Jamaica is one of the world’s most popular cruise ship destinations and is currently number five in the Caribbean based on the number of ships and passengers that dock there every year. The county hosted 1,423,797 cruise ship visitors in 2014, a 12.5 percent increase over 2013.
Currently, the country has several large cruise ship ports–including the Port of Kingston, Ocho Rios, Montego Bay, and Falmouth–and is visited by all of the major cruise lines, Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Norwegian, and Disney.
Ocho Rios, located on the north coast of Jamaica, is currently the island’s most popular cruise ship destination port. Montego Bay, the second-most-popular port, recently completed a major renovation of its cruise terminal and the surrounding area.
Falmouth, on the South Coast, is the newest port, and Jamaica is seriously considering making it the country’s number one cruise ship port. In 2014, it hosted more than twice the number of passengers as Ocho Rios and Montego Bay combined. Falmouth opened in 2011.
This year Jamaica announced its desire to open another port to be built on the Black River, in a historic town on the Southwest Coast, to lure cruise passengers and their dollars to that part of the island. Already many passengers take excursions to visit the area’s famous natural attractions, Treasure Beach and YS Falls.
The Port of Kingston is the oldest and largest port in Jamaica, and is located in the country’s capital city on the southeast coast near the Norman Manley International Airport, but it has not seen passenger cruise ships for decades. In fact, the last cruise ships to dock in Kingston were in the 1960s.
Injured Aboard A Cruise To Or From Jamaica
Generally, when a passenger is injured aboard a cruise to or from Jamaica, claims against those cruise lines must be made and filed within one year of the date of the incident. And even though the ship docks in Jamaica, the majority of cruise lines require that injury claims be filed in the United States Federal Courthouse, either in Miami or Fort Lauderdale, Florida, regardless of where the passenger is from.
Our law firm has successfully investigated cruise ship injury claims and represented people from around the world who have suffered accidents aboard cruise ships. We have helped those clients obtain compensation for lost wages, medical expenses, and pain and suffering.
To adequately investigate cruise ship accidents in Jamaica and prove how and why a particular incident occurred, we must obtain CCTV footage or photographs of the incident and often must inspect the scene of the accident before the cruise line can modify or destroy the conditions.
We provide a free initial legal consultation to anyone who has been hurt while on a cruise to or from Jamaica or other ports in the Caribbean, via telephone at 1-866-597-4529, SKYPE, or email at [email protected]. Contact us today and speak to an experienced maritime accident lawyer to evaluate your claim. We take every matter on a strict contingency basis, which means we do not get paid unless we are successful in recovering monetary damages for our clients.
Not every incident on a cruise ship is necessarily a viable personal injury claim. However, knowing the difference between a potential case and one that is not requires an in-depth understanding of personal injury and maritime law. Contact our office today, before you speak to a representative of the cruise line, and let our years of experience help you.
