Two ship officers aboard a Viking River Cruise ship lost their lives after the ship hit a low bridge on Main-Donau-Kanal in Erlangen last Sunday, September 11 at around 1:30 a.m. The Viking Freya was headed for Budapest when the incident occurred, according to gCaptain.

In a statement, Viking River Cruises said: “We are heartbroken, and company executives are on the scene to work closely with local authorities to understand the details of the accident. Guests may continue on their journey with a modified itinerary, embarking on the Bestla in Passau. Or, they may return home as soon as possible.” The ship’s wheelhouse was totally destroyed after the accident. The cruise lines’ future trips will not be affected by the incident, officials said.

Our team sees horrible accidents such as this one far too often and we know how difficult it is to recover. The thoughts of Louis A. Vucci P.A. are with the families of the victims of this accident as they mourn their losses.

The United States Coast Guard reported that Boston Harbor Cruises’ cruise ship, Regency, struck two other cruise ships that belonged to the same company last Saturday, August 13. The ships were stationed at the Long Wharf pier when the accident occurred.

According to the Coast Guard, the Regency was coming to port at Long Wharf when some mechanical failures caused the ship to drift toward the place where the Rookie and the Aurora were currently anchored. Early investigations revealed that no people sustained injuries during the incident, but authorities are still conducting further investigations into the incident. No passengers were aboard the Rookie or the Aurora at the time of the incident.

Cruise ship passengers who incur injuries during their trips and are not properly assisted by the cruise ship’s management may not know how to handle cruise ship companies. Fortunately, Louis A. Vucci P.A. can provide legal assistance to those who want to right the wrong done to them by a cruise ship company. Call our offices today at (786) 375-0344 to discuss your situation.

Officials on board the Celebrity Sumnmit cruise ship decided to return to Bermuda on July 22 after a cruise ship passenger was injured.

Pilot boat St. David assisted the cruise ship with retrieving the injured man by rendezvousing with Celebrity Summit around 9:30 p.m. in the waters off the east end. The pilot boat docked at Ordnance Island, which is located within the limits of St. Georgestown, where an awaiting ambulance took the victim to King Edward Memorial Hospital for the treatment of his wounds. According to Bermuda news station Bernews, the man sustained facial injuries during a fall on board the cruise ship.

Although they attract millions of American tourists yearly, cruise ship trips can bring about unfortunate accidents, especially when the owners of the boat fail to properly maintain it. Cruise ships present unique injury risks, so Louis A. Vucci P.A. is here to help if you are injured on a ship due to another person’s negligence. Get in touch with our team by calling our offices today at (786) 375-0344.

On Saturday, July 16, a cruise ship owned by the Iquito, Peru-based Aqua Expeditions exploded on the port of Iquitos, causing the death of seven crewmen and injuring 13 other individuals.

According to preliminary investigations, the tourist boat was being refueled near the banks of the River Itaya in the province of Loreto when the ship exploded, causing it to partially sink. The crewmen involved in the accident were doing maintenance cleanups at the time of the accident. Officials said a dive team from the Navy is conducting recovery efforts to obtain the bodies of five crewmen who were trapped under the vessel. Aqua Expeditions officials said that even though the explosion happened when the ship was refueling, they were refueling in a proper manner and following all safety guidelines while doing so.

Louis A. Vucci, P.A. sees the damage done by cruise ships due to negligence or pure accident. Our thoughts and condolences are with the families and friends of the victims in this accident.

Miami-based Carnival Corp. demanded the removal of Attorney David Singer from a personal injury lawsuit in the southern Florida district court. Carnival claims that Singer posted comments on Facebook to warn passengers of the “outrageously high temperatures” on the Carnival Sunshine ship, and that he published private information regarding a mediation session between his client and Carnival.

Carnival said that Singer’s “wildly improper” statements violate the federal court’s local rule on extrajudicial statements, and that the publishing private communications from the mediation directly violates a court order. A Carnival representative noted, “This court specifically ordered that ‘all discussions, representations, and statements made at the mediation conference shall be confidential and privileged’ and that ‘the court may impose sanctions against parties and/or counsel…who otherwise violate the terms of this order.”

An injury incurred on a cruise can be dangerous, especially if the injured person must wait for hours before a physician can attend to the issue. Louis A. Vucci P.A. can be counted on to handle cases of individuals injured on cruise ships. Call our offices at (786) 375-0344 to learn more.

Doral, Florida-based Carnival Cruise Line has reported that 33-year-old Carnival Liberty passenger Samantha Broberg, who was on board a ship bound for Mexico for a four-day cruise from Galveston, went overboard on Friday, May 13.

Broberg was initially reported missing by members of her traveling party.

After reviewing video surveillance, Carnival determined that Broberg had indeed gone overboard, according to video footage which “appears to show the woman going overboard around 2 a.m.” Prior to this announcement, the ship’s crew conducted a search of the cruise ship in efforts to find Broberg, posting a picture of her in every part of the ship.

As seen in this case, cruise lines have been unable to deter accidents, at times, from occurring. However, there are now reliable technology systems which can quickly detect and respond to these types of emergencies. The 2010 Cruise Vessel Security and Safety Act requires cruise ships to now install this technology, such as the Mobtronic system, which is known for its 95% detection accuracy and low false alarm rates.

If you are seeking legal representation to fight for compensation for injuries you have suffered due to the negligence of a cruise ship company, please contact our team at Louis A. Vucci P.A. by calling (786) 375-0344 today to speak to an experienced cruise ship lawyer.

As it was docking in the Port of Baltimore yesterday, the Carnival Pride crashed into a walkway used by passengers to enter and exit the ship, according to WJZ. The walkway collapsed and fell onto three vehicles that were beneath it. Thankfully, no one was injured in the accident; the walkway was not being used and the vehicles were unoccupied at the time of the incident.

Despite the damage it caused, the Carnival Pride sustained only minor damage when it hit the Maryland cruise terminal. According to Port of Baltimore spokesman Richard Scher, “‘It was not, again, a situation where they [Carnival] feel the operation of their ship is compromised at all.’” Though it is not yet apparent what caused the cruise ship to hit the walkway, the U.S. Coast Guard and the Carnival Pride are jointly investigating the accident.

The cruise liner was returning from the Bahamas and set out on another voyage, as scheduled, later that day. While passengers could not use the walkway that would normally be used to enter the cruise, they were able to use an alternate bridge.

A man who worked for Carnival Cruise as an electrician was killed in an elevator accident over the weekend. According to reports on KFOR.com, the electrician was working in the elevator shaft when the elevator descended. Carnival has not commented on the situation beyond stating that a crew member had died and that the company extended their condolences and support to the family of the deceased.

The scene of the accident was first discovered by passengers on the cruise who filmed footage of blood streaming down the elevator door. Apparently, there was also a passenger inside of the elevator at the time of the accident. Soon after the scene was discovered, crew members closed off the area. Though an investigation is reportedly underway, it is not clear why the elevator was not deactivated prior to the accident.

Two passengers of Miami, Florida-based Celebrity Cruises’ Celebrity Summit lost their lives while sixteen others sustained injuries, two of them critical, after the tour bus they were riding in crashed on Sunday, December 6 in Tortola, British Virgin Islands.

Reports noted that the excursion bus apparently lost control near Round Hill on the Cane Garden Bay Hill.

A statement quoting the Office of Premier of the British Virgin Islands Orlando Smith said that the Royal Virgin Islands police force, the Royal Island fire and rescue department, emergency medical responders, members of the British Virgin Island Tourist Board, and cruise ship personnel from the Celebrity Summit cruise line responded to the scene of the accident. The victims were transported to Peebles Hospital for treatment.

Celebrity Cruises said of the incident that “the bus was independently operated, and not part of any Celebrity-sponsored shore excursion…We will refer questions about the accident and its investigation to local authorities.”

Newcomer to the cruise industry, the Virgin Group founder Richard Branson announced plans for the launch of three cruise ships based at Port Miami at the Perez Art Museum, according to the Miami Herald on June 23.

The company had signed a letter of intent with Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri to build trio of 110,000-ton ships which have the capacity to carry about 2,800 passengers each. The ships are set to start sailing in 2020, 2021, and 2022, respectively. Branson hinted that the boats might be red, and although more details were not released, all Virgin representatives say these ships will offer a different cruise experience.

The attorneys at Louis A. Vucci P.A., know all too well the things that can go wrong on a cruise ship. If you have been injured on a cruise ship, received inadequate medical care, or something else, our legal team may help you pursue financial compensation from those responsible. Call us at (786) 375-0344 today to learn more.