As a lawyer who sues cruise lines on behalf of injured passengers, I often must travel to remote and even exotic locations to take depositions of crewmembers and to inspect accident scenes aboard the ships. Last week, for example, I took the deposition of a cruise ship’s nurse and performed an inspection of a shipboard accident scene in Venice, Italy, as well as taking the deposition of a cruise ship doctor in Haifa, Israel. While it sounds exciting, and it is, the travel and logistics can be daunting and exhausting, especially when the opposition, in both of these cases, Norwegian Cruise Lines, is represented by experienced and very well funded defense lawyers.
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In Israel, we traveled from Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport to the cruise ship port in Haifa, about a three-hour taxi drive. The deposition took place in the offices of a port agent, with no air conditioning and slow Wi-Fi. Ultimately, the court reporter, who was back in Miami, took the testimony over the phone. My 14-year-old son Nory, who happened to be on spring break, traveled with me and videotaped the witnesses’ testimony so that we could show it to a judge and jury back in a Miami federal courthouse, where the trial will take place.
The Port of Haifa is Israel’s largest cruise ship terminal and is quite modern despite being a relatively small port compared to Miami. It offers the services one would expect, such as a duty-free shop, currency conversion, and access to 24-hour public transportation including bus, subway, and a railway, which can transport cruise ship passengers to visit Israel’s extraordinary religious and historic sites.
For cruise ship passengers who want to stay near their ship in Haifa, there is plenty to see in and around the port, including the Baha’i World’s Gardens, Mt. Carmel, and world-class beaches and restaurants. Baha’i World is about 10 minutes from the Port and should not be missed because it is often referred to as the Eighth Wonder of the World, having been declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2008.
No cruise to Israel would be complete without visiting Jerusalem, Israel’s capital and the birthplace of three religions–Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Our visits to the historic Old City of Jerusalem are always unforgettable.
Most of the major cruise lines feature itineraries that stop in Israel, including Carnival, Norwegian, Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, Cunard, Princess, Seabourn, Azamara, Crystal, Holland America, Oceania, Regent Seven Seas, Viking Costa, and many more. If you are injured on a Holy Land cruise to or from Israel, while a passenger onboard one of the major cruise lines, claims against the majority of these cruise lines must be filed not in Israel, but in the United States in Federal Court within one year of the date of the incident. Many of the cruise lines, such as NCL, require that a formal written notice be sent shortly after the accident before a lawsuit can be filed. Most of these claims are litigated in Miami, Florida, near Carnival, Royal Caribbean, and Norwegian corporate offices, regardless of where the incident may have occurred or where the passenger is from.
We offer anyone who may have been injured while on a cruise an initial legal consultation free of charge by SKYPE, email, or telephone, toll-free at 1-866-597-4529. Our lawyers have a combined legal experience of nearly 50 years, holding cruise lines accountable for putting their profits ahead of your safety. Let our lawyers help you obtain the compensation you may be entitled to for lost wages, medical expenses, travel reimbursement, loss of the enjoyment of the cruise, and pain and suffering. Call us today. We are ready to help.
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Call 866-597-4529Send us a messageOften, yes. Depending on where it happened and who controlled the area, the cruise line, the port or terminal operator, or a shore excursion company may be responsible. Identifying the right parties early matters.
Usually, if you were a passenger on the cruise. Ticket contracts often require written notice within about six months, a lawsuit within one year, and filing in a specific court, often federal court in Miami.
If the cruise line sold or promoted the excursion, it may share responsibility with the local tour operator. Learn more about shore excursion injuries.
Get medical care, report the injury to the cruise line’s guest services and to the port or tour operator, photograph the location and your injuries, and keep names of witnesses, receipts and medical records.
Usually not. Most major cruise lines require passenger lawsuits to be filed in federal court in Miami, where Aronfeld Trial Lawyers is based, no matter where the injury happened.
Tell us what happened. The consultation is free, and you pay nothing unless we recover for you — no attorney’s fees and no costs.
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