What injuries could occur on a cruise?

Injuries on a cruise could occur in several ways. For example:

• Tripping or slipping accidents, including during embarkation and disembarkation
• Burns or scalds caused by defective equipment in cabins
• Illnesses such as food poisoning or legionnaires disease
• Fires on board
• Falling overboard
• Unsafe excursions from cruise ships
  

Can I sue for personal injury compensation?

If your injury on a cruise ship occurred through no fault of your own, you may be able to claim personal injury compensation. For example, there may have been poor catering or cleaning facilities on-board; or the ship’s crew may have made mistakes; or there may have been poorly-planned excursions from the ship. If negligence can be proven, then you may be able to sue the ship’s operators or Tour Company responsible.

Can I get compensation if my cruise was part of a package holiday?

If you booked your cruise as a package holiday, then you should be able to sue the tour operator under UK law, if the company trades in England or Wales. This is because the tour operator must abide by the Package Travel, Package Holidays and Package Tour Regulations 1992. So if you became ill due to food-poisoning from a ship’s restaurant, you could claim compensation for your pain and suffering, and some recompense for extra expenses or lost wages. Cover also applies to paid excursions from the ship into the UK or into foreign countries; however, it may not cover independent disembarkations.

Can I get compensation if my cruise was independently booked?

If your cruise was not a part of a package holiday, you may still be able to claim compensation for an injury that happened on-board. This is because the Merchant Shipping Act brought the international Athens Convention 1974 into UK law in 1979; applying its terms of liability to all passengers on international voyages, departing from or bound for the UK.

Is there a time limit in which to make the claim?

The time-limitation for a claim under UK law, is within three years of the accident or incident. The time-limitation for a claim under the Athens Convention, is within two years from the date of the accident or incident. In all cases, you should report your injury or illness to the Master of the cruise ship without delay; while you are still on-board the vessel.

Last Updated on 19/09/2011