Cruise ships are a place of pleasure for travelers and allow employees of the ship pay to send to their families and the opportunity to see the world. However, the current global health crisis has kept cruise ship workers stuck in their cabins on the ships and separated from their families, often to the detriment of the workers’ mental health.
The current problem
During the current global health crisis, cruise ship employees were kept on the ships for an indeterminate amount of time. They could only leave their small cabins for short periods of time, and they were separated from their families. In some cases, they were not being paid for this time spent on the ships. This caused many cruise ship employees to suffer mentally, to the point that some even committed suicide.
Who carries the blame?
Appointing liability for these incidents is problematic. Some blame the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for the imposition of harsh requirements on who can disembark from cruise ships to U.S. harbors and airports. Also to blame may be cruise operators who would not pay for workers to fly back home and constantly altered repatriation schedules.
Mental health a concern in the cruise ship industry
Mental health is a concern in the cruise ship industry even in the best of times. According to one survey, approximately 20% of cruise ship employees stated they had contemplated suicide. Long contract lengths combined with the stressful demands of the profession caused many mariners to suffer from depression.
Learn more about cruise ship liability
Mariners who suffer injuries at sea, due to mental health concerns or other incidents may be able to pursue a legal claim to recover compensation for the damages they suffered. Those who want to learn more about cruise ship liability can visit our website for further information.
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