itself be a basis for liability. This theory applies not just to physical dangers at excursion sites but also to known crime risks in port areas where passengers are encouraged to go.

Cruise Line vs. Excursion Operator: Who Is Liable for Your Injury?

One of the first questions in any shore excursion injury case is identifying all parties who may bear legal responsibility. The answer depends on how the excursion was booked, the nature of the cruise line’s relationship with the operator, and the specific circumstances of the accident.

Cruise Line May Be Liable When…	Excursion Operator May Be Liable When…
Excursion was sold and marketed through the cruise line’s own booking system	Operator provided defective or poorly maintained equipment
Cruise line retained control over how the excursion was conducted	Operator’s guide or staff were negligent or untrained
Cruise line failed to vet the operator or ignored known safety issues	Operator failed to assess participant suitability or health requirements
Cruise line misrepresented the safety or suitability of the activity	Operator proceeded despite unsafe weather or water conditions
Cruise line failed to warn of known risks at the port or excursion site	Operator failed to follow its own stated safety protocols
Cruise line exercised control over transportation to/from the activity	Operator’s vehicle was defective or improperly maintained

In many cases, both the cruise line and the operator bear responsibility — and pursuing claims against both parties simultaneously is often the most effective strategy. An experienced maritime attorney will investigate all potential defendants and pursue the strongest available theories against each.

Critical Deadlines for Shore Excursion Accident Claims

Passengers are often surprised to learn that the deadlines for pursuing a cruise ship excursion accident claim are far shorter than those that apply to land-based personal injury cases. These deadlines are embedded in your passenger ticket contract — in the fine print that most passengers never read — and are strictly enforced by federal courts.

Deadlines You Cannot Afford to Miss

6-Month Written Notice Requirement: Most cruise ticket contracts require passengers to provide formal written notice of their intent to file a claim within six months of the date of the incident. This is a contractual requirement that is separate from and earlier than the lawsuit deadline.

1-Year Lawsuit Filing Deadline: The lawsuit itself must be filed within one year of the accident. On land, personal injury statutes of limitation typically allow two to four years. At sea — and on excursions — the window is dramatically shorter.

Claims Against the Excursion Operator May Have Different Deadlines: Depending on where the operator is based and which country’s law applies, the deadline to sue the operator separately may differ from the deadline to sue the cruise line. An attorney should evaluate both immediately.

Missing Either Deadline — Even by One Day — Can Permanently Bar Your Claim. Federal courts strictly enforce these provisions regardless of the severity of your injuries or the strength of your case on the merits.

The six-month notice clock begins running on the date of the incident — not the date you return home, not the date you receive a medical diagnosis, and not the date you decide to pursue a claim. Evidence deteriorates quickly, witnesses become difficult to locate, and operators in foreign countries can become unreachable. Early legal action is essential.

Where Your Case Must Be Filed: The Forum Selection Clause

Regardless of where your excursion took place — the Caribbean, Mexico, Alaska, the Mediterranean, or anywhere else in the world — most lawsuits against major cruise lines for shore excursion injuries must be filed in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida, located in Miami.

This forum selection clause is embedded in passenger ticket contracts and has been consistently upheld by federal courts. Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Norwegian, Celebrity, Princess, Disney, Holland America, and most other major operators all require litigation in this district. Choosing a law firm based in Miami — one that regularly appears before the federal judges who handle maritime and cruise ship injury cases in the Southern District of Florida — is not simply a matter of convenience. It is a meaningful practical advantage in how these cases are investigated, briefed, and litigated.

Waks and Barnett, P.A. is located in Miami. We handle maritime injury cases exclusively in the courts where they are litigated.

What to Do After a Shore Excursion Accident

The actions taken in the immediate aftermath of a shore excursion accident can have a significant impact on the strength of any future legal claim. Evidence at excursion sites is even more difficult to preserve than evidence aboard the ship — you are in a foreign country, often far from the port, with no way to compel preservation of anything.

Seek medical attention immediately — even if your injuries seem minor. Request documentation of your treatment in writing, and ensure that all injuries and symptoms are recorded at the time, not days later.
Report the accident to both the excursion operator and the cruise line. Request a written copy of any incident report that is prepared. Do not sign any waivers, releases, or settlement agreements before consulting with an attorney.
Photograph everything — the accident site, the equipment involved, any hazardous conditions, signage (or its absence), and your injuries. If you are unable to do this yourself, ask a companion or fellow passenger to document the scene.
Collect witness information. Other passengers, guides, or staff who observed the accident may be critical witnesses. Get their names and contact information before the group disperses — once people return to the ship and disembark, they are extremely difficult to locate.
Preserve all documents — your excursion ticket, booking confirmation, any waivers you signed, all cruise line communications, and your medical records from both onboard treatment and any care received at a foreign port or hospital.
Do not give recorded statements to the excursion operator, the cruise line, or their insurance representatives before consulting an attorney. These statements are designed to protect the company, not to document your claim accurately.
Contact a cruise ship excursion accident attorney as soon as possible. The six-month notice deadline begins running immediately, and the earlier an attorney can begin preserving evidence and identifying defendants, the stronger your position will be.

Cruise-Sponsored Excursions vs. Independently Booked Activities: Does It Matter?

One of the most common questions passengers ask after an excursion injury is whether it matters that the excursion was booked through the cruise line versus arranged independently. The answer is: it matters, but it does not necessarily determine whether the cruise line bears any responsibility.

When an excursion is booked directly through the cruise line, the legal case for the cruise line’s liability is strongest. The cruise line selected the operator, sold the activity through its own platform, collected a commission, and implicitly represented to the passenger that the activity was vetted and safe. Courts have been receptive to arguments that this relationship creates liability when the operator turns out to be negligent.

When a passenger books an excursion independently through a local provider found at the port, the cruise line’s argument that it had no relationship with the operator is stronger — but not absolute. If the cruise line directed passengers to a particular area where the accident occurred, recommended the operator in port materials, or had prior knowledge of dangers at that destination, claims against the cruise line may still be viable.

In either scenario, an experienced maritime attorney will analyze the full factual record — including what the cruise line communicated about the destination, whether prior incidents had been reported, and the nature of any financial or operational relationship between the cruise line and the operator — to identify every available basis for recovery.

Cruise Line Shore Excursion Accident Claims by Cruise Line

Waks and Barnett, P.A. represents passengers injured in shore excursion accidents against all major cruise lines. Each cruise line’s ticket contract, excursion program practices, and litigation posture have specific characteristics that an experienced maritime attorney must understand when evaluating and pursuing a claim.

Carnival Cruise Line — Carnival’s excursion program is one of the largest in the cruise industry, spanning hundreds of ports. All claims must be filed in the Southern District of Florida. [LINK: Carnival cruise ship accidents — cruiselawyers.com/carnival-cruise-accidents/]
Royal Caribbean International — Royal Caribbean operates excursions across an extensive global network. Courts have adjudicated landmark cases involving Royal Caribbean excursion liability, including bus crashes and water activity injuries. [LINK: Royal Caribbean cruise accidents — cruiselawyers.com/royal-caribbean-cruise-accidents/]
Norwegian Cruise Line — Norwegian’s excursion program includes adventure-focused activities at Caribbean and European ports. Strict notice and filing requirements apply. [LINK: Norwegian cruise accidents — cruiselawyers.com/norwegian-cruise-accidents/]
Disney Cruise Line — Disney vessels carry families with children, and excursion operators working with Disney face heightened expectations around child safety and supervision. [LINK: Disney cruise accidents — cruiselawyers.com/disney-cruise-accidents/]
Princess Cruises — Princess operates extensively in Alaska and the South Pacific, regions with excursion activities that carry specific environmental and terrain risks. [LINK: Princess cruise accidents — cruiselawyers.com/princess-cruise-accidents/]
Celebrity Cruises — Celebrity, operated by Royal Caribbean Group, requires claims in the Southern District of Florida. Its excursion program spans Mediterranean and Caribbean itineraries. [LINK: Celebrity cruise accidents — cruiselawyers.com/celebrity-cruise-accidents/]
Holland America Line — Holland America’s itineraries focus heavily on cultural and adventure excursions in Alaska, the Pacific, and Europe. [LINK: Holland America cruise accidents — cruiselawyers.com/holland-america-cruise-accidents/]

If your cruise involved a line not listed here, contact our office. The legal framework under maritime law applies to any cruise line operating from a U.S. port, and the duty to exercise reasonable care over excursion programs applies regardless of which cruise brand you sailed with.

Frequently Asked Questions About Cruise Ship Shore Excursion Accidents

Can a cruise line be held liable for an injury during a shore excursion?

Yes, in many circumstances. Cruise lines can be held liable when they negligently selected the excursion operator, retained control over how the activity was conducted, failed to warn passengers of known risks at the excursion site or port, or misrepresented the safety of the activity. The cruise line’s standard defense — that the operator was an independent contractor — is not always accepted by courts, particularly when the cruise line sold the excursion through its own platform and endorsed the operator to passengers.

What if the excursion operator made me sign a waiver?

Liability waivers and exculpatory clauses in excursion tickets do not automatically bar a claim. Courts scrutinize these clauses carefully and have declined to enforce them when they are ambiguous, overly broad, unconscionable, or when the injured party was not given a meaningful opportunity to review them. An experienced maritime attorney will analyze the specific language of any waiver in your case and identify grounds to challenge its enforceability.

How long do I have to file a claim after a shore excursion accident?

Most cruise ticket contracts require written notice of a claim within six months of the incident and require the lawsuit to be filed within one year. These deadlines apply to your claim against the cruise line. Deadlines for claims against the excursion operator may differ depending on where the operator is based. Both sets of deadlines begin running from the date of the accident, and missing either one can permanently bar your claim.

What if the accident happened in a foreign country?

The fact that the accident occurred in a foreign country does not prevent you from suing the cruise line in the United States. Your claim against the cruise line is governed by maritime law and must be filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida under the forum selection clause in your ticket contract — regardless of where the accident occurred. Separate claims against a foreign excursion operator may involve additional jurisdictional considerations that an attorney should evaluate.

What if I booked the excursion independently, not through the cruise line?

The cruise line’s liability is strongest when you booked through its system, but independently booked excursions do not automatically eliminate the cruise line’s responsibility. If the cruise line directed you to a specific area, recommended the operator in port materials, or had prior knowledge of dangers at that destination, claims against the cruise line may still be viable. An attorney should evaluate the full set of facts before concluding the cruise line has no exposure.

What if someone was killed in a shore excursion accident?

Wrongful death claims arising from shore excursion accidents are among the most serious cases in maritime litigation. Surviving family members may be entitled to compensation for loss of consortium, funeral and burial expenses, loss of financial support, and emotional distress. The same deadlines apply — six months for written notice and one year for the lawsuit — so it is critical to consult an attorney as soon as possible, even while managing the grief and logistics of a sudden loss.

What types of evidence are most important in an excursion accident case?

Critical evidence includes photographs of the accident site and equipment, the excursion ticket and any waivers signed, the cruise line’s booking records and communications about the excursion, the operator’s prior safety history and any complaints on file with the cruise line, witness statements from other passengers and guides, medical records from both onboard and foreign hospital treatment, and any incident report prepared by the operator or cruise line. Because much of this evidence is in the possession of the cruise line and operator, retaining an attorney early — who can issue formal evidence preservation demands — is essential.

Can I sue both the cruise line and the excursion operator?

Yes. In many cases, pursuing claims against both parties simultaneously is the most effective strategy. The theories of liability differ — the cruise line may be liable for negligent selection, failure to warn, and retained control, while the operator may be liable for direct negligence in conducting the activity — but both sets of claims can be pursued in parallel. Your attorney will evaluate the strength of each claim and determine the optimal litigation strategy.

What does it cost to hire a shore excursion accident lawyer?

Waks and Barnett, P.A. handles cruise ship injury and excursion accident cases on a contingency fee basis — meaning you pay no attorney’s fees unless we recover compensation for you. The initial consultation is free and carries no obligation.

Do I have a case?

The best way to evaluate whether you have a viable claim is to speak with an experienced maritime attorney who can assess the specific facts of your situation. We offer free consultations with no obligation.

Why Acting Quickly Is Critical After a Shore Excursion Accident

Shore excursion accident cases face a unique combination of time pressure factors that make early legal action more important than in almost any other personal injury context:

The six-month notice deadline begins immediately — before you have fully processed what happened, before you have a complete medical picture, and often before you have returned home.
Evidence at the excursion site is in a foreign country — photographs, equipment condition, witness statements, and operator records become inaccessible quickly. There is no court-ordered preservation available without an attorney actively pursuing the case.
Excursion operators in foreign countries can close, relocate, or become unreachable within months of an incident.
The cruise line’s legal team begins working on its defense immediately after an incident is reported. Passengers without counsel are at a disadvantage from the outset.
The specific operator, guide, or driver responsible for your accident may rotate between assignments — becoming difficult to identify and locate if investigation is delayed.

Consulting a cruise ship excursion accident attorney promptly after an incident gives you the best opportunity to preserve evidence, identify all liable parties, meet all applicable deadlines, and build the strongest possible case.

Contact Waks & Barnett, P.A. — Cruise Ship Excursion Accident Lawyers

The attorneys at Waks and Barnett, P.A. have represented injured cruise ship passengers — including those hurt on shore excursions — for more than 35 years. Based in Miami, we handle maritime injury cases exclusively in the courts where these claims are litigated. We represent passengers and crew members only — never cruise lines.

We understand how cruise lines use independent contractor arguments, liability waivers, and jurisdictional complexity to limit or eliminate passenger recoveries — and we know how to counter those defenses. When a cruise line’s negligence in selecting or supervising an excursion operator contributed to your injury, we will pursue every available theory of recovery.

If you or a loved one was injured during a cruise ship shore excursion, you have rights under maritime law — and the deadlines to act are short. Contact our office for a free consultation. There is no obligation, and the call with our attorneys is free.

Call today at 1-305-271-8282

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Our cruise ship accident lawyers have been helping injured passengers and crew members for more than 35 years. We help you understand your rights 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 your situation — please contact our office today. [LINK: contact our office today — cruiselawyers.com/contact/]

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