Passengers on Gross Cruise Suing for $5K a Month —for Life

33 passengers involved in first suit to go before a judge
By Evann Gastaldo,  Newser Staff
Posted Mar 11, 2014 1:33 PM CDT
Passengers on Gross Cruise Suing for $5K a Month —for Life
This Feb. 14, 2013 file photo shows the disabled Carnival Lines cruise ship Triumph being towed to harbor off Mobile Bay, Ala.   (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert, file)

The passengers suing Carnival over the doomed February 2013 "poop cruise" were so traumatized by their experience on the boat, they want $5,000 in damages per month—for life. There are 33 passengers suing over the trip, in which the Carnival Triumph drifted for days without power, leading to hallways filled with human waste with severe heat making the smell even worse. Many of them say they now suffer from mental issues including PTSD and anxiety or physical problems including upper respiratory issues and diarrhea, which is why they need the money, Fox News reports.

"It was chaotic. People were in dire need of help," one of the plaintiffs tells Reuters; she says she got a urinary tract infection thanks to the cruise, and has also suffered from panic and anxiety attacks. But Carnival points out that all passengers were given refunds, $500, and a voucher for a future cruise, and calls the lawsuit "an opportunistic ... money grab." So far, though, things look pretty good for the plaintiffs: Though the judge in the case said no punitive damages will be allowed, he has already found Carnival was negligent in allowing its engine to catch fire. A ruling is expected within two months. At least nine other lawsuits related to the doomed cruise are pending, the AP reports. (More Carnival Cruise Lines stories.)

Get the news faster.
Tap to install our app.
X
Install the Newser News app
in two easy steps:
1. Tap in your navigation bar.
2. Tap to Add to Home Screen.

X