Royal Caribbean Issues New Warning to Cruise Ship Passengers
Royal Caribbean’s Symphony of the Seas sent a warning to its passengers after two of them contracted Legionnaires’ Disease on one of the ship’s private balcony hot tubs.
Private balcony hot tubs have become a popular amenity on cruise ships. However, people do not realize that cruise ship hot tub use can increase their risk of becoming sick from a disease that is not spread through person-to-person contact.
When Legionella bacteria grow in hot tub water systems, it can be transmitted to hot tub users through inhaled water droplets. In some cases, cruise passengers exposed to the bacteria later become sick with Legionnaires’ disease.
What Is Legionnaires’ disease?
Legionnaires’ disease is a severe form of pneumonia that comes from the Legionella bacterium. It is commonly found in warm water, like in hot tubs, but it also can grow in larger, more complex heating and plumbing systems found in hotels, cruise ships or office buildings. The bacterium is killed by hot water. An outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease is serious, and it can be caused by cruise ship negligence, such as when the ship does not
heat the pools or hot tubs on board sufficiently enough to kill the bacterium. Symptoms of Legionnaires’ disease include coughing, shortness of breath, fever, muscle aches, and headaches. Adults over 50, current and former smokers, and people with specific health issues or conditions are more likely to contract the disease.
What you should know about Legionnaires’ disease and hot tubs.
Private-balcony hot tubs are more likely to experience Legionella growth than public hot tubs found in communal areas because they are not required to be disinfected as frequently as public ones. The CDC reported being notified of 12 cases of Legionnaires’ disease among passengers on two other cruise ships from separate cruise lines between November 2022 and June 2024. The investigation linked both cruise ship Legionnaires’ disease outbreaks to private balcony hot tubs. Cruise lines can adapt maintenance operations protocols to reduce risk.
Common Types of Illnesses Caused by Cruise Line Negligence
Generally speaking, there are three specific diseases passengers can contract because of a cruise line’s negligence. These illnesses include:
- Norovirus;
- Food poisoning; and
- Legionnaire’s Disease.
Cruise Line Negligence
The first step in establishing liability in this type of situation would involve determining if the cruise line company were negligent. Negligence is a legal determination that someone was not exercising “reasonable care.” In the situation of a cruise line, it would need to be proven that they were not exercising reasonable care in ensuring the safety and well- being of its passengers. However, the fact that someone got sick on a cruise line does not mean that they were negligent. If someone gets sick because of the cruise ship not exercising reasonable care, then the cruise line company may be liable for the sick passenger’s injuries. The level of liability that falls upon the cruise line depends on how serious the illnesses are, as well as the circumstances through which the illness was contracted.
Proving Negligence
If a passenger wants to show that the cruise ship was responsible for him or her contracting an illness, it is important that he or she shows negligence on behalf of the ship or ship’s employees. If it is an isolated occurrence with only one person on the ship getting sick, it can be hard to prove negligence. However, if it involves an outbreak, proving negligence can be a little easier. The key is showing that the ship or its crew should have known or knew of the condition, which resulted in the outbreak of sickness.
A word of caution is to keep an eye on the statute of limitations. Depending on where the injury or illness happened, the time allotted to report the illness caused from negligent behavior can range from two to six years after the illness was contracted. Contact an attorney as soon as possible, even if you are still on your cruise, to discuss your rights and the time you must file a claim.
Aronfeld Trial Lawyers is a personal injury firm located in Miami, Florida since 1991. We have fought hard to hold cruise lines accountable when they put their profits ahead of passenger safety. We are available 24/7 and encourage you to contact us even if you are still on your cruise. The sooner we can begin our investigation and preservation of key evidence, such as the CCTV footage of your trip and fall, slip and fall, assault, or other type of injury the more likely we will be able to understand and prove how the incident occurred. Remember, the cruise lines have the most aggressive and well-funded defense lawyers in the world- protecting their profits. You need an experienced legal advocate in your corner who will fight to obtain the compensation you deserve for lost wages, medical expenses, transportation reimbursement, pain, and suffering. Call us today and speak with a cruise ship claims lawyer about your potential claim- toll free 1-866-597-4529, 305-441-0440, or by email. We are ready to help.
