Excursion Injuries

ARTICLE 3 OF 6

Shore excursions can involve buses, vans, boats, snorkeling, diving, zip lines, horseback riding, hiking, water sports, and other activities in foreign ports. When an excursion injury occurs, determining who is legally responsible can be more complicated than identifying the company whose name appeared on the ticket.

Potential defendants may include the local excursion operator, transportation provider, equipment owner, property owner, cruise line, or another contractor. Relevant questions include who selected or promoted the excursion, who collected payment, what safety representations were made, whether prior incidents were known, and what control the cruise line exercised over the activity.

Preserve excursion tickets, app screenshots, emails, advertisements, waivers, receipts, and photographs. Marketing language can matter because passengers often choose excursions based on how the cruise line describes them and the level of safety or oversight implied.

Obtain contact information for witnesses and local providers. If an accident report is prepared overseas, request a copy. Keep records of foreign medical care and transportation as well as follow-up treatment after returning home.

The cruise ticket may still affect the claim even though the injury occurred ashore. Forum-selection clauses, notice provisions, contractual language concerning independent contractors, and other terms should be reviewed promptly rather than assumed to be enforceable or unenforceable without analysis.