If you were assaulted on a cruise, it was not your fault. It does not matter whether you had been drinking, whether you knew the person, whether the person was a passenger or a crew member, or how long you waited to tell anyone. Many people do not report right away. Many are unsure what happened until later. You still have rights.
A cruise ship is a closed world. Crew members have keys and know the hidden corridors, alcohol flows freely, and the ship's security officers work for the cruise line. This guide explains the protections Congress wrote into federal law for cruise passengers, and the steps that can help protect your choices later, whenever you are ready to make them. Take them in whatever order feels right, and skip any that do not.
1. Get safe and get medical care on your terms
If you are in danger, go to a public area and ask for help. You may ask for the ship's medical center. Federal law requires covered cruise ships to keep equipment and materials for performing a medical examination in sexual assault cases, and to have medical staff on board who have "received training in conducting forensic sexual assault examination" (46 U.S.C. § 3507(d)). You can agree to some parts of an exam and decline others. If you would rather wait for a hospital in port or at home, that is your choice too.
“received training in conducting forensic sexual assault examination”
46 U.S.C. § 3507(d)
2. You can contact law enforcement directly and privately
The ship must give you free and immediate access to contact information for local law enforcement, the FBI, and the U.S. Coast Guard, and access to "a private telephone line and Internet-accessible computer terminal" so you can confidentially reach law enforcement, an attorney, and support services (46 U.S.C. § 3507(d)). Separately, the ship's owner must notify the FBI "as soon as possible" after a sexual offense covered by the federal criminal code occurs on board (46 U.S.C. § 3507(g)(3)(A)). The ship's duty to report is its own; your decision about whether to speak with investigators is yours.
“a private telephone line and Internet-accessible computer terminal”
46 U.S.C. § 3507(d)
3. Your medical information is protected
Information from a shipboard examination is confidential. The law provides that "no medical information may be released to the cruise line or other owner of the vessel" without your prior written approval (46 U.S.C. § 3507(d)). Read anything you are asked to sign in the medical center carefully, and ask what it authorizes.
“no medical information may be released to the cruise line or other owner of the vessel”
46 U.S.C. § 3507(d)
4. Preserve what you can, without pressure
If you can, keep the clothing you were wearing in a paper bag, not plastic. Keep your phone and do not delete messages, call logs, photos, or social media contacts, even painful ones. Write down your cabin number, the location, the time, and any names or crew badge details you remember. If you have already showered or changed, that is normal; there is still evidence to protect. When you feel able, write down what you remember, or record a voice memo for yourself.
5. Ask for the video in writing
Covered ships must keep video surveillance recordings for at least 20 days, and when a sexual offense is reported, relevant footage must go to the FBI and be kept for at least 4 years (46 U.S.C. § 3507(b)). On your written request, the ship's owner must give you or your legal representative copies of recordings that show you and that may provide evidence of a sexual assault, for use in a civil action, except as restricted by law enforcement or court order (46 U.S.C. § 3507(b)(3)). Make that request in writing as soon as you can, or let your lawyer do it.
6. You do not have to give the cruise line a statement
Ship security or a cruise line representative may want to interview you. You may ask for a support person, you may stop the conversation, and you may decline to sign any written statement. Do not sign a release or accept a refund, credit, or payment in exchange for one without speaking with a lawyer.
The rules that matter for cruise sexual assault claims
The ticket deadlines apply here too. Cruise ticket contracts usually require written notice of a claim within a set period, often six months, and a lawsuit within one year. Federal law does not allow a seagoing passenger vessel's ticket to set those periods below 6 months for notice and one year for suit (46 U.S.C. § 30526(b), formerly § 30508). For a minor, the contract notice period is paused until the earlier of the appointment of a legal representative or 3 years after the injury (46 U.S.C. § 30526(d)); the one-year suit deadline is not paused by that provision. The general maritime limit, absent a contract term, is three years (46 U.S.C. § 30106).
The ticket picks the court. Most cruise tickets require suit in a named federal court, often in Miami. Read your ticket for your sailing date, and reach out early, even if you are not sure you want to file anything.
Your privacy matters. We talk with every client about ways to protect identity and personal information during a case.
Your checklist
- Get to a safe place and ask for medical care if you want it.
- Use your right to a private phone line and computer to reach law enforcement, an attorney, or support services.
- Keep clothing in a paper bag and keep your phone and messages.
- Write down names, times, places, and cabin numbers when you are ready.
- Request copies of video in writing.
- Decline to sign statements or releases for the cruise line.
- Note your ticket deadlines and speak with a lawyer early.
How we handle these cases
We listen first and move at your pace. We handle the written demands for video and records, deal with the cruise line so you do not have to, and keep your information confidential. We calendar every ticket deadline from the first conversation. We represent cruise passengers throughout Florida, including Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach, Tampa, Orlando, and Jacksonville. Meetings are by appointment only, and we can arrange a private conversation by phone first. Call 305-748-3789.
This article is general information, not legal advice for your situation. Reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship. Past results do not guarantee a similar outcome.