Cruise lawsuits are in, but Carnival has advantage

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Cruise lawsuits are in, but Carnival has advantage

MIAMI (AP) - Lawsuits are already filed in this month's disastrous Triumph cruise ship voyage, but the legal deck is stacked in parent company Carnival's favor, mainly because of the restrictive terms of the company's tickets governing who can sue and where.

The ship was disabled Feb. 10 by an engine fire, stranding thousands of passengers onboard for days in the Gulf of Mexico. Cases involving the Triumph and other Carnival Cruise Lines ships must be filed in South Florida federal courts, near the company's Miami headquarters.

But maritime law experts said Thursday that passengers could win if they can show that the cruise line was negligent in letting the ship sail despite past engine problems and that their mental suffering was so severe they had to seek medical or psychological care.

Severe storms possible this evening