Roatan, Honduras, is a small yet enchanting island off the coast of mainland Honduras, and thousands of cruise ship passengers visit there every single week. The island has two main cruise ship ports: Mahogany Bay and Coaxen Hole. There are other ports on mainland Honduras as well, and most of the major cruise lines bring cruise ship passengers from around the world to beautiful Roatan.
Mahogany Bay looks a lot like a typical shopping mall, with brand-new glistening shops and restaurants geared to selling the same touristy duty-free stuff one can find at any international airport. Coaxen Hole is located near the center of Roatan’s main street, which is lined with souvenir shops and restaurants, but the ambience of Coaxen Hole is far more authentic than what is found at the more upscale Mahogany Bay.
In a typical month, Norwegian, Oceania, Carnival, Costa, Royal Caribbean, Regent Seven Seas, and Princess will dock in Roatan. Since the areas immediately outside the terminals are somewhat primitive, the majority of passenger will opt to take prearranged and packaged tours or excursions to visit the island’s attractions, like its silky beaches, monkey jungles, zip lines, and dune-buggy tours.
Carnival, like many of the other major cruise lines, operates its own private resort in Roatan, creating an atmosphere that is essentially like their cruise ships’, but on land. Similarly, at Carnival’s Maya Key Resort, passengers can interact with exotic animals, eat, and lie on beach. It is another very ingenious way cruise lines make money even while passengers are off the ship. For many people it seems as though they have really visited Honduras, but in reality they essentially just went from one Carnival ship to another.
A TYPICAL FALL-DOWN INJURY ON A CRUISE SHIP
If passengers are injured aboard a cruise to Honduras, or during an inland excursion, they may be entitled to bring a claim against the cruise line. The majority of slip, trip, and fall accidents that happen aboard a cruise ship could and should have been avoided with better maintenance, inspections, and warnings–particularly mishaps resulting from wet decks and slippery steps.
One of the typical scenarios we encounter occurs when a person is simply walking to get coffee early in the morning and falls on a wet deck that has been recently mopped but has not adequately dried. The crew member who has done the cleaning may have failed to post wet-floor signs, and has not made sure the floor is sufficiently dry before leaving. We find these sorts of incidents occur because the ship may not be adequately staffed.
It is very important to understand that not all incidents are legally the fault of the cruise line, but understanding the difference and how to prove it is why it is essential to hire an experienced and aggressive cruise ship accident attorney. Injured passengers who have valid claims against cruise lines would be entitled to receive money as compensation for lost wages, medical expenses, travel expenses, loss of the enjoyment of the cruise, and pain and suffering, both in the past and in the future.
CRUISE SHIP CLAIMS MUST BE FILED IN U.S. FEDERAL COURT
Most cruise lines require injured passengers to file claims in Federal Court in the United States, regardless of where the person is from or where the accident occurred. The majority of cruise lines mandate that lawsuits be litigated in Miami, Florida, which is also where Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, Seabourn, SilverSeas, Norwegian, and many other cruise lines maintain their corporate headquarters. This is also why our offices are located in Miami as well–so that we can facilitate the resolution of accident claims as well as efficiently litigate claims against these corporate giants.
Our office is pleased to provide anyone who has a potential injury or accident claim against a cruise line with a free initial consultation. You can call us toll-free at 1-866-597-4529 or email us at [email protected]. You can also speak with one of our experienced personal injury maritime lawyers via SKYPE and FACETIME.
