cruise lines

Published on: December 6, 2024

Man Accused in Cruise Fight Gets Jail Time. What’s a Cruise Line’s Duty in Protecting Passengers?

A cruise line passenger was sentenced to just over two years in prison with 50 months of mandated anger management and substance abuse treatment after a 2023 fight on a ship involving a fellow passenger.

Michael Truman, 39, was recently convicted of assault with a dangerous weapon and assault resulting in serious bodily injury, according to news outlets.

His charges stem from an October 2023 incident aboard a Carnival Cruise Line ship during a performance in the ship’s theater. Another passenger allegedly asked Truman to quiet down during the performance twice before deciding to get crew members involved.

Published on: November 26, 2024

A College’s Year-Long Study Discovered Cruise Ship’s Effects in Key West was ‘like having 32 hurricanes.’ What to Know.

By Leesfield & Partners

When cruise ships sail into Key West, the looming vessels evoke thoughts about the tourist economy.

What people don’t think about is how much damage these ships can cause to local marine life as they navigate through the port.

The College of the Florida Keys recently revealed in a year’s long study that the turbidity measures of ships – the level of suspended particles, such as sediment and organic matter, stirred up by the ship as it moves through the area – surpassed limits set forth by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. In some cases, these ships’ turbidity measurements reached levels akin to storms such as the recent damage left behind by Hurricanes Helene and Milton.

Published on: October 30, 2024

Outbreaks of Legionnaires’ Disease Linked Back to Two Cruise Ships, CDC says.

By Leesfield & Partners

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently released a report detailing two separate outbreaks of Legionnaires’ Disease linked to cruise ships on different cruise lines.

The report’s findings say that the two ships, which were referred to as only “Ship A” and “Ship B,” had outdoor, private hot tubs on balconies. These hot tubs, according to the CDC, were the most likely cause of the outbreaks. Cases began springing up in November 2022, resulting in at least 12 passengers exposed to the disease.

Ship A, which had cases of Legionnaires’ Disease from November 2022 until April 2024, had a total of eight cases on board. Five of these cases stemmed from the same 14-day cruise in November 2022. Two other cases were identified from August-September 2023. In April 2024, one additional patient was identified. Both patients who were exposed in 2023 told health officials they were staying in cabins with hot tubs on the balconies. Of these cases, six were hospitalized.