Most major cruise lines—such as Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, Cunard, MSC, and Princess—advertise that they dock in Paris, France, when in reality the closest cruise ship port is actually Le Havre. Le Havre lies on the English Channel on France’s West Coast and is today one of the busiest cruise ship ports in Europe. It is located several hours from Paris by bus, private car, or train. (Carnival currently docks only in Marseille, located near Provence.) In 2014, Le Havre hosted 119 ships and over 250,000 passengers.
Visiting Paris by cruise ship provides passengers with an incredible and unique opportunity to combine the luxury and fun of a cruise with a visit to arguably the most romantic and beautiful city in the world. But passengers attempting to get to Paris from Le Havre should be prepared in advance as the majority of ships that dock at Le Havre give their passengers just a few hours to make it to and from Paris and get back on board before the ship sets sail for the next port.
MSC New Cruise Ships to Dock at Le Havre (Paris)
One of the most exciting and keenly anticipated new classes of ships to dock at Le Havre will be MSC’s newest cruise ship, Meraviglia, with capacities of 7,200 people (5,700 passengers); they will be second only to RCCL’s Megal Oasis Class ships in terms of passenger capacity. The MSC Meraviglia line is currently under construction in France at the STX France shipyards near Nantes.
According to STX France, the ships will have both a “Super Amusement Park” and an “Aquapark,” and they promise to offer the most spectacular activities ever installed on board a cruise ship. Another fascinating feature of the new MSC cruise ships will be their advanced ecological technology, developed by STX France and called ECORIZON, which reportedly eliminates discharge of open-sea waste as well as providing more fuel-efficient propulsion. In addition the new ships will be fitted with MARPOL-compliant smoke stack scrubbers that will decrease CO2 emissions.
Will New MSC Cruise Ships Be Safer?
All this is exciting news, but as a lawyer who sues cruise lines on behalf of passengers who have been hurt while on a cruise, I question whether or not these advancements and new features will actually make their ships safer. For instance, STX France is understandably proud of the new fuel-efficient hull designs for the new MSC ships, but will these hull designs help minimize the rolling in rough seas that can cause an increase in passengers falling and tripping? I have yet to read about any cruise line, including MSC, talking about how they are making their ships more stable, especially since they are planning to unveil what certainly sounds like some kind of mega theme park at sea. I don’t have the details yet, but it would not surprise me if we soon start seeing roller coasters and Ferris wheels on these mega ships.
INJURED ON A CRUISE SHIP TO OR FROM FRANCE
If you have been injured while on a cruise to France, we recommend that you consult with an experienced personal injury attorney who focuses on maritime cruise ship passenger accidents. Suing cruise lines requires an in-depth knowledge of both personal injury law and international maritime law, especially when the cases involve accidents that occur when cruising to or from European ports such as Le Havre.
We offer free initial consultations to anyone who has been injured and has questions about asserting a potential claim for reimbursement of medical expenses, lost wages, loss of cruise, as well as pain and suffering. Contact our office today for a confidential evaluation of your potential claim before speaking to the cruise line or trying to negotiate your own settlement. The cruise lines employ experienced and highly trained lawyers and claims adjusters who are paid to minimize and in many cases eliminate the cruise lines’ obligations to their injured passengers. We are here to help you today; call toll-free at 1-866-597-4529 or email us at [email protected]. We also provide consultations via SKYPE and FaceTime.
