Every year, millions of passengers board cruise ships from Miami, Port Everglades, Port Canaveral, and Tampa. Most return home safely — but thousands are injured each year by negligent cruise lines, unsafe conditions, and inadequate security.

If you or a loved one was hurt on a cruise, you need a cruise ship injury victim advocate — an attorney who understands maritime law, the special rules that govern cruise ship cases, and the aggressive tactics cruise lines use to deny or minimize claims.

At Juan Cordero Lawyers, we are that advocate.

Cruise ships are floating cities. Injuries occur in ways passengers never expect:

• Slip and falls on wet pool decks, dining areas, and gangways
• Stairway and elevator accidents — poor lighting, missing handrails, mechanical failures
• Food poisoning and norovirus outbreaks — negligent food handling
• Sexual assault and negligent security — cruise lines have a duty to protect passengers
• Shore excursion accidents — ATV tours, zip lines, snorkeling, boat excursions
• Medical negligence — inadequate onboard medical care for serious conditions
• Tender boat and gangway accidents — falls during boarding and disembarkation
• Swimming pool and water slide accidents
• Falling objects and cargo accidents

Cruise ship injury cases are governed by maritime law (also called admiralty law), which is fundamentally different from standard personal injury law. Here is what makes these cases uniquely challenging:

Buried in your cruise ticket is a contract that typically:

• Requires you to sue in a specific court (usually Miami federal court for major cruise lines)
• Limits the time you have to file a claim — often just 1 year from the date of injury
• Requires written notice within 6 months of the incident

Miss these deadlines and your case is gone — regardless of how serious your injuries are.

The ship's surveillance footage, incident reports, crew witness statements, and maintenance logs are all controlled by the cruise line. An experienced maritime attorney knows how to preserve and obtain this evidence before it disappears.

For crew members injured at sea, the Jones Act provides special protections including the right to sue your employer for negligence. Passengers are covered under general maritime law, which requires proving the cruise line knew or should have known about the dangerous condition.

1. Report the incident immediately to the ship's Guest Services or Security — get a written incident report number
2. See the ship's doctor — even if you feel the injury is minor; this creates a medical record
3. Photograph everything — the hazard, your injuries, the location on the ship
4. Get witness names and contact information
5. Preserve your ticket, boarding pass, and all cruise documents
6. Do not accept any settlement offer from the cruise line without speaking to a lawyer
7. Contact a maritime injury attorney as soon as possible — the clock starts immediately

Many passengers are hurt not on the ship itself but during shore excursions — tours and activities booked through the cruise line or independently at port. Cruise lines often try to disclaim responsibility for shore excursion injuries, but this is not always legally valid. We have successfully pursued claims for clients injured during excursions in the Bahamas, Jamaica, Mexico, and throughout the Caribbean.

Cruise ship injury victims may be entitled to:

• All medical expenses — including treatment after returning home
• Future medical care for permanent injuries
• Lost wages and loss of earning capacity
• Pain and suffering
• Emotional distress and PTSD
• Permanent disability or disfigurement
• Loss of enjoyment of life
• Wrongful death damages for families who lost a loved one

Attorney Juan Cordero has represented cruise ship injury victims for over 26 years. We understand the federal maritime courts, the cruise line defense tactics, and the evidence preservation strategies that make the difference between a winning case and a dismissed one.

We handle cruise ship cases on a contingency fee basis — you pay nothing unless we win.

Miami is the cruise capital of the world. We are right here, ready to fight for you.

If you were injured on a cruise ship, call 305.525.8957 for a free consultation. We represent passengers from all over the world in Florida federal court. Time limits are strict — do not wait.