One of the most beautiful and exotic cruise ship destinations in the world is Guatemala. There are two primary Ports of Call: Puerto Quetzal, the largest in Guatemala, and the newly developed and more intimate Port of Santo Tomas de Castilla, in Puerto Barrios in the Izbal province of Guatemala.
In contrast to many of the long-standing cruise ship destinations, Puerto Barrios was built in 2004, making it one of the newer facilities used by the cruise industries. It is designed to handle smaller cruise ships, like the ultra-luxurious Regent Seven Seas Navigator, NCL’s Dawn, Holland America’s MS Veendam, and the Azamara Journey. These cruise ships unload several thousand passengers for visits to the nearby attractions of Rio Dulce, San Felipe Castel, and the Mayan ruins of Quirigua.
The area surrounding the port is somewhat undeveloped, with bumpy roads filled with speeding mopeds and street vendors. But the lush vegetation, good nature of the locals, and the quietness of the natural setting make this Port of Call family friendly and a great alternative to the more common and commercial destinations on most cruise itineraries.
In comparison, several other cruise lines regularly visit Guatemala’s larger Port of Call, Puerto Quetzal, located near the city of San Jose, including cruise lines with larger ships, such as Seabourn, Holland America, SilverSea, Oceania Cruises, and Cunard. This port is also one of the busiest commercial shipping ports in the world. There is little for cruise ship passengers to do in and around this port, but most find their way to Antigua, a designated UNESCO Heritage Site and a spectacular place of enormous historical and architectural significance.
Accidents and Injuries on Cruise Ships to and From Guatemala
People who get hurt by slipping and falling on wet decks or stumbling over an improperly marked threshold or door sill while on board a cruise ship to and from Guatemala may be entitled to make a claim for reimbursement for their loss of the enjoyment of their cruise, medical expenses, lost wages, travel, and pain and suffering.
Our maritime accident law firm investigates dozens of potential law suits against cruise lines like Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Norwegian, Celebrity, Princess, Cunard, Holland America, Seabourn, SilverSeas, and Regent every month. One of the most common cases we encounter involves a passenger who gets hurt on a slippery deck–or inside a bathroom that was recently mopped but not appropriately dried, or where a busy and overworked crew member has forgotten to post a wet-floor sign on a polished marble floor.
It almost always comes as a surprise to our clients that claims against cruise ships must be filed in Federal Court in the United States–most often in Miami, Florida–regardless of where the incident occurred, where the passenger is from, and even if the cruise never docked in the United States. In addition, most cruise lines enforce a very strict statute of limitations provision that requires that any claim be asserted within one year of the date of the fall. To make matters even more confusing, some cruise lines require written notification to the cruise line before a lawsuit can be filed. Norwegian Cruise Lines, for example, has one of the most complex and daunting pre-suit notification processes, designed to confuse and preclude passengers from asserting legal claims.
FREE CRUISE SHIP ACCIDENT CONSULTATION-1866-597-4529
Our attorneys who practice cruise ship injury law have over 50 years of combined legal experience and have successfully sued every major cruise line on behalf of every-day people who have been hurt when the cruise industry puts its profit ahead of passenger safety.
If you have been involved in an accident while on a cruise to Guatemala or anywhere else in the world, we offer free initial legal consultations to help you understand if you have a claim and what is involved in pursuing it successfully. We focus on making our clients’ legal battles as stress free as possible but taking the time and effort to explain the process and ensure they are able to obtain a fair and reasonable settlement whenever possible.
We are ready to help you. Call our office today, and speak to a cruise ship claims lawyer, toll-free at 1-866-597-4529, or email us at [email protected]. We also provide consultations via SKYPE and FACETIME.