Oceania Cruises was established in 2002 by luxury cruise industry veterans Frank Del Rio, Joe Watters, and Bob Binder. Their goal was to offer an elevated experience just a step below luxury. Oceania Cruises originally leased their mid-ships from the now-defunct Renaissance Cruises and added two large 1250 passenger ships in 2011 and 2012 during an industry-wide shipbuilding boom. In 2014, the cruise industry consolidated, and Oceania Cruises was purchased by Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings.

Cruising from 400 ports across Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia, New Zealand, the South Pacific, and the Americas, voyages are typically 10-14 days and offer a signature Around the World in 180 Days voyage that departs from Miami and arrives in New York. Onboard, Oceania Cruises offers an upper premium experience catering to mature travelers.

“Oceania Cruises will provide the highest quality cruise product for mature and discerning travelers by offering the finest culinary experience at sea, authentic destination experiences, and a warm and luxurious ambiance on every voyage.” – Oceania Cruise Mission Statement

The fleet of six vessels includes the 684-guest Regatta, Insignia, Nautica and Sirena, as well as the 1,250-guest Marina and Riviera. Boasting an impressive staff-to-guest ratio of 1 to 1.6, Oceania Cruises proudly posts the exact number of trained crewmembers on each ship on their website and has received multiple awards for “Best Cuisine” for onboard dining.

While Oceania Cruises boasts many amenities and experiences for their guests, there is always a risk of suffering injury or death while aboard an Oceania ship, on an onshore excursion, or as a crewmember. And when disaster strikes, there is only one place to turn, the experienced maritime attorneys at Lipcon, Margulies & Winkleman, P.A.

Have You Been Injured On an Oceania Cruise?

Whether you have embarked on an Oceania Cruise as a guest or as a crew member, you have rights under maritime law to recover compensation for a wide range of damages if you are injured, or a loved one is killed due to the negligence of another party. Depending on your relationship with the company, there are different avenues of pursuing compensation, but each falls squarely under the complex umbrella of federal maritime law.

This well-defined area of the law is what we do every single day. It is this clear and comprehensive understanding of this unique body of laws that gives the team at Lipcon, Margulies & Winkleman, P.A. the experience you need to maximize your recovery.

What To Do If You Have Been Injured While Aboard an Oceania Cruise

The following steps are meant to give you a general guideline of handling an accident aboard an Oceania Cruise. Still, since no two accidents are alike, you will need to use your best judgment to ensure that you are as safe as possible.

Get Medical Attention Immediately

After any injury, it can be disorienting and confusing to determine the best path forward. Keep in mind that your absolute top priority should be your health, safety, and wellness, and the first step you should take is to be examined by the onboard medical staff for any injuries.

Document Everything

At the same time, make sure to document your injuries and your suffering, as the medical staff may attempt to downplay your injuries to avoid liability for their employer. If possible, take photos and videos (while narrating all relevant information) to document as many details as possible, including the events that led up to your accident, the cause(s) of the incident, the injuries you sustained, the response from the staff, and anything else that you believe will help recount the situation in the future.

No matter how vivid your accident may seem in your short-term memory, the reality is that memory fades and that is why it is key to collect as much data as possible at or around the time of the incident. Your attorney will appreciate any concrete information you can provide as they try to recreate the situation and best understand the facts of your case.

Do Not Sign ANYTHING Without Legal Representation

The cruise company will likely present you with a document (or series of documents) to sign as part of their incident reporting procedure. It is important that you refrain from signing anything or making any sort of official statement without first consulting with an experienced cruise accident attorney. This procedure is not designed with your best interest in mind; instead, the cruise company’s legal department designed these documents and statements as additional ways to reduce or eliminate liability for an accident for which they are legally at fault.

Politely but firmly refuse to review any documents until you contact your attorney.

Contact an Attorney

Once you have gotten sufficient medical attention to stabilize your injuries, your next step is to focus on rest and contact an experienced maritime attorney. Lipcon, Margulies & Winkleman, P.A. offers a free consultation for people who have been hurt on a cruise ship, and we can start our process of working together even while you are still aboard the ship.

The sooner you contact our firm, the sooner we will be able to get a clear understanding of the situation and determine the best plan of action. Getting into an accident when you are in the middle of the ocean, far from home, can be overwhelming, but we will be able to guide you through your remaining days on the ship until you return home.

Follow Up With Your Doctor

Once ashore, you should follow up with your doctor to receive continuing and ongoing medical care. Each visit with your doctor will, most importantly, ensure that you are getting appropriate treatment to facilitate your recovery while also generating necessary documentation about your condition and the extent of your injuries.

Oceania Cruises’ Fleet

Regatta Class

The Regatta Class (R-Class) ships were originally built for the now-defunct Renaissance Cruises. These ships were all built between 1998-2000 and have been refurbished multiple times in 2014 and 2019.

MS Regatta, built 1998
MS Insignia, built 1998
MS Nautica, built 2000
MS Sirena, built 1999

Oceania Class

As the first ships built for Oceania Cruises and the largest ships in the fleet, each vessel can accommodate up to 1,250-passengers.

MS Marina, built 2011, refurbished 2020
MS Riviera, built 2012, refurbished 2019

Allura Class

Built by Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings for Oceania Cruises, these ships will be similar to the Oceania class, but they will have slightly less passenger capacity and a higher crew-to-guest ratio. The names have not been announced but they are scheduled to begin service in 2022 and 2025.

Cases Against Oceania Cruises

Lipcon, Margulies & Winkleman, P.A. has pursued numerous legal actions against cruise lines owned by Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings, including Oceania. Our maritime lawyers know that Oceania Cruises offers all-inclusive alcohol packages that have created dangerous situations on numerous Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings vessels.

We have successfully handled many passenger cases against Oceania cruises. Typical cases include slip and fall cases and negligent medical care case. We are currently handling a negligence case against Oceania where an elderly passenger fell in his stateroom and was not properly stabilized post fall which led to his paralysis and untimely death.

We have also successfully handled a significant number of crewmember injury cases. These cases most often involve repetitive heavy lifting.

Some of the types of cruise ship passenger injury cases we handle include:

Contact Our Maritime Lawyers If You’re Hurt Aboard an Oceania Cruises Ship

Lipcon, Margulies & Winkleman, P.A. represents crew members and passengers injured while onboard Oceania Cruises ships or any other cruise line on which an injury occurs. You do not deserve to take on the financial impacts of someone else’s reckless or negligent behavior. We will fight to ensure that you have the best chances of getting the full money you deserve for a broad range of damages, including economic impacts like your medical bills or lost wages, as well as non-economic impacts such as the pain and suffering you have endured in the past and into the future. Maritime law is a complicated area to navigate, and taking on a cruise liner to get fair compensation can further overwhelm an inexperienced and injured victim. We are here to help. This has been our area of focus since 1971. Let us put our wealth of maritime experience to work for you.

If you get hurt aboard a cruise ship, you need to explore your options for making a claim. Contact us at 877-233-1238 or reach out online to schedule a consultation with skilled maritime lawyers to learn more about your legal rights as a victim of a cruise ship accident.

Oceania Cruises Accident Lawyer