American Cruise Lines to Improve Fleet Accessibility in ADA Settlement

Table Of Content

• American Cruise Lines Legionnaires’ disease overview:
• Complaints Filed Over Inadequate Accessibility for Wheelchair Users
• American Cruise Lines Agrees to Make Fleet More Wheelchair-Accessible in ADA Settlement
• Showing all complaints
• thoughts onFDA finds Legionnaires’ disease on American Cruise Lines’ ships
• thoughts onAmerican Cruise Lines Settles Unpaid Overtime Class Action Lawsuit
• American Cruise Lines Settles Unpaid Overtime Class Action Lawsuit

The ADA authorizes the Justice Department to investigate complaints and undertake periodic reviews of compliance of covered entities, Avery said. According to the company's website, American Cruise Lines offers cruises on the Mississippi River, in New England, Southeast U.S., Puget Sound, Alaska, Columbia and Snake Rivers, and in national parks. The cruise line—which offers domestic river and coastal cruises throughout the country—has 18 months to come up with a remediation plan, according to an announcement from Vanessa Roberts Avery, U.S. Attorney for the District of Connecticut, where American Cruise Lines is headquartered.

American Cruise Lines Legionnaires’ disease overview:

It is your responsibility to ensure that your firm complies with all requirements of federal law, including FDA regulations. This letter notifies you of our concerns and provides you an opportunity to address them. Failure to adequately address this matter may result in legal action including, without limitation, seizure and injunction. On August 1, 2022, FDA received a new (b)(4) Water Log and a (b)(4) Water Log to replace the (b)(4) Water Log and to be completed (b)(4) from (b)(4). Further, the disinfection you performed on (b)(4), was not sufficient as demonstrated by FDA’s sampling results from June 15, 2022 that showed the presence of Legionella in a passenger cabin.

Complaints Filed Over Inadequate Accessibility for Wheelchair Users

1 Notification by CDC is based on travel on a cruise ship during any of the 14 days before symptom onset. American Cruise Lines has agreed to make its fleet and its itineraries more accessible to wheelchair users under a newly announced settlement with the United States Attorney’s Office. American Cruise Lines has been given within 15 working days to notify the agency in writing the specific steps the small-ship cruise line has taken to address alleged violations of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. According to the court documents, notice of the American Cruise Lines settlement will be mailed to Class Members’ last known address within seven days of the preliminary approval date.

American Cruise Lines Agrees to Make Fleet More Wheelchair-Accessible in ADA Settlement

Legionnaires’ disease is a type of bacterial lung infection (pneumonia) that is deadly for about 10% of people who are infected. High-risk people include those who are over 50 years old, and people with underlying lung issues like emphysema. Three people who cruised aboard the American Star and American Heritage in 2021 were diagnosed with Legionnaires’ disease, according to the CDC. The cases were reported in April 2021 (American Heritage), the beginning of November 2021 (American Star), and at the end of November 2021 (American Heritage). Cruise Radio prioritizes well-balanced cruise news coverage and accurate reporting, paired with ship reviews and tips. Mitsui O.S.K. Lines has decided to equip one of its LR1 product tankers with a combination system that both captures a portion of the CO2 emissions from the exhaust as well as acts as a SOx scrubber.

Showing all complaints

These allegations represented violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which protects people with disabilities from discrimination. Department of Justice that American Cruise Lines was not accessible to or usable by individuals with disabilities who use wheelchairs, according to a press release. The U.S. Attorney’s Office has reached a settlement agreement with Twin Pines Diner in East Haven to resolve allegations that the diner was not operating in compliance with the Americans... The U.S. Attorney’s Office has reached a settlement agreement with the Norwalk Inn and Conference Center, located in Norwalk, to resolve allegations that the facility was not operating in compliance... American Cruise Lines agreed in 2016 to pay $1 million to resolve claims the company violated the Fair Labor Standards Act by allegedly failing to pay its stewards overtime and minimum wage.

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Customer Complaints Summary

In 2020, the parents of a nine-month-old baby sued Royal Caribbean after their daughter had to have part of her arm amputated because the medical staff aboard the Symphony of the Seas allegedly refused to properly diagnose an infection and evacuate the child to a hospital where she could be treated. "I feel as though these cruise companies literally anticipate perhaps killing people due to the negligence of their agents, that being their medical staff, and they just budget for it," Goodloe said. They have implemented measures such as advanced waste management systems and cleaner propulsion technologies to reduce pollution and preserve ecosystems.

A senior enlisted Navy servicemember has been convicted of attempted espionage for delivering classified information to a foreign government, the Naval Criminal Investigative Service said Friday. In January, Chief Fire Controlman (Aegis) Bryce Steven Pedicini was charged with multiple counts of attempted espionage for mishandling or disclosing classified information. Pedicini was a former destroyer crewmember who worked on the Aegis system, the Navy's integrated radar and weapons control platform. There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase, a SQL command or malformed data.

More than 1,000 stewards are expected to qualify as Class Members of this unpaid overtime settlement. In recent years, American Cruise Lines has faced a surge in lawsuits from various stakeholders. These legal actions have been initiated by environmental groups, passengers, and other concerned parties.

American Cruise Lines Settles Unpaid Overtime Class Action Lawsuit

"And from the beginning of time until 2014, cruise ships could not be held responsible for the negligence of their doctors. So they had no financial incentive to hire competent doctors to put people's safety first." In addition, the agreement requires American Cruise Lines to adopt ADA-compliant policies, procedures, and training; assign an ADA compliance officer; and establish an accessible website, according to Avery. Department of Justice that American Cruise Lines was not accessible to, or usable by, individuals with disabilities who use wheelchairs, Avery said. Please notify FDA in writing, within 15 working days of receipt of this letter, of the specific steps you have taken to address any violations.

You also provided notifications to passengers onboard the vessel previously that departed on June 18, 2022, June 25, 2022, July 2, 2022, and July 9, 2022. During our inspections, FDA investigators collected biofilm swabs and potable water samples from your American Star and American Heritage vessels. Laboratory Analysis of those samples identified Legionella pneumophilia serogroup 1 and Legionella spp. FDA investigators also observed insanitary conditions related to the potable water systems onboard the vessels. At the conclusion of the inspections, the FDA investigators issued a Form FDA 483, Inspectional Observations, to both vessels. American Cruise Lines, a renowned name in the cruise industry, has been navigating through turbulent waters recently due to a series of lawsuits and legal challenges.

For example, if you take on water that is disinfected with chloramine, you would need to monitor both free chlorine and total chlorine. For example, a potable water holding tank that has just been flushed, refilled, and immediately sampled for potable water parameters would likely indicate the current parameters of the potable water taken onboard. A potable water tank that has not been flushed and/or refilled for a period of time such as a few days would be informative as to what occurs to the potable water after filling onboard and whether acceptable ranges of potable water parameters continue to be met.

It is unclear how you established this level and whether it is the target level in cold only or both hot and cold water. Free chlorine that drops below an appropriately determined target level at a specific location could be indicative that additional corrective actions need to be considered, such as disinfection of the potable water system. Neither Water Log has a section for any corrective action(s) that may have occurred when free chlorine was detected below (b)(4) ppm.

Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, said the U.S. Department of Justice had received six complaints that American Cruise Lines was not accessible to or usable by individuals with disabilities who use wheelchairs. On April 30, 2021 and November 30, 2021 , you were notified by CDC of confirmed cases of Legionnaires’ disease. After being notified of two confirmed cases of Legionnaires’ disease with travel onboard the American Heritage, you did not change your procedures for flushing or disinfection and did not perform potable water or environmental sampling. On July 14, 2022, FDA notified you of the positive findings regarding Legionella onboard the vessel. Subsequently, you provided notifications to each passenger on the voyage departing July 16, 2022, of the presence of Legionella in the potable water system.