Cruise Ship Accident Law

The Admiralty and Maritime Law Committee of TIPS is the only organized ABA group devoted to the study and practice of admiralty and maritime law.

Introduced in the Senate by Sen. John Kerry (D-MA) and in the House by Rep. Doris Matsui (D-CA), the act provides for a number of upgrades to improve the security infrastructure of cruise vessels, mandates training of cruise ship personnel in various aspects of crime prevention and evidence preservation, and creates a reporting structure whereby cruise lines are required to report certain categories of onboard crime to the FBI and U.S. Coast Guard.

The Maritime Transportation Security Act of 2002 (MTSA) is designed to protect the nation’s ports and waterways from a terrorist attack. This law is the U.S. equivalent of the International Ship and Port Facility Security Code (ISPS), and was fully implemented on July 1, 2004. It requires vessels and port facilities to conduct vulnerability assessments and develop security plans that may include passenger, vehicle and baggage screening procedures; security patrols; establishing restricted areas; personnel identification procedures; access control measures; and/or installation of surveillance equipment. By creating a consistent security program for all our nation’s ports, we are better able to identify and deter threats.

The NTSB investigates major marine accidents on navigable waters of the United States, involving U.S. merchant vessels in international waters, and collisions involving U.S. public and nonpublic vessels. In addition, it investigates selected marine accidents that involve public transportation or those of a recurring nature.

The objective of the program is to enable the response community (U.S. Coast Guard, other Federal, State, and local agencies, as well as industry and other stake holders) to have processes and procedures to prevent, or if necessary, to respond to and mitigate a passenger vessel emergency, taking in account all available resources.

The United States Coast Guard is a military, multimission, maritime service within the Department of Homeland Security and one of the nation's five armed services. Its core roles are to protect the public, the environment, and U.S. economic and security interests in any maritime region in which those interests may be at risk, including international waters and America's coasts, ports, and inland waterways.

Cruise Lines International Association is the world’s largest cruise association and is dedicated to the promotion and growth of the cruise industry. CLIA is composed of 25 of the major cruise lines serving North America and is an organization that operates pursuant to an agreement filed with the Federal Maritime Commission under the Shipping Act of 1984 and serves as a non-governmental consultative organization to the International Maritime Organization, an agency of the United Nations.

The SOLAS Convention in its successive forms is generally regarded as the most important of all international treaties concerning the safety of merchant ships. The first version was adopted in 1914, in response to the Titanic disaster, the second in 1929, the third in 1948, and the fourth in 1960.

The Convention establishing the International Maritime Organization (IMO) was adopted in Geneva in 1948 and IMO first met in 1959. IMO's main task has been to develop and maintain a comprehensive regulatory framework for shipping and its remit today includes safety, environmental concerns, legal matters, technical co-operation, maritime security and the efficiency of shipping.

Cruise Bruise is a privately owned, family-run website, focused on incidents that take place in the cruise industry, including port-of-calls. It is the cornerstone of the i-Hug network. Cases and news on this site cover from the time a passenger books a cruise with a travel agent or online booking service to the time they arrive back home. A lot can happen during that time period, from travel agents who take the money and run to not being able to board due to Homeland Security law, right down to arriving home without the luggage. If it happened in the course of planning or taking a cruise, you might find it on Cruise Bruise.

When you and your family are on a cruise ship, you are no longer in America and you are no longer protected by American Law, but you still have rights that must be respected. While the shipping companies may not be governed by American laws at sea, they are still governed by a duty to provide reasonable care for their passengers. That means if the cruise line (or its employees) harms you or treats you unreasonably and/or an unreasonable condition on the ship, or causes you or your family to be injured, then you may be entitled to compensation for your injuries. Furthermore, if a crime is committed against you or your family, the Cruise S.O.S. card lays out the steps you must take in order to protect your rights.

International Cruise Victims Association (ICV) represents victims of crime on cruise ships, their families and friends, and individuals concerned about the problems of victimization and disappearances on cruise ships. With several hundred members, the organization advocates for legislative reform to protect passengers from crimes and increase the rights of victims of crimes that do occur on cruise ships, and provides support to victims of crimes occurring on cruise ships.

If you work on cruise ships or passenger vehicles, you also need to take the safety of passengers into account. ITF has specific policy advice for best practice in ensuring the safety of yourself, your crewmates and your passengers. See the link on the right of this page for more information.

The Passenger Vessel Association focuses on the issues and concerns most relevant to owners and operators of passenger vessels, manufacturers of maritime-related products and services and other service companies dedicated to achieving a common goal...working to develop a superior business environment for all.

Jim Walker is a nationally recognized attorney involved in admiralty and maritime personal injury law. He has been involved in maritime litigation since 1983. Based in Miami, Florida, Jim represents passengers and crew members injured or assaulted on cruise ships.

Marine Log is America's most respected marine industry monthly. It is dedicated to providing marine industry professionals with the information they need to enable them to design, build and operate vessels, rigs and offshore structures, profitably, safely, legally and in an environmentally responsible manner.

The Maritime Executive is the only vehicle so sharply focused to deliver essential information, news and reports from maritime decision makers to other maritime decision makers - an indispensable weapon in your arsenal for further business success in the marine industry.

Articles written by attorneys and experts worldwide discussing legal aspects related to Admiralty and Maritime including: boating, cruise and commercial ship accidents, Jones Act and ship registration.