Royal Caribbean sued, adds homeport, Norwegian makes big change
Royal Caribbean faces a lawsuit over an incident at Perfect Day at CocoCay.
Cruise lines face enormous liability because there's nothing that stops passengers from suing when things go wrong.
If someone slips on the pool deck and breaks their ankle, they can sue even if the cruise line posts a warning. There's really nothing that stops people from filing a lawsuit because something bad happened, even if the cruise line is not at fault.
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That's a reality for any business, but it's a bigger danger for cruise lines since customers literally live on the company's properties for extended periods of time.
It's, of course, up to the courts to decide the merits of any lawsuit and Royal Caribbean will be heading to court over an incident that happened at Perfect Day ar CocoCay. In addition to facing a lawsuit, Royal Caribbean has made a surprising move to add a new homeport.
And, while Royal Caribbean is making moves, Norwegian Cruise Line has not been quiet. The cruise line is adding a new payment option that passengers should be happy about.
Doug Parker of Cruise News Today has the full story and more in the Feb. 13 edition of his popular YouTube series.
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Royal Caribbean faces lawsuit, adds homeport
Transcript:
This is Cruise News Today with Doug Parker.
Good morning, Here's your cruise news for Thursday, February 13.
A federal lawsuit has been filed against Royal Caribbean following a jet ski accident that left a female passenger with four spinal fractures and severe injuries during a guided excursion at CocoCay in the Bahamas.
Filed on Monday in the U.S. District Court, the lawsuit seeks over $5 million in damages, alleging negligence in training and supervising excursion staff. The woman's attorney, Justin Shapiro, claims a Royal Caribbean tour guide recklessly collided with her jet ski at a high speed, crushing her body against the jet ski this past December.
They are seeking a jury trial.
And Royal Caribbean will homeport in San Diego for the first time as part of its 26-2027 West Coast expansion.
Yes, Serenade of the Seas will do three to seven-night cruises to the Mexican Riviera starting on October 26. This move positions Royal Caribbean in direct competition with other cruise lines that sail from the West Coast.
Norwegian Cruise Line adds PayPal
And Norwegian Cruise Line has introduced PayPal as a payment option for U.S.-based bookings across its three brands. That's NCL, Oceana and Regent Seven Seas Cruises. The move is said to streamline transactions, with PayPal offering a 43 percent faster checkout.
The company will also continue using PayPal for reservations and onboard purchases. It should be noted that Carnival Cruise Line also accepts PayPal and has since 2016.
(The Arena Group will earn a commission if you book a cruise.)
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I'm Doug Parker with Cruise News Today. Have yourself a great Thursday.
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