Passenger Shipping
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We are industry specialists in passenger shipping advising cruise, ferry and river owners, yacht owners and operators and charterers and insurers in all aspects relevant to their operations.
How we can advise you
Our passenger shipping team advises tour operators, cruise lines, ferry and river cruise companies and destination management companies in respect of personal injury claims by passengers and related accidents/incidents. We have a total of seven mariners in our UK and international offices (three of whom sailed extensively on passenger ships), a dedicated PI and regulatory team, and over 100 lawyers in London, Liverpool, Greece, Singapore,Hong Kong, and Monaco.
Coupled with our expertise in crisis management and emergency response planning, we provide regular advice on risk management procedures in an effort to reduce claims and losses for the benefit of your business. We assist clients in the drafting and training of emergency response procedures and carry out regular drills.
- Sales, purchase and finance
- Passenger liability insurance and coverage
- Risk management reviews for the business and relevant suppliers
- Breach of contract and quality claims handling and the Package Travel Directive
- Advice in respect of recoveries against third parties
- Crisis management and emergency response handling in respect of large scale incidents and emergencies including
- engine breakdown,
- collisions
- fires
- groundings
- stranding
- pollution
- wreck removal
- arrests
- detentions
- Regulatory issues including those relating to ISM, MLC 2006, Regulation 1177/2010, visas
- Limitation of liability, limitation actions, LLMC, EU 312/2009
- Commercial contracts including drafting booking conditions and conditions of carriage, charters, cabin space agreements, supplier contracts,
- Contractual disputes and litigation support/services
- Personal injury claims handling (both small claims and large scale litigation)
- Advising our clients in relation to fatal, catastrophic injury and stress at work claims
- Handling our clients EL/PL portal claims
- Representing our clients in relation to asbestos, industrial deafness, asthma and HAVS claims.
- Inquests, public enquiries
- Investigations and prosecutions by regulatory authorities including HSE, MCA, MAIB, office of fair trading and the police
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How our team will work with you
Every member of the passenger shipping team is client-facing, priding themselves on getting close to the operation and acting as an extension of your in-house team. We firmly believe in building long term relationships and engendering trust in the services that we provide.
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Our clients
Our clients include:
- Cruise lines
- Ferry companies
- River cruise operators
- Yacht operators
- Charterers
- Tour operators
- Travel agents
- Online Travel agents
- Insurers
- Ship managers
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Our experience
Notable work includes the successful defence in 2015 of TUI UK Ltd against multiple claims brought against the company, following an outbreak of Norovirus on board the “THOMSON SPIRIT” cruise ship.
We have investigated or been involved in handling most major passenger casualties over the last 25 years including “COSTA CONCORDIA”, “NORMAN ATLANTIC”, “ACHILLE LAURO”, “SEA DIAMOND” and “EXPLORER”. We were one of the first firms to develop an emergency response manual for owners following our instruction in the “BOWBELLE”/ “MARCHIONESS” collision in 1989.
We pride ourselves on providing clients with a full range of services in a co-ordinated and seamless fashion. Our approach is always focused on providing pragmatic commercial advice, bearing in mind our clients’ specific business needs, and always protecting their brand and reputation. Our work is wide ranging as follows:
- Advising a number of tour operators and cruise lines in relation to booking terms and conditions, conditions of carriage and regulatory compliance
- Reviewing brochure/holiday pricing policies and special offer conditions
- Advising on advertising standards and compliance with codes of practice
- Assisting a variety of clients with the defence of personal injury claims including gastric illness
- Advising on shore excursion and local supplier agreements
- Reviewing and advising on charter agreements
- Advising on compliance with the EU Package Travel Directive and financial protection arrangements
- Advising on EU 1177/2010 on Passenger Rights issues
- Dealing with crew and passenger issues and claims
- Dealing with maritime incidents to include investigation, civil criminal proceedings, inquests, public enquiries.
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Our awards
We regularly advise the industry and chair the Cruise Line International Association Travel and Consumer committee, we work closely with the DfT on passenger issues and sit on various committees at the UK Chamber of shipping and ABTA. Our lawyers are recognised by the industry as leading individuals by Legal 500, Chambers, Reuters Thompson super lawyer. Awards include a Lloyds List commendation for our passenger work in 2016 and PI lawyer of the year for our head of marine and PI Regulatory team.
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