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Fort Lauderdale Cruise Ship Injury Lawyer
Port Everglades welcomed a record 4.77 million cruise guests in fiscal year 2025. When a vacation ends in a fall, an assault, a tender accident, or a medical emergency handled badly, the cruise line’s ticket contract starts a fast clock. Shiner Law Group helps injured passengers act in time, with no fee unless we win.
On This Page — Fort Lauderdale Cruise Ship Injury Lawyer Guide
Cruise Injury Lawyers at the Home of Port Everglades
- Most cruise tickets require written notice within about 6 months and a lawsuit within 1 year, far shorter than a typical Florida injury claim.
- Many major lines require suit in federal court in South Florida; Holland America requires Seattle.
- Cruise lines owe passengers reasonable care under the circumstances, and can be responsible for their ship’s doctors and nurses.
- You pay nothing unless we recover compensation for you.
Port Everglades, just south of downtown Fort Lauderdale, calls itself one of the top three busiest cruise homeports in the world. In fiscal year 2025 it handled a record 4,773,873 cruise guests, with ships from Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, Princess, Holland America, Disney, and others sailing from its terminals every week.
Most of those voyages end safely. But cruise ships are floating cities with wet pool decks, steep stairways, tenders, gangways, shore excursions, crowded buffets, and onboard medical centers. When a cruise line or its crew is careless, passengers can suffer serious injuries far from home, and the legal rules that apply are not the ones most people expect.
Cruise injury claims are governed by federal maritime law and by the fine print in your ticket contract. Those contracts can require written notice of your claim within months and a lawsuit within a year, in a specific court. Shiner Law Group has represented injured Floridians since 2002 and has recovered more than $500 million for clients. We help passengers understand their deadlines and build their case before time runs out.
Cruise Safety by the Numbers
Every figure below comes from Port Everglades, federal law, or a federal agency.
Cruise guests at Port Everglades in fiscal year 2025 (preliminary), a record and up 16% from the year before.
Crimes reported to the FBI by cruise lines during 2025 under the Cruise Vessel Security and Safety Act, totaled from four quarterly U.S. DOT reports.
Of those 2025 reports involved sexual assault or rape (131 of 182).
The CDC treats a gastrointestinal outbreak as 3% or more of passengers or crew reporting symptoms, and publishes outbreak lists.
Minimum rail height above the cabin deck required on covered cruise ships by federal law.
The shortest notice and lawsuit deadlines a cruise ticket may legally impose on passengers of seagoing ships.
Common Cruise Ship Injuries
These are the claims we see most often from passengers sailing out of Port Everglades and other South Florida ports.
Slip and fall accidents
Wet pool decks, spilled drinks, polished stairs, and rough seas. To win, passengers generally must show the cruise line knew or should have known about the hazard.
Gangway & tender accidents
Boarding ramps, moving gangways, and small tender boats that shuttle passengers ashore cause falls, crush injuries, and fractures.
Shore excursion injuries
Zip lines, snorkel trips, and tours sold by the cruise line. Liability can depend on what the line knew about the operator and how it marketed the trip.
Assault & sexual assault
Federal law requires covered ships to report serious crimes to the FBI and to provide victims with medical care and forensic exams.
Onboard medical negligence
Delayed diagnosis or poor treatment in the ship’s medical center. The 11th Circuit has held cruise lines can be liable for their ship’s doctors and nurses.
Pool, drowning & illness
Unsupervised pools, overboard falls, and food- or water-borne illness outbreaks tracked by the CDC Vessel Sanitation Program.
Ticket Contract Deadlines
Your cruise ticket is a contract, and most major lines use it to shorten your time to act and choose the court.
| Cruise line | Written notice of claim | Lawsuit deadline | Where suit must be filed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Royal Caribbean | 6 months | 1 year | U.S. District Court, Southern District of Florida |
| Celebrity Cruises | 6 months | 1 year | U.S. District Court, Southern District of Florida |
| Princess Cruises | 6 months | 1 year | U.S. District Court, S.D. Florida (Miami) |
| Carnival Cruise Line | 185 days | 1 year | U.S. District Court, S.D. Florida (Miami) |
| Norwegian Cruise Line | 185 days | 1 year | U.S. District Court, S.D. Florida (Miami) |
| Holland America Line | 6 months | 1 year | U.S. District Court, W.D. Washington (Seattle) |
Terms summarized from each line’s published U.S. passenger contract as of October 2026. Ticket terms change; always check the contract for your sailing date. Federal law sets the minimums: at least 6 months for notice and 1 year to sue (46 U.S.C. § 30526).
The Law That Applies at Sea
Cruise passenger claims are decided under federal maritime law. These are the rules that matter most.
Reasonable care under the circumstances
The U.S. Supreme Court held that a shipowner owes passengers the duty of exercising reasonable care under the circumstances of each case.
Notice of the dangerous condition
Passengers generally must show the cruise line had actual or constructive notice of the hazard, for example that it existed long enough that the crew should have fixed it.
Liability for ship medical staff
The federal appeals court covering Florida held that cruise lines can be held vicariously liable for negligent care by the ship’s doctor and nurse.
No waiver of negligence liability
A cruise ticket cannot limit the line’s liability for injury or death caused by its own negligence, or take away the right to a trial.
Forum-selection clauses
The Supreme Court held that a ticket clause choosing the court for passenger lawsuits is generally enforceable if it is fundamentally fair.
Cruise Vessel Security and Safety Act
Covered ships must have rail heights of at least 42 inches, cabin peepholes, crime logs, FBI reporting of serious crimes, and trained medical staff for sexual assault victims.
What to Do After a Cruise Ship Injury
Cruise lines start building their defense the moment an incident is reported. These steps protect yours.
Get medical care and records
Visit the ship’s medical center and ask for copies of your records. When you return, Broward Health Medical Center on S Andrews Ave is the area’s Level I trauma center.
Report it in writing
File an incident report with guest services or security, and request a copy. Report crimes to ship security and the FBI.
Photograph everything
Capture the hazard, lighting, signage, and your injuries before the area is cleaned or repaired. Note the deck, location, and time.
Get witness names
Collect names and contact information for passengers and crew who saw what happened. They will scatter when the ship docks.
Keep your ticket and receipts
Your passenger contract controls your deadlines. Save it with medical bills, receipts, and any emails from the cruise line.
Call a lawyer before the notice deadline
Many lines require written notice within about 6 months. Talking to a lawyer early protects your notice, filing deadline, and court.
Visit or Call Shiner Law Group
Minutes from Port Everglades, serving injured cruise passengers from Fort Lauderdale and across Florida.
Shiner Law Group — Fort Lauderdale
6750 N Andrews Ave Suite 200 #2062
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33309
(954) 999-9900 · Available 24/7
Can’t come to us? We offer home, hospital, and video consultations anywhere in Broward County.
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Fort Lauderdale Cruise Injury FAQ
How much does a Fort Lauderdale cruise ship injury lawyer cost?
Nothing upfront. Shiner Law Group handles cruise injury cases on a contingency fee basis, so you pay no attorney fee unless we recover compensation for you. Call (954) 999-9900 for a free, confidential case review, available 24/7.
How long do I have to file a cruise ship injury claim?
Usually far less time than a typical Florida injury case. Most major cruise lines require written notice of a claim within about 6 months and a lawsuit within 1 year, which federal law allows (46 U.S.C. § 30526). The exact terms are in your passenger ticket contract, so contact a lawyer as soon as possible.
Where do I have to sue a cruise line?
Wherever your ticket contract says, in most cases. Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, Princess, Carnival, and Norwegian generally require suit in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida, while Holland America requires federal court in Seattle. Courts generally enforce these clauses under Carnival Cruise Lines v. Shute.
How many cruise passengers sail from Port Everglades?
Port Everglades reported a record 4,773,873 cruise guests in fiscal year 2025 (preliminary), up 16% from the prior year, and describes itself as one of the top three busiest cruise homeports in the world.
Can I sue a cruise line for a slip and fall?
Yes, if the cruise line was negligent. Under federal maritime law the cruise line owes reasonable care under the circumstances, and passengers generally must show the line knew or should have known about the dangerous condition. Photos, incident reports, and witness names are critical.
Is the cruise line responsible for the ship’s doctor?
It can be. In Franza v. Royal Caribbean (2014), the federal appeals court covering Florida held that cruise lines can be held vicariously liable for medical negligence by the ship’s doctors and nurses.
What should I do if I was assaulted on a cruise?
Get to safety, ask for medical care, and report the crime to ship security and the FBI. Federal law requires covered cruise ships to report serious crimes to the FBI and to provide victims with medical care and forensic exams. A lawyer can also help preserve video, which ships must retain under federal rules.
Where is Shiner Law Group’s Fort Lauderdale office?
Our Fort Lauderdale office is at 6750 N Andrews Ave Suite 200 #2062, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33309. Call (954) 999-9900 any time, day or night.
Hurt on a Cruise? The Clock Is Already Running.
Free, confidential case reviews 24/7. No fee unless we win.
This page is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice, nor does it create an attorney-client relationship. Statistics are cited to the public sources noted and may be preliminary or revised. Past results do not guarantee future outcomes; each case is unique and must be evaluated on its own merits. Attorneys at Shiner Law Group are Members of The Florida Bar. Shiner Law Group — Accident & Injury Lawyers. Attorney Advertising.