Ebola

[Salacia]

Do cruise ships have an isolation ward? I think they would just put you in your cabin if you got sick with flu/noro/ebola, throw food in the door and hope for the best. With visits from the ships MD/Nurse. Meds if needed.

 

I wonder if a Ebola patient somehow decided to get on a cruise ship for a holiday and they developed symptoms, what port would accept the ship to dock??

 

Are the staff trained to contain the spread?

 

Do they have isolation or personal protective equipment to use?

 

Would passengers panic on board if someone had Ebola while on board?

 

I would be concerned not in a panic. Ebola it seems is about 50% terminal?

 

Would you avoid a ship if it did get a Ebola patient on it for a cruise, in the future?

 

DDBINK, you asked good questions. But I think the best response to most of your questions need to be answered by cruise lines.

 

Air lines have a protocol (such as it is) and guidelines from the CDC. See http://www.cdc.gov/quarantine/air/managing-sick-travelers/ebola-guidance-airlines.html

 

I haven't been able to find similar guidelines for cruise ships - not that they don't exist - just that I haven't been able to find any guidelines.

 

I have found guidelines from the US Coast Guard regarding increased reporting of illness on board. Here is one article, but there are many depending on the ports of concern http://abcnews.go.com/Health/wireStory/coast-guard-issues-protocols-prevent-ebola-26019129

 

Sadly, current information is that the mortality rate from Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) has risen from 50% to 70% according to several soucres - here's one: http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/news-wrap-west-africas-ebola-fatality-rate-rises-70-percent/

 

Now, having said all that, I believe that the risk of contracting EVD on a cruise ship is very low at the current time - from my keyboard to Gods Ear

 

Meanwhile, let's think about getting a flu shot!

 

Regards,

Salacia

[Salacia]

My parents taught me to never exchange bodily fluid with strangers. :p

 

PunkiC, you have mentioned that you have never encountered an outbreak of Noro Virus during any of your 40 cruises, so I can understand how you might not know that those unfortunate passengers who are suddenly stricken with the Noro virus can get very sick very quickly.

 

For example, getting into an elevator; an infected person can feel ok, and then one second later, he or she can violently throw up on your dancing shoes. You don't have to exchange bodily fluid with strangers, you can just be in right place at the wrong time. I've read accounts of similar events happening in various venues on board ships. Ship happens, as the saying goes.

 

Can the same thing happen with passengers suffering from other viruses? From my understanding the answer is yes - but then the problem is identifying the virus...and the beat goes on. -S

Edited October 15, 2014 by Salacia

[PunkiC]

Flu Deaths in the United States:

 

The answer of course is different every year, but on average, there are about 36,000 flu deaths per year in the United States.

 

Worldwide there are between 250,000 and 500,000 flu deaths per year. :eek:

 

Now this is something to worry about. Have you had a flu shot?

 

Can you die from Norovirus?

 

Yes, but it usually only kills very young people, elderly people, and immunocompromised people. About 200 people per year (mostly elderly) die from norovirus in the United States. When you consider that about 23 million people are infected with norovirus in the U.S. each year, 200 deaths is not a whole lot. As long as people get adequate medical care (replacing fluids and maintaining electrolyte balances), the chances of dying from norovirus are extremely low.

 

FWIW: Tobacco use is the leading preventable cause of death.

 

Worldwide, tobacco use causes more than 5 million deaths per year, and current trends show that tobacco use will cause more than 8 million deaths annually by 2030.

Edited October 15, 2014 by PunkiC

[Salacia]

"CDC does not know exactly how many people die from seasonal flu each year. There are several reasons for this. First, states are not required to report individual seasonal flu cases or deaths of people older than 18 years of age to CDC. Second, seasonal influenza is infrequently listed on death certificates of people who die from flu-related complications. Third, many seasonal flu-related deaths occur one or two weeks after a person’s initial infection, either because the person may develop a secondary bacterial co-infection (such as bacterial pneumonia) or because seasonal influenza can aggravate an existing chronic illness (such as congestive heart failure or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease). Also, most people who die from seasonal flu-related complications are not tested for flu, or they seek medical care later in their illness when seasonal influenza can no longer be detected from respiratory samples. Sensitive influenza tests are only likely to detect influenza if performed within a week after onset of illness. In addition, some commonly used tests to diagnose influenza in clinical settings are not highly sensitive and can provide false negative results (i.e. they misdiagnose flu illness as not being flu.) For these reasons, many flu-related deaths may not be recorded on death certificates. These are some of the reasons that CDC and other public health agencies in the United States and other countries use statistical models to estimate the annual number of seasonal flu-related deaths. Flu deaths in children were made a nationally notifiable condition in 2004, and since then, states have reported flu-related child deaths in the United States through the Influenza Associated Pediatric Mortality Surveillance System." -copied from http://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/disease/us_flu-related_deaths.htm

[Cats2010]

not sure what the purpose is with all these "estimates".

The situation is bad enough and everything else is producing panic.

 

Fact:

http://www.cdc.gov/vhf/ebola/outbreaks/2014-west-africa/case-counts.html

 

 

The 'purpose' of estimates is that they (WHO) do not have precise figures and the reason is that local conditions, first and foremost in Africa, are insufficient to provide them.

[Yoshikitty]

In the meantime, the number of people killed by the Ebola virus has inreased to 8.000.

 

Your post implies that this was an confirmed information.

But it's only based on a wild guess and that's panicmaking at best.

I have nothing more to add

[Cats2010]

My post did not imply in any way that the figure quoted therein was a confirmed one. Had this been the case, I would have said so. In a later post I added that its basis was a newspaper article.

 

As I explained before, there are no reliable figures at the moment by any body, which the WHO, the leading worldwide organisation, confirms by quoting an estimate by which the actual official mortal figure is doubled.

 

The officially known figures change on a day-to-day basis and, as one can well imagine, the conditions in Africa cannot compared at all with 'normal 'Western conditions, and I am sure that there is a lot of improvisation necessary on the spot. My deep respect goes to those that are personally involved in helping to safe lifes.

 

I hope you understand now,yoshikitty

Edited October 15, 2014 by Cats2010

[loerie]

ALL of Africa is so corrupt that what ever aid the west sends will go into some. ones back pockets

[ToadOfToadHall]

ALL of Africa is so corrupt that what ever aid the west sends will go into some. ones back pockets

 

That is very true, that's why I never make any aid donations. Instead, our Government in the UK pours £10bn of our money down the drain in overseas aid, which I think is very generous of them. But then it's easy to be generous with other people's money.

[DDBINK1]

The U.S. sent approximately $37,680,000,000 overseas in 2012 for foreign aid. I wonder how much of it went down the rabbit hole of corruption and not into helping people like those being hurt by the Ebola Virus? I am betting alot was for weapons not hospitals or anything good.

[Salacia]

No doubt, we've all read reports of those with possible contact to the Ebola virus being isolated as a precautionary measure. So it should come as no surprise that, according to this report, one person (and a companion) with a possible exposure has voluntarily isolated themselves on a cruise ship, and the ship is returning back to the US -http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/10/17/us-health-ebola-usa-cruiseship-idUSKCN0I60F520141017

 

Best wishes to all concerned. -S.

Edited October 17, 2014 by Salacia

[pepperrn]

No doubt, we've all read reports of those with possible contact to the Ebola virus being isolated as a precautionary measure. So it should come as no surprise that, according to this report, one person (and a companion) with a possible exposure has voluntarily isolated themselves on a cruise ship, and the ship is returning back to the US -http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/10/17/us-health-ebola-usa-cruiseship-idUSKCN0I60F520141017 Best wishes to all concerned. -S.

Sorry Salacia, the link doesn't work :( , not your fault I'm sure. Which ship are we talking about? And where in the US from/back to? Thanks in advance :) .

(edited to add: I "cut and pasted" the address, thank you, but this item gives little information, do you have further details?)

Edited October 17, 2014 by pepperrn

[Salacia]

Sorry Salacia, the link doesn't work :( . Which ship are we talking about? And where in the US from/back to? Thanks in advance :) .

 

Hi Pepper. Any report I've found doesn't mention the ship, only that it recently departed from Galveston, Texas - so it wasn't a Cunard ship, but the cruise line hasn't been specified in any report I've found.

 

Here is a partial quote from a different source since the previous link didn't work for you...

"A Dallas health care worker who handled clinical specimens from an Ebola-infected man from Liberia who later died is on a Caribbean cruise ship, where they have self-quarantined and are being monitored for any signs of infection, the State Department said in a statement.

 

According to the government statement, the worker departed on a cruise ship from Galveston, Texas on Oct. 12 and was out of the country before being notified of active monitoring required by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention..." http://abcnews.go.com/Health/hospital-worker-handled-ebola-samples-caribbean-cruise/story?id=26263642

[Jillbu]

Carnival magic.

 

If news reports are to be believed.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

[Salacia]

Additional information:

"The Belize coast guard is refusing to allow passengers from a cruise ship to come ashore because it’s carrying a Texas hospital worker who handled a lab specimen from the man who died of Ebola in Dallas, according to news reports from Belize. A White House official confirmed to the Associated Press early Friday morning that that the unnamed Dallas health care worker is on the ship and is “self-quarantined.” But the White House did not identify the country.

 

The official told the AP that the woman, who is accompanied by her husband, has shown no signs of the disease for 17 days. The AP said the State Department is working to secure the couple’s transportation home.

 

According to the Belizean, the ship is the Carnival Magic, carrying 3,652 passengers. It departed from Galveston, Tx., on Oct. 12 and arrived in in Belize Thursday morning. Belize is a small country on the Carribbean coast just south of Yucatan and east of Guatemala..." copied from http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2014/10/17/cruise-ship-carrying-texas-ebola-nurse-refused-entry-in-belize/

 

The government of Belize released the following statement:

 

The Government of Belize was contacted today by officers of the U.S. Government and made aware of a cruise ship passenger considered of very low risk for Ebola. The passenger had voluntarily entered quarantine on board the ship and remains free of any fever or other symptoms of illness. The Ebola virus may only be spread by patients who are experiencing fever and symptoms of illness and so the US Government had emphasized the very low risk category in this case. Nonetheless, out of an abundance of caution, the Government of Belize decided not to facilitate a U.S. request for assistance in evacuating the passenger through the Phillip Goldson International Airport.

 

The GOB reassures the public that the passenger never set foot in Belize and while we remain in close contact with US officials we have maintained the position that when even the smallest doubt remains, we will ensure the health and safety of the Belizean people. The Prime Minister has called a press conference tomorrow morning to further address any concerns that may arise from this event.

[Salacia]

Carnival magic.

 

If news reports are to be believed.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

 

How many different sources do you require to accept that there is at least some truth to the report?

[pepperrn]

Additional information:

"The Belize coast guard is refusing to allow passengers from a cruise ship to come ashore because it’s carrying a Texas hospital worker who handled a lab specimen from the man who died of Ebola in Dallas, according to news reports from Belize. A White House official confirmed to the Associated Press early Friday morning that that the unnamed Dallas health care worker is on the ship and is “self-quarantined.” But the White House did not identify the country.

 

The official told the AP that the woman, who is accompanied by her husband, has shown no signs of the disease for 17 days. The AP said the State Department is working to secure the couple’s transportation home.

 

According to the Belizean, the ship is the Carnival Magic, carrying 3,652 passengers. It departed from Galveston, Tx., on Oct. 12 and arrived in in Belize Thursday morning. Belize is a small country on the Carribbean coast just south of Yucatan and east of Guatemala..." copied from http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2014/10/17/cruise-ship-carrying-texas-ebola-nurse-refused-entry-in-belize/

 

The government of Belize released the following statement:

 

The Government of Belize was contacted today by officers of the U.S. Government and made aware of a cruise ship passenger considered of very low risk for Ebola. The passenger had voluntarily entered quarantine on board the ship and remains free of any fever or other symptoms of illness. The Ebola virus may only be spread by patients who are experiencing fever and symptoms of illness and so the US Government had emphasized the very low risk category in this case. Nonetheless, out of an abundance of caution, the Government of Belize decided not to facilitate a U.S. request for assistance in evacuating the passenger through the Phillip Goldson International Airport.

 

The GOB reassures the public that the passenger never set foot in Belize and while we remain in close contact with US officials we have maintained the position that when even the smallest doubt remains, we will ensure the health and safety of the Belizean people. The Prime Minister has called a press conference tomorrow morning to further address any concerns that may arise from this event.

Thank you Salacia :) , your "google" (or similar ;) ) powers of research never cease to amaze me, I wish I had your patience.

 

Thank you for the additional information, all best wishes :) .

Edited October 17, 2014 by pepperrn

[Salacia]

Here is a report from Belize http://belizean.com/belize-confirms-patient-with-ebola-symptoms-on-cruise-ship-off-its-coast-1814/

 

This contradicts previous reports - I have no idea how accurate it is.

 

"Reports tonight are that two individuals possibly infected with the Ebola virus are in Belizean waters. Local TV station Channel 7 monitored in the capital City Of Belmopan tonight, reported having credible reports that a couple from a Texas-based cruise ship presently anchored off Belize City, is on a ship tender, unable to return to the cruise ship, while being refused entry to Belize City to catch an air ambulance awaiting at the International Airport to take them to the their country of origin, the U.S.A. The television station in its broadcast tonight said Belize health authorities contacted tonight have so far refused to deny or confirm the report. The patient exhibiting Ebola symptoms has been confirmed to be a nurse at a Dallas hospital traveling with her husband.

 

Later tonight in breaking news, Channel 5 Belize reported that it has:

 

“Confirmed with representatives of the Ministry of Health that they have indeed received a report that there is at least one passenger on board the cruise ship, Carnival Magic, showing symptoms similar to that of the Ebola virus. According to the report made to MOH, the person exhibiting the symptoms did not come ashore today. The ship is reportedly carrying 3652 passengers and a total population of 4633 persons.

 

“The Carnival Magic departed from Galveston Texas on Sunday, October 12 arrived in Mahogany Bay, Honduras on Wednesday October 15 and arrived in Belize this morning, Thursday October 16.

 

“The ship was scheduled to leave Belize en route to Cozumel this evening at 5pm. However, it is still anchored in Belizean waters near State Bank Caye.”

 

“We have also have confirmed that the Belize Coast Guard has been deployed to prevent anyone from leaving the ship; including the Belizean pilot on board.”

 

In a press conference held last weak, Belize’s Ministry of Health stated that in the event of an outbreak of Ebola in Belize, no patient would be allowed into the commercial capital Belize City, where most of the Belize government cabinet officials reside. The MOH stated that the government hospital, the Karl Heuesner Memorial Hospital has but one Intensive Care Unit and they would not allow this to be overrun with Ebola patients. Belize is a a very poor country on the Yucatan Peninsula that depends to a large extent on tourism and grants from Venezuela for its foreign exchange income. Belize City is currently the main port of call for cruise ships.

 

Update: Channel 7 news anchor Indira Craig has posted on her Facebook page that Belize Prime Minister Dean Barrow in a callous move in view of very close Belize-U.S. relations, has denied entry into Belize for the stricken U.S. nationals to be air lifted to the U.S.A. for treatment:

 

“Talks have concluded with the PM and The US State Department officials. Belize WILL NOT BE GRANTING ACCESS to the suspected passengers to have entry onto our shores. An official release will be sent out shortly by government followed by a press conference to be held tomorrow.Passports have been returned so this scare has ended.”

 

In a late night official press release issued by the Belize Press Office, the Belize government offered its version of the Belize Ebola Incident.It stresses that while the patient did not disembark in Belize, it does not address the question that thousands of cruise ship passengers that may have had contact with the patient(s) did in fact disembark and tour Belize City today:

 

Belmopan. October 16, 2014. The Government of Belize was contacted today by officers of the U.S. Government and made aware of a cruise ship passenger considered of very low risk for Ebola. The passenger had voluntarily entered quarantine on board the ship and remains free of any fever or other symptoms of illness. The Ebola virus may only be spread by patients who are experiencing fever and symptoms of illness and so the US Government had emphasized the very low risk category in this case. Nonetheless, out of an abundance of caution, the Government of Belize decided not to facilitate a U.S. request for assistance in evacuating the passenger through the Phillip Goldson International Airport.

 

The GOB reassures the public that the passenger never set foot in Belize and while we remain in close contact with US officials we have maintained the position that when even the smallest doubt remains, we will ensure the health and safety of the Belizean people. The Prime Minister has called a press conference tomorrow morning to further address any concerns that may arise from this event."

Edited October 17, 2014 by Salacia

[Salacia]

Thank you Salacia :) , your "google" (or similar ;) ) powers of research never cease to amaze me, I wish I had your patience.

 

Thank you for the additional information, all best wishes :) .

 

Pepper, you're welcome.

I don't know what's going on with this situation in Belize, but I don't like the sound of it. -S.

[Salacia]

"Thursday, October 16, 2014. PATRICK E. JONES Reporting: Prime Minister Dean Barrow is scheduled to address the Belizean people via a press conference on Friday in the wake of a situation in involving a cruise ship passenger potentially infected Ebola.

 

A government statement issued late Thursday night says that “the government of Belize was contacted by officers of the US government and made aware of a cruise ship passenger considered of very low risk for Ebola.”

 

The Belize government statement said that the cruise ship passenger had “voluntarily entered quarantine on board the ship and remains free of any fever or other symptoms of the illness.”

 

While rumours ran wild in social media earlier on Thursday night, the government release made clear that “out of an abundance of caution, the Government of Belize decided not to facilitate a US request for assistance in evacuating the passenger through the Philip Goldson International Airport.”

 

It is to be noted, that, as pointed out in the official statement, the passenger suspected of “very low risk for Ebola” did not set foot in Belize and remained in voluntary quarantine on board the cruise ship.

 

Belize government officials say they will remain in contact with their United States counterparts and stands firm by the position that “when even the smallest doubt remains, we will ensure the health and safety of the Belizean people.”

 

During Friday’s press conference, Prime Minister Dean Barrow will seek “to further address any concerns that may arise” from Thursday’s incident." copied from http://www.patrickjonesbelize.com/2014/10/16/gob-suspected-ebola-cruise-passenger-set-foot-belize/

[pepperrn]

... "The Belize government statement said that the cruise ship passenger had “voluntarily entered quarantine on board the ship and remains free of any fever or other symptoms of the illness.” ...

You just know that certain sections of the gutter press will report the above in screaming headlines as "Ebola on cruise ship!" don't you? And then about four paragraphs in, maybe (maybe) tell the truth.

 

Thank you again.

Edited October 17, 2014 by pepperrn

[Salacia]

You just know that certain sections of the gutter press will report the above in screaming headlines as "Ebola found on cruise ship!" don't you? And then about four paragraphs in, maybe (maybe) tell the truth.

 

Thank you again.

 

Pepper, I have no idea what exactly is going on - there are so many conflicting reports from various sources, some quite reputable. I think it will be days - or even weeks - before we learn the facts, but meantime, my hope is that common sense will prevail.

 

That "the Government of Belize decided not to facilitate a US request for assistance in evacuating the passenger through the Philip Goldson International Airport" is troubling. -S.

[KevCruiser]

Ebola on the High Seas: Should Cruise Passengers Worry About Becoming Infected?

 

Posted on October 9, 2014 by Jim Walker

 

I have received a dozen inquiries in the last few days about the chances of contracting Ebola during a cruise. My thought is that the chance is slim that anyone is going to go on a cruise and return home infected with the virus. But there are some issues that concern me.

For U.S. Travelers, Chances of Infection Are Slim at this Time

 

From what I have learned, it's very difficult to contract the the virus. A cruise passenger would first have to come into close personal contact with an infected person. The infection could come from contact with the infected victim's bodily fluids (blood, saliva, vomit, feces, urine, or semen) or through contaminated needles. This would first require travel to the affected countries in West Africa (Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Guinea) and then intimate contact with an Ebola victim.

 

So far, the only victim in the U.S. is Thomas Duncan who traveled to Dallas from Liberia and since died. There is a chance that the persons who he came into contact with could develop the disease, but the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) is carefully monitoring the health of all persons who possibly could have come into contact with Mr. Duncan.

 

Cruise lines are prudently avoiding ports in West Africa. Holland America Line, Seabourn Cruise Line, Regent Seven Seas Cruises and Fred Olsen are dropping West African ports in Ghana, Gambia and Senegal. Princess Cruises is considering rerouting its 30-day "West Africa Adventure," according to the L.A. Times.

 

Royal Caribbean does not call on any ports in West Africa, although ironically Royal Caribbean is incorporated in Liberia to avoid taxes and regulations.

Bloomberg says that the Ebola scare has lowered cruise stocks. Carnival's stock price fell 5.5 percent, NCL was down 2.8 percent, and Royal Caribbean fell 5.9 percent even though it doesn't sail near the affected (infected) area.

 

To my knowledge, there are no cruise lines which routinely hire from Liberia, Sierra Leone, or Guinea. In fact, I have never met or even heard of crew members from these countries. I anticipate that if there are any crew members from these countries, they will not be be re-hired when they return home on vacation. Miami-based cruise lines enacted such hiring freezes on crew members from affected areas during the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) outbreak in the past.

 

But I'm Uncertain About the Future

 

There are some factors, though, that make me nervous about the future.

 

• The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) says that as many as 1,400.000 people could be infected with Ebola by January 2015.

• The virus will get worse in the West African countries.

• Experts predict the virus to appear in Europe within the month.

• There are reports that Ebola can survive on surfaces for anywhere from a few hours to several days, depending on the type of surface, the temperature, and the amount of light.

• According to the CDC, the average time for symptoms of Ebola to appear is 8-10 days.

• Many travelers don't disclose illnesses either before or during their cruises because they don't want to be barred from the ship or confined to their cabin.

• Some employees don't report to the ship infirmary because they don't want to lose their tips.

 

My concern is that the outbreak will continue and expand. It has already reached Spain. Jacquie Kubin writes in her article Ebola: Lessons Learned from SARS, the Flu, and HIV / AIDS that there is a 75% probability that the virus will reach France by the end of October and a 50% chance that Ebola will migrate to the U.K.

 

If the virus reaches Europe so quickly, future cruise travelers and employees could become infected. If those infected are booked on cruises, it is foreseeable that an infected person will fail to disclose the early symptoms of Ebola (intentionally or simply because they doesn't know they have been infected) when they appear at the airport or terminal and then embark the aircraft or cruise ship.

We already know from noro virus cases, many cruise passengers are ill when they come to the cruise ship. Unfortunately, they sometimes lie to get on the ship, and they won't stay in their cabins even when they are infectious.

 

We also know from past experiences that some crew members report to work when they are ill, including food handlers. This is documented in the CDC literature.

Cruise ships are not prepared to handle a situation with an infected Ebola victim aboard. Any crew members called upon to clean up the vomit and diarrhea and other bodily fluids of a sick passenger would likely become infected. An infected chef or waiter shedding Ebola would be a disaster and could potentially infect hundreds of passengers.

 

We have seen that cruise ships can easily be plagued by outbreaks of diseases which include not only gastrointestinal diseases, noro virus and e-coli, but measles & rubella, Legionnaires Disease, SARS and other infectious diseases.

 

Unlike noro virus which lasts a few days, Ebola is potentially deadly. The victim needs immediate and specialized treatment that a cruise ship can't provide. An Ebola outbreak on a cruise ship could result in deaths as well as a public relations disaster.

 

Stay Tuned and Hope for the Best

 

There currently is no vaccine for Ebola. Clinical trials are just starting.

For the next many months, cruise lines will consider West Africa to be a no-man's land. Until the disease is eradicated, the cruise lines must avoid the ports there. Cruise ships will continue sailing wide of West Africa until the coast is clear. Hopefully the virus will not spread to Europe and find its way onto cruise ships.

 

http://www.cruiselawnews.com/tags/infected/

Edited October 17, 2014 by KevCruiser

[capnpugwash]

Interesting read, I seldom use respected and lawyer in the same sentence though. :)

[KevCruiser]

Interesting read, I seldom use respected and lawyer in the same sentence though. :)

 

Cruise ship accidents, injuries, crimes, disappearances, fires, and collisions on the high seas involve issues of maritime law. Jim Walker graduated from law school in 1983 and has been handling maritime law cases for the past thirty-one years. He handles a wide variety of cases from serious injuries to the highest profile sexual assault and cruise crime cases.

Jim focuses his maritime law practice on representing cruise passengers and crew members in cases against cruise lines such as Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, Disney, Holland America Line, Princess and Norwegian Cruise Line among others.

The firm handles cases on a "contingency" basis - meaning that you do not send us a retainer and we do not bill you for our fees or expenses.

We advance all costs and are reimbursed for our time and costs only if we are successful in reaching a settlement or we win the case for you.

PASSENGER CASES:

Jim's firm represents passengers throughout the United States, Canada, England and Europe. 95% of his U.S. clients live outside of Florida, from New York to California.

Jim handles the following types of cases:

 

• Slip and fall accidents on wet decks, buffet floors, and slippery pool decks.
  
• Sexual assaults on cruise ships, by crew members or other passengers.
  
• Physical assaults and battery, often due to intoxicated passengers.
  
• Overboard passengers and “disappearances” at sea.
  
• Injuries during shore excursions.
  
• Injuries and deaths on tour excursion vehicles and open "safari" buses.
  
• Injuries while boarding tenders to and from the cruise ships.
  
• Cruise ship catastrophes - fires, sinkings and collisions.
  
• Injuries and deaths arising from terrorist and pirate attacks.
  

CREW MEMBERS CASES

Jim has handled many hundreds of cases against cruise lines like Carnival, Celebrity, Disney, Oceania, Princess, Royal Caribbean and Silversea. The types of cases include:

 

• Delayed and improper medical care on the cruise ship.
  
• Failure to provide medical treatment ashore.
  
• Medical negligence by doctors hired by the cruise lines in foreign countries
  
• Failure to pay wages and living expenses in a timely manner.
  
• Abandoning the crew member in their home country after becoming injured or ill.
  
• Neck, shoulder and back injuries to waiters due to lifting heavy trays.
  
• Slip and falls in the galley.
  
• Injuries to stateroom attendants.
  
• Accidents handling luggage during embarkation day.
  
• Sexual harassment and sexual assault.
  

Jim is handling cases of crew members from countries like Jamaica, St. Vincent, Trinidad, Nicaragua, Serbia, Croatia, India, Canada, Peru, Brazil, Argentina, and Mexico.

With recent widespread incidents of cruise ship fires, collisions and sinkings, the world-wide media has called upon Jim for legal commentary and analysis. In 2013 alone, Jim has appeared in over 150 television, cable news, radio, documentary, and newspaper articles and programs.

http://www.cruiselawnews.com/promo/services/

 

I wanted to edit this in my previous post,but the 20 minutes between editing posts was up.

 

This guy is a world renown sea-lawyer who has advised on countless programes world wide.

 

Here is more on him on his site:

 

 

About Jim Walker

The New York Times describes Jim Walker as "a maritime lawyer in Miami who has attended more than half a dozen Congressional hearings about cruise ship crime and passenger safety." Jim has been involved in maritime litigation since 1983. Based in Miami, Florida, Jim represents passengers and crew members injured or assaulted on cruise ships around the world.

As this year (2014) begins, Jim has been one of the "go to" maritime lawyers when things go wrong on the high seas.

In 2012, Jim appeared on ABC's 20/20 special on the Costa Concordia disaster. He appeared on Australia's Dateline program "Lost at Sea" about passengers and crew members disappearing from cruise ships. Jim was featured on PBS's documentary "Disasters at Sea: Why Ships Sink" which looked at cruise disasters from the Titanic's sinking in 1912 to the current date. He also appeared on CNN's special "Cruise to Disaster" which explored the Concordia disaster.

Jim attended Duke University and graduated cum laude in 1980. He attended Tulane University School of Law, graduating in 1983 after taking Tulane’s internationally renowned admiralty curriculum.

Jim has experience regarding issues of cruise ship crime and sexual assault.

Over the past ten years, he has represented over 1,000 clients including over 75 individuals who have been victimized on cruise ships, cruise excursions and ports of call. Six of Jim’s clients have testified before the United States Congress regarding cruise ship safety. Jim has handled the following cases in the past ten years:

 

• The case of Laurie Dishman, sexually assaulted on Royal Caribbean’s Vision of the Seas. Her case resulted in changes to the cruise industry and the introduction of the Cruise Ship Safety and Security Act of 2010.
  
• The “Missing Honeymooner Case” involving the disappearance of George Smith IV of Greenwich Connecticut from Royal Caribbean’s Brilliance of the Seas cruise ship. Jim represented Mr. Smith’s widow, Jennifer Hagel.
  
• Over 75 sexual assault cases against women and children on cruise ships, resulting in many million and multi-million dollars settlements.
  
• The 2006 Star Princess fire disaster. The cruise ship fire resulted in one hundred cabins being destroyed and the death of one passenger, Richard Liffridge. Jim represented Mr. Liffridge’s family in litigation against Princess Cruises in California.
  
• Numerous cases involving serious injury and death of passengers and crew members aboard Carnival, Celebrity, Costa, Norwegian, Oceania, Princess and Royal Caribbean cruise ships.
  

Jim is married to Lisa O’Neill who he met while they were undergraduates in college thirty years ago. Jim and Lisa are also law partners.

Lisa is also a Duke cum laude graduate, and attended the University of Florida School of Law in Gainesville, Florida. She served on Law Review as the Senior Articles Editor, won the prestigious Gertrude Brick Award, and graduated cum laude. Jim and Lisa work on all cases together.

Jim is the author of Cruise Law News - described as a "Hard-Hitting Blog" by Miami's Daily Business Review.

The U.K. Metro newspaper refers to Jim as the "Devil of Cruise Reporting."

Professional Associations

 

• Admiralty Law Committee of the Florida Bar (former member)
  
• American Association for Justice, Admiralty Law Section
  
• Florida Admiralty Trial Lawyers Association
  
• Maritime Law Association of the United States
  
• Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum
  
• Southeast Admiralty Law Institute
  

Education

 

• Kent School, Kent Connecticut 1976
  
• Duke University, Durham North Carolina 1980
  
• Tulane School of Law, New Orleans Louisiana 1983
  

Bar Admissions

 

• Florida Bar Association
  
• Louisiana Bar Association (not active)
  
• United States District Courts, Eastern District of Louisiana and Southern District of Florida.
  

 

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So the point I'm trying to make is this comment is from a source that I think one can take heed.

 

And no...I'm not on his pay-roll. :)

Edited October 17, 2014 by KevCruiser