Cruise lines
Ticket deadlines, line by line.
One cruise line’s notice period is not the next line’s. These are the injury terms in each line’s current U.S. ticket contract.
| Cruise line | Written notice | Lawsuit | Court |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carnival | Written, with full particulars, within 185 days after the injury, illness, or death. | Filed within one year after the injury, illness, or death. Served on Carnival within 120 days after filing. | The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida in Miami. If the federal court lacks jurisdiction, a state court in Miami-Dade County. |
| Royal Caribbean | Written, with full particulars, within six months after the injury, illness, or death. | Filed within one year after the injury, illness, or death. Served within 120 days after filing. | For a U.S. cruise, one that embarks, disembarks, or calls at a U.S. port: the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida in Miami. If the federal court lacks jurisdiction, a state court in Miami-Dade County. |
| Celebrity | Written, with full particulars, within six months after the injury, illness, or death. | Filed within one year after the injury, illness, or death. Served within 120 days after filing. | For a U.S. cruise, one that embarks, disembarks, or calls at a U.S. port: the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida in Miami. If the federal court lacks jurisdiction, a state court in Miami-Dade County. |
| Norwegian | Written, with full particulars, within 185 calendar days after the incident. | Filed within one year after the incident. The injury clause sets no separate service deadline. | For a cruise that embarks, disembarks, or calls at a U.S. port: the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida in Miami. If the federal court lacks jurisdiction, a state court in Miami-Dade County. |
| Princess | Written, with full particulars, within six months after the injury, illness, death, or emotional harm. | Filed within one year after the injury, illness, or death. Served within 90 days after filing. | The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida in Miami. If the federal court lacks jurisdiction, a state court in Miami-Dade County. |
| Virgin Voyages | Written, with full particulars, within six months after the event that caused the injury, illness, or death. | Filed within one year after the event. Served within 120 days after filing. | The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida, Miami Division. If the federal court lacks jurisdiction, a court in Miami-Dade County. |
| Disney | Written, with full particulars, within six months after the event, delivered to the carrier's office at the address in the contract. | Filed within one year after the event. Served within 120 days after filing. | A court in Brevard County, Florida, or the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida, Orlando Division. |
Federal law, 46 U.S.C. § 30526, lets a ticket require notice in as little as six months and a lawsuit in as little as one year. No line above is shorter than that. The service deadlines are the ticket’s own terms.
Checked against each line’s official contract on October 23, 2026. Contracts change, and the terms can differ by where the guest lives and whether the cruise touched a U.S. port. The contract tied to your booking controls. This office is not affiliated with any cruise line.