Carnival

 Carnival Cruise Ship Injury Lawyer

When asked to name a cruise line, Carnival is probably the first example a lot of people would come up with. In part, that is because they’re one of the largest and most popular cruise lines in the world. With over 20 ships, vacations tailored to all types of travelers, and big name performers like Chicago, Gavin DeGraw, and Lady Antebellum, Carnival is the go-to cruise line for many people. However, in recent years, Carnival has become well-known for other reasons – including the breakdowns, accidents, and illnesses that have plagued some of their ships.

If you suffer an injury or illness, contact the Florida personal injury attorneys at the Law Office of Andrew Winston. The firm partners have over 70 years experience practicing maritime law between them, and new Of Counsel Mark J. Leeds has spent over 30 years handling maritime law and cruise ship accident cases. They have taken on large cruise lines, including Carnival, and won monetary compensation for clients just like you. By working with the Law Office of Andrew Winston, you can hold Carnival, or any other cruise line, accountable for their negligence and make sure that you get the compensation you need.

What Vacationers Get on a Carnival Cruise

Carnival currently has a fleet of 22 ships for their passengers to choose from:

• Carnival Sunshine (new)
• Carnival Breeze (new)
• Carnival Conquest
• Carnival Dream
• Carnival Ecstasy
• Carnival Elation
• Carnival Fantasy
• Carnival Fascination
• Carnival Freedom
• Carnival Glory
• Carnival Imagination
• Carnival Inspiration
• Carnival Legend
• Carnival Liberty
• Carnival Magic
• Carnival Miracle
• Carnival Paradise
• Carnival Pride
• Carnival Sensation
• Carnival Splendor
• Carnival Triumph
• Carnival Valor
• Carnival Victory

Carnival destinations with shore excursions include:

• The Bahamas
• The Caribbean
• Alaska
• Hawaii
• Mexico
• Canada/New England
• The Panama Canal
• Tahiti and Fiji Islands

They also offer a “Great Vacation Guarantee,” which allows anyone who is not satisfied with their cruise within 24 hours of departure to receive a 110% refund and be transported home by the cruise line’s Guest Services. Of course, since there’s only a 24 hour window, this does not do much for anyone who is injured or becomes sick more than a day after their cruise has begun.

Recent Accidents on Carnival Cruises

Carnival has had to conduct damage control in the past few years, as major accidents have made headlines and drawn criticism from both passengers and safety advocates. Here are just a few notable events from Carnival’s recent history reported in the media:

Norovirus outbreak. Royal Caribbean recently made headlines for a norovirus outbreak that led to over 600 of their passengers getting sick, and many people speculated that this was the largest cruise ship norovirus outbreak in recent history. However, close to 700 passengers became sick with the virus—which causes vomiting, diarrhea, and nausea—on a Carnival Cruise in 2006.

Young boy drowns. In October 2013, a 6-year-old boy drowned in a mid-ship pool on the Carnival Victory while vacationing with his family in the Caribbean. Carnival, like most cruise lines other than Disney, does not typically have lifeguards at its pools.

Carnival Triumph loses an engine, leaves passengers and crews adrift. Perhaps one of the biggest news stories from February 2013 was the engine fire that disabled the Carnival Triumph’s power, plumbing, water disposal, and refrigeration. Passengers and crew members were left drifting for five days on what some people referred to as a “floating hell.” The conditions were described as unsanitary and unsafe, and while the ship was finally being towed back to shore, passengers reported that the vessel tilted and that human waste flooded its floors. Many passengers became nauseous and sick.

Carnival sued for negligence. As if the nightmare Carnival Triumph voyage was not bad enough, documents later revealed that the cruise line knew about the risk of an engine fire and failed to take action to prevent it from happening. Because of their carelessness, they are now facing a number of lawsuits from passengers who became sick and experienced mental anguish due to the horrifying and preventable conditions on the ship.

Don’t Let a Cruise Ship Accident Defeat You

Accidents can happen on any cruise line, but when you have as many ships and are trying to cater to as many passengers as Carnival, there are ample opportunities for things to go wrong. In fairness, some incidents may be out of the cruise line’s control, but others—like the engine fire that stranded the Carnival Triumph without power in February 2013—apparently could have been prevented.

If you go on a Carnival cruise and suffer an injury or illness as a result of the cruise line’s negligence, it should not be up to you to pay for your medical costs, lost wages, and physical and emotional pain. Carnival has a duty of care to their passengers, and when their failure to provide that care results in an injury, they should be the ones to pay. Of course, as a business with a bottom line to keep in mind, they’re not going to pay up if they don’t have to. That’s why you should contact a skilled cruise ship accident attorney.

To learn more about what the the Law Office of Andrew Winston can do to help you, schedule a free legal consultation by calling us at 954-606-6606, or toll-free at 866-306-9606 or by filling out a quick and easy online contact form. Lawlor Winston is dedicated to helping the victims of cruise ship accidents and works on a contingency basis, meaning clients won’t pay for the cost of representation or attorney fees unless they recover monetary compensation for them. Don’t wait any longer if you have been injured on a Carnival cruise—get Lawlor Winston on your side.