What you sign away with a cruise ticket

[Chmie]

I thought this article would be of interest to some of us.

Some of these I was aware of but...seems a lots of us are at risk of being sued for posting pictures we took during our cruises ( assuming permission wasn't granted ) ;)

 

* The right to privacy. When you sign the Carnival contract, you give the company the right "at all times with or without notice" to search your bags and personal effects. That's so they can make sure you're not smuggling any firearms, explosives or bourbon (that you didn't buy at their bar) onto the ship.

Furthermore, that contract gives Carnival the right to use pictures and videos of you any way they want. You may not want your office buddies seeing pictures of you in a bathing suit, but that image could make its way into a commercial, without Carnival paying you or getting any additional release signed by you.

* The right to show off your pictures. Just because Carnival reserves the rights to your pictures doesn't mean you can use them yourself, says Goldberg. While the company is unlikely to complain if you adorn your Facebook page with deck pics, passengers who use the tickets do agree that they "will not utilize any photographs ... for non-private use without express written consent of Carnival." So much for that travel blog you wanted to publish.

* The right to be repaid if your jewelry gets stolen or your luggage gets accidentally dropped in the Caribbean. The ticket contract limits the company's liability for lost or damaged bags and their contents to $50 per guest or $100 per stateroom. If your items are worth much more than that, you can buy added coverage by declaring the value of what you are bringing onto the ship and paying 5 percent of its value.

If you're bringing expensive jewelry or other items on board, make a written list of the value, pay the 5 percent and make sure the crew gets a copy of that list, says Goldberg.

* The right to count on that vacation. Carnival can cancel any cruise at any time, according to the contract. It will owe you a refund if the cruise is completely cancelled, or a partial refund if the company changes its mind and leaves you at some port along the way. There's no additional refund in the contract for airfare home. And if you cancel within two weeks of booking? You'll most likely owe full fare anyway, under the contract.

* The right to sue when and where you want. Like most consumer legal contracts these days, the Carnival ticket contract includes an arbitration clause that requires you to submit claims for lost luggage and the like to binding arbitration in Miami-Dade County, Florida. If you do want to file suit for a personal injury, you would be required to do that in the U.S. Federal District Court in Miami.

Furthermore, there are lawsuit deadlines in cruise contracts that many attorneys and passengers aren't even aware of, said Eidson. The contract requires injured parties to notify Carnival within six months and file suit within a year. "The biggest claim in the world could be defeated if you don't file your claim within the year," he said.

* The right to ask for sizeable punitive damages. There are two different kinds of ticket contracts, says Eidson: Domestic ones, which do not cap liability, and international contracts, such as the ones the passengers of the Costa Concordia likely agreed to when they boarded their ship. That contract is subject to an international agreement called the "Athens Convention," which limits liability to about $80,000, according to legal experts. Because of the egregious nature of this case, lawyers like Eidson will seek to blow through those limits by claiming the ship's owners and operators were reckless. * The right to be legitimately upset. What if you're traumatized by your cruise? Not because the raw bar ran out of shrimp or those margaritas were watery, but because a loved one was injured or killed on the ship. Unless you personally were at risk for the same injury (as would likely be the case in a disaster like the Costa Concordia's accident), you probably waived your right to claim emotional distress in the contract. You could try to take another cruise to calm yourself down, but you might want to bring your lawyer.

[glrounds]

Get a magnifying glass and read the "contract" on the back of your parking stub of the place you park your vehicle some time.

 

[NCTribeFan]

And from where did you copy and paste your information? In the interest of full disclosure, you should post the link and always state your source. Back in the day when I used to moderate a message board, we deleted threads that were copy/paste since the author has rights to the article. Our guidelines were to post an introduction, or the first paragraph, then link to the actual article. :D

 

Yes, I did know all that. I actually read my cruise contract prior to every cruise. I even print it and bring it with me so that should anything happen during the cruise, I can have a look and see what impact it may have.

 

There's absolutely no excuse to NOT know what the contract contains. If you don't like the terms, then don't sail with Carnival.

 

I imagine that every cruise line on the planet has very similar wording.

[Chmie]

And from where did you copy and paste your information? In the interest of full disclosure, you should post the link and always state your source. Back in the day when I used to moderate a message board, we deleted threads that were copy/paste since the author has rights to the article. Our guidelines were to post an introduction, or the first paragraph, then link to the actual article. :D

 

Yes, I did know all that. I actually read my cruise contract prior to every cruise. I even print it and bring it with me so that should anything happen during the cruise, I can have a look and see what impact it may have.

 

There's absolutely no excuse to NOT know what the contract contains. If you don't like the terms, then don't sail with Carnival.

 

I imagine that every cruise line on the planet has very similar wording.

 

Oh please. :rolleyes:

For all you know I could have garnered this from info available on the www. If a real moderator on CC choses to delete this thread then let them fly at it. I agree that one should read all the fine print on any contract they sign but I'll venture a guess few do. I posted this for some of us that don't have the time or eyesight to read every line of the cruise contract. Kudos to you. I assume you've received permission from Carnival to post those pictures. :p

[hftmrock]

for the record, I was an administrator of a forum and modetator of a few others, and just like NCTribeFan I would request the appropriate link when something was pulled from a website. Anyone who pulls data from a website should give the website credit by posting a link. I know of a few other sites I frequent with the exact same policy.

 

I dont think they will do it here but I will say it is a fairly common practice.

 

and regarding the details... I did not know all of that so thanks for sharing it. The amount they they will pay if they lose your luggage is laughable.

[Chmie]

To satisfy CC terms

 

http://www.canoe.ca/Travel/Activities/Cruises/2012/01/18/19260201.html

 

:)

[firefly333]

for the record, I was an administrator of a forum and modetator of a few others, and just like NCTribeFan I would request the appropriate link when something was pulled from a website. .

 

if I post a link with part of it copied to CC, they will pull the post anyway, because you cant post the link and show part of what is said. I think there is a sticky to that effect somewhere as well as in the rules of CC.

 

If you are a mod.. you might want to read CCs rules? Cant do what you said now that he posted what he did.

[firefly333]

To satisfy CC terms

 

http://www.canoe.ca/Travel/Activities/Cruises/2012/01/18/19260201.html

 

:)

 

Actually, Im told now that you copied part of the article .. you cannot then post the link.

 

Reminder: Copyright Infringement & Copying blocks of text from other sites From our Community Guidelines:

 

"The posting of blocks of text obtained from anywhere on the Internet, online newspapers, web sites, Facebook and other social media sites, magazines, etc., defeats the purpose of our Cruise Boards. All of this information is available to everyone online, and doesn't add to the idea of sharing firsthand experiences and cruise advice. Also, the majority of information out there is protected by an author's individual copyright. Therefore, we will remove such information from the message boards. However, linking via url to the information is allowed.<BR><BR>

 

The one exception to this would be Cruise Line press releases. You may post these word for word on the boards, if you clearly indicate the source."

[Almost Packed]

OP,

I have been complaining how the cruise lines really can/do take advantage of us idiots over and over again...but the blind sheep continue to board, myself included.

 

It's odd to me that everyone screamed for airline passenger rights overhaul, but not one word for cruise passengers.

 

yes, the lines don't care if they are to return you to Miami but decide to take you to New Orleans instead. Try getting away with that with an airline ticket.

 

yes, i book a cruise to go rountrip from Miami, back to Miami...but they can change anytime..and I'm just S.O.L.

 

But yes, I still have a cruise booked...but slowly being turned off by cruises as one can do an AI land vacation for the same price nowadays. it's just not the "great value" the cruise lines brainwash us to believe. i have done price comparisons too.

 

Anyways, thanks for the info..i already knew this. but you'll be flamed regardless because thou shall not say any negative comments about cruising on this board lol.

[Almost Packed]

Actually, Im told now that you copied part of the article .. you cannot then post the link.

 

do you really care?

 

 

why be such a comment police? i don't understand. big deal...don't like the thread move on.

[Chmie]

OP,

but you'll be flamed regardless because thou shall not say any negative comments about cruising on this board lol.

 

Thanks Almost Packed.

Seems some just can't pass over a thread without criticizing or finding some fault to comment on. Guess that comes with "seniority". :rolleyes:

[mondello]

OP,

yes, the lines don't care if they are to return you to Miami but decide to take you to New Orleans instead. Try getting away with that with an airline ticket.

 

yes, i book a cruise to go rountrip from Miami, back to Miami...but they can change anytime..and I'm just S.O.L.

Do you have any idea how often a cruiseship fails to return to its homeport? I would imagine it would happen more often with flights being diverted than ships, with both numbers being miniscule based on the sheer number of flights and cruises.

[tanyaewa]

Hey Chmie! I enjoyed the post, and "got" the spirit it was intended.

There are a lot of rigids around here.....

Maybe they are all afraid of getting shot? J/k that was a jab because I'm Canadian too.

[sparks1093]

OP,

I have been complaining how the cruise lines really can/do take advantage of us idiots over and over again...but the blind sheep continue to board, myself included.

 

It's odd to me that everyone screamed for airline passenger rights overhaul, but not one word for cruise passengers.

 

yes, the lines don't care if they are to return you to Miami but decide to take you to New Orleans instead. Try getting away with that with an airline ticket.

 

yes, i book a cruise to go rountrip from Miami, back to Miami...but they can change anytime..and I'm just S.O.L.

 

But yes, I still have a cruise booked...but slowly being turned off by cruises as one can do an AI land vacation for the same price nowadays. it's just not the "great value" the cruise lines brainwash us to believe. i have done price comparisons too.

 

Anyways, thanks for the info..i already knew this. but you'll be flamed regardless because thou shall not say any negative comments about cruising on this board lol.

 

There is a big difference between the airlines and the cruise industry. I know of few people who use a cruise ship to get from point A to point B, as a cruise is the destination. (In short people use the airlines for travel, cruises for pleasure.) The cruise line's are in business and as with most businesses they don't go out of their way to tick their customers off, so while they may have the right to divert to New Orleans they would hardly do so without a very good reason.

 

Every time I've read about a ship having a significant change in itinerary the cruise line does offer something to make the passengers whole and as with any situation there are some that are displeased with the offer. They are the ones those clauses are designed for as they would bring suit in attempt to get more.

[sparks1093]

OP, nice summary. The clause on photographs clearly states that you can't use your photographs for commercial purposes without permission, so unless your travel blog is making tons of money it is a permissable use (and photos you take are automatically protected by copy right laws here in the States).

 

As for right of venue, it's my understanding that a German couple sued Costa over the Concordia incident. In Texas. So the protections that seemingly are afforded to the cruise line may not be all that solid when challenged.

[DevCruise]

As for right of venue, it's my understanding that a German couple sued Costa over the Concordia incident. In Texas. So the protections that seemingly are afforded to the cruise line may not be all that solid when challenged.

 

Companies can put anything they want into these "contracts." Most people follow them because they think they have no choice. Doesn't mean anything until challenged in court. There are times where corporate contracts like these are hauled into court by someone who didn't play sheep and the judge says "You can't do this". You won't know though until you try to put through a lawsuit.