By John Stansfield, Cruisemapper
An unhappy cruiser is suing Royal Caribbean Line for refusing to call off Galveston voyage even as Hurricane Harvey hit Southeast Texas.
Instead of permitting would-be travelers to reschedule in light of category 4 storm, the federal lawsuit alleges, Royal Caribbean forced families to choose between sailing into the path of hurricane for an August 27 departure or forfeiting the money shelled out for the trip.
The suit filed in Florida’s Southern District features class-action claim on behalf of Canadian cruiser Nikki McIntosh and all passengers who booked August 27 sailings on the Miami-based Liberty of the Seas.
The court filing paints a horrible picture of the events, with claims of toddlers wading through floodwaters as their helpless families searched for food after being “strong-armed” into coming to port of Galveston when the line “repeatedly” told travelers they would lose the entire cost of the voyage in case they canceled.
“What Royal Caribbean did to these passengers is simply shocking,” said in a statement attorney Michael Winkleman.
“They knowingly placed families with small children directly in the path of one of the worst storms to hit the U.S. in centuries.”
