Cruise Ship Sexual Assault or Rape by Crew Member

If you are a cruise ship passenger or crew member and were the victim of a rape or sexual assault on a cruise ship you need help from experienced attorneys. Gerson & Schwartz, lawyers are widely regarded as one of the nation's leading maritime injury law firms for cruise ship rape and sexual assault cases, particularly claims involving crew member rape and sexual assaults against passengers. The firm's attorneys have more than 100 years of combined experience representing victims of rape, sexual assault, and violent crime against major cruise lines, including Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, Norwegian, Princess, Virgin, and MSC.

The firm's work inside and outside the courtroom has earned national recognition from Super Lawyers, Best Lawyers in America, and Best Law Firms by U.S. News & World Report for Admiralty and Maritime Law. Gerson & Schwartz has also earned Martindale-Hubbell's AV rating and is accredited by the Better Business Bureau. The firm's partners are known for aggressive trial representation, including more than 350 jury trials to verdict.

Senior Partner Philip M. Gerson, a former Board-Certified Civil Trial Lawyer, leads one of Florida's most respected cruise ship crime trial practices. In 2009, Mr. Gerson testified before the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation in support of legislation that helped lead to the Cruise Vessel Security and Safety Act of 2010. That law, signed by President Barack Obama and codified at 46 U.S.C. § 3507, imposed important safety requirements on major cruise lines, including video surveillance, mandatory crime reporting, forensic evidence preservation, access to sexual assault forensic examination kits, and improved access to law enforcement for victims of cruise ship crimes.

For more than 50 years, Gerson & Schwartz, P.A. has been committed to helping victims of rape and sexual assault, including passengers assaulted by cruise ship crew members and employees. As the cruise industry expanded over the last three decades, the firm developed extensive experience handling claims involving negligent hiring, negligent retention, inadequate security, overservice of alcohol, unauthorized cabin access by crew members, and failures by cruise lines to protect passengers from foreseeable criminal conduct.

Sexual assault or rape by crew member is a serious and unfortunately not uncommon issue that our law firm has experienced in handling. According to the Department of Transportation there were more than 100 sexual assaults and rape cases reported in 2025. Many leading experts, are of the opinion that there is an under reporting and that the statistics are skewed.

For one, major cruise lines are only required to report the number of rape and sexual assault claims on passengers from the United States. However, they are not required to report rape and sexual assault involving foreign passengers on voyage that do not touch a US port of call. Our cruise ship rape and sexual assault attorneys have represented passengers and crew members in cases involving

• Cabin stewards
• Sexual assaults on minors
• Assaults occurring after overservice of alcohol
• Unlawful entry to staterooms
• Crew member on passenger assaults
• Crew members assaulted by fellow ship employees.

Gerson & Schwartz, attorneys have litigated sexually motivated crime cases against virtually every major cruise line operator and continues to advocate for stronger passenger safety standards throughout the cruise industry.

A cruise ship passenger has every right to expect a great vacation. But when passengers cross the gangway many don't realize that they are giving up various legal rights and protections enjoyed on land. Cruise lines promote that you are safer at sea than you are on land. We disagree. Security is limited. There are no police. Passengers are encouraged to consume alcohol or overconsume. The reality is passengers are vulnerable and can be unfortunate targets of sexual assaults by crew. If you or a loved one has been a victim, don't delay. At Gerson & Schwartz, ourcruise ship rape or sexual assault lawyerswill help protect your rights.

One of the most insidious harms that crew member can inflict upon a passenger is a sexual assault or rape. In addition to the physical harm, there is severe toll of emotional and psychological harm. Passengers believed that they have entrusted themselves and their families to the care of the cruise ship staff and crew. Passengers trust them to provide a great experience and a safe voyage on a cruise ship. A clear understanding of cruise ship rape and sexual assault laws can make a critical difference in navigating these legal complexities and protecting victims' rights. Most passengers are unaware of an important federal statute called the Cruise Ship Vessel Safety and Security Act of 2010which was enacted to help improve and protect and prevent cruise ship rape and sexual assaults on major cruise lines.

Over the years, cruise ship crime like rape and sexual assault have risen. Unfortunately, all too often crew members commit sexually violent crimes against passengers. Crew members have also been accuses of other heinous acts such as hiding cameras in staterooms and filing young women too. Sexual assault victims can be minors, teenagers, young adults, and young and other women. Young boys have been victims too. In summer months, spring break and other seasonal changes in passenger demographics have been shown to have an increase in the number of incidents. The reality of sexual assault or rape by crew members is directly at odds with the reputation and image portrayed by the cruise ship industry.

But as any experienced cruise ship lawyer will advise, crew member sexual assaults and rapes are not isolated. They are common. The cruise ship industry does not want the passengers to know. Hiring experienced counsel to understand cruise ship rape and sexual assaults is essential to holding cruise lines legally accountable and ensuring victims have a path to justice.

Crew members on a cruise ship are anyone working on the vessel. You may not realize just how many departments and employees it takes to run a cruise ship. Common incidents involve crew members such as:

• Hotel workers
• Cabin Stewards
• Disk Jockeys
• Salon/Spa/Fitness Attendant
• Massage Therapists
• Spa Attendants
• Physicians

Under general maritime law, cruise ship operators are strictly liable for the sexual assaults and violent crime committed by employees and crew. Strictly liability is a legal concept that means the victim does not need to prove negligence. Victims through only need to prove by the greater weight of the evidence that the incident happened.

If you or a loved on were the victim of a rape or sexual assault by cruise ship employee you may entitled to substantial compensation for:

• Pain and suffering in the past and future
• Emotional distress and psychological harm
• Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, and depression
• Loss of enjoyment of life and ability to lead a normal life.
• Costs for future medical care and mental health treatment such as counseling

Just because cruise lines can be held strictly liable for crew member rape and sexual assault does not mean they will not aggressively defend these cases. At Gerson & Schwartz, P.A., our cruise ship attorneys are well aware of the common defense strategies used by major cruise lines in sexual assault litigation.

Because many of these incidents occur at sea and outside the immediate reach of law enforcement, cruise lines often control the scene and evidence in the critical hours following an assault. In some cases, evidence may be altered, minimized, or lost before authorities are able to board the vessel once it returns to port. This can include cleaning or sanitizing the stateroom, changing bedding, disturbing the scene, or failing to properly preserve evidence. Other common defenses when a cruise ship employee commits a rape or sexual assault will include suggesting the incident was consensual or the victim was intoxicated. Over the years, Gerson & Schwartz lawyers have seen it all. That only helps us combat these defense strategies.

Most of the time cruise lines will repatriate the crew member as soon as possible. Because most crew members are from various third world countries this makes it impossible absent an arrest to speak to the accused.

Other common defense in cruise sexual assaults include:

• Claiming the sexual encounter was consensual
• Arguing the victim was intoxicated or impaired
• Challenging the victim's credibility or memory of events
• Delaying or disputing the preservation of evidence
• Minimizing the severity of the assault or misconduct
• Using corporate defense teams and investigators to limit liability

Our cruise ship rape and sexual assault attorneys have seen virtually every defense tactic used by the industry and use that experience to aggressively protect victims and challenge these strategies in court. We have the experience and resources to fight these cruise lines and their lawyers.

Our cruise ship sexual assault lawyers work with highly specialized experts from multiple disciplines, including psychiatrists, psychologists, maritime security experts, former law enforcement personnel, and cruise industry security consultants to evaluate security failures, vessel vulnerabilities, negligent hiring, inadequate surveillance, and other dangerous conditions aboard cruise ships. When passengers are victimized by crew members or other passengers, our attorneys conduct extensive investigations designed to uncover the truth and hold the cruise line accountable.

We routinely perform vessel inspections and make every effort to preserve and obtain critical evidence before it disappears. Our attorneys aggressively pursue surveillance footage, body camera recordings, security logs, brig or "holding cell" records, medical records, key card data, incident reports, witness statements, and law enforcement materials that many attorneys do not even know to request. We also work to depose ship security officers, safety personnel, crew members, corporate representatives, investigating authorities, and eyewitness passengers in order to fully develop the evidence necessary to prove our clients' cases.

At Gerson & Schwartz, P.A., we understand the devastating emotional, psychological, and physical trauma that victims of cruise ship rape and sexual assault endure. Our attorneys are committed to helping survivors seek accountability, justice, and financial compensation while treating every client with compassion, dignity, and respect throughout the legal process. When you hire our firm following a traumatic event such as rape or sexual assault aboard a cruise ship, you can rest assured that our lawyers will fight tirelessly to protect your rights and pursue the justice you deserve.

Don't think for a minute that the cruise ship company is doing anything to solve the problem of crew member sexual assaults and rapes. These multibillion-dollar corporations only react when it affects their bottom line. They count on a majority of these cruise ship assaults going unreported.

It is difficult to tell victims of cruise ship crime victims to expect these defenses and claims. But it is our job as advocates for cruise ship rape victims to prepare each client for the tough, long road ahead. Ultimately, we can help you get the justice and compensation you deserve so long as you understand that the cruise lines will defend these crimes at sea vigorously, often using complex cruise ship rape and sexual assault laws to their advantage.

If you or a loved one were sexually assaulted or the victim of any form of sexual violence, the cruise ship lawyers at Gerson & Schwartz, P.A. are here for you. We have more than 80 years of experience in dealing with the defenses put forth by cruise ship companies. Contact us today for your confidential and free consultation at (877) 475-2905 or through our online form.