Cruise Ticket Deadlines

ARTICLE 6 OF 6

The passenger ticket is one of the most important documents after a cruise injury. It is a contract that can contain provisions governing notice of claims, the time to file suit, and the court or location where a lawsuit must be brought.

Federal law permits qualifying seagoing passenger vessels to use contractual notice and suit limitations within statutory minimums. For many large cruise lines, tickets commonly require written notice within a matter of months and require suit within one year. The exact ticket controls, and the wording should be reviewed rather than assumed.

The ticket may also contain a forum-selection clause requiring litigation in a particular federal or state court. A passenger who lives in Texas, Louisiana, or another state may be required to file in Florida or another designated forum depending on the cruise line and ticket terms.

There are statutory exceptions and tolling provisions in some circumstances, including provisions addressing minors, mental incompetence, wrongful death, and situations in which the vessel owner had knowledge and was not prejudiced by lack of notice. Those issues are fact dependent and should not be relied upon as a reason to delay.

Preserve the original ticket contract, booking confirmation, app terms, emails, itinerary, and proof of purchase. Prompt review of those documents is one of the first steps in protecting a cruise-passenger claim.