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RCCI Party Lawsuits...


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Theres no doubt in my mind that when these crew members, who having worked long hours for weeks or even months on end with almost no social life found out about a party onboard with music, free food , drink and the chance to get lucky, that they refused to go and were forced to attend against their will.

Lets not forget that the whole world was on lockdown on the dates mentioned ( not ) that social Distancing measures had been implemented across the globe ( not ) and that the whole world knew what was coming because this virus had been classed as a pandemic ( not )

Honestly this is why i could never stay in the US, i would be scared to go outside in case i farted in the wrong direction and got sued for spoliling someones day 

 

 

 

 

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The cruise line suspended cruise operations on March 13 but threw St. Patrick’s Day parties on March 17 that were attended by more than 1,000 crew members, according to Winkleman.

My last day at work for a national retailer was March 17th.  Should I sue my employer?  Please note by the time my company decided to close their doors other retailers had closed or at least shortened their hours.  

This is absolutely ridiculous.  That attorney should be ashamed of himself and his law firm because they are nothing more than ambulance chasers.  They did not force these people to attend the party.  At that time if memory serves me correctly nowhere in the US on the 17th of March were there the regs of standing 6 feet apart and wearing masks.  

Additionally, of course they have to do mandated drills.  That is not an option for any ship at sea.  It is mandated by the Coast Guard. 

With attorneys like this, cruise lines are screwed because they lose either way.

  •  If they don't do the mandatory drills, some crew members will sue saying that RCL was negligent and flagrantly ignoring sea regulations, thus putting their lives in jeopardy.
  •  There are stories in the news of crew members being stuck in their cabin 21 out of 24 hrs a day.  I am sure that there will be a lawsuit to follow, for the exact opposite of this law suit where they were not allowed to go to the dining areas to eat.  The girl from Illinois comes quickly to mind.  I am sure she or her family are in contact with an attorney.  She is an American citizen, but can't disembark due to CDC regs and cruise line issue.

Finally, I feel for those people that are part of the class action lawsuit.  I hope they get a lot of money.  Why?  Because in the end this will become the end of their career with any cruise line.  Do they actually think that RCL is going to offer them another contract?  I wouldn't be shocked if the list of names on the class action against RCL does not somehow find its way over to the Carnival and NCL attorneys and than that list somehow finds it way to the HR dept for a DO NOT HIRE list.   Thus, these people signing up for this lawsuit believing in this attorney and not realizing what may occur in the long run.

 

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6 hours ago, Pima1988 said:

This is absolutely ridiculous.  That attorney should be ashamed of himself and his law firm because they are nothing more than ambulance chasers. 

 

Surprise, surprise... Michael Winkleman is the same attorney that is handling the Chloe Wiegand toddler tragedy.

 

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6 hours ago, Ray said:

Theres no doubt in my mind that when these crew members, who having worked long hours for weeks or even months on end with almost no social life found out about a party onboard with music, free food , drink and the chance to get lucky, that they refused to go and were forced to attend against their will.

Lets not forget that the whole world was on lockdown on the dates mentioned ( not ) that social Distancing measures had been implemented across the globe ( not ) and that the whole world knew what was coming because this virus had been classed as a pandemic ( not )

Honestly this is why i could never stay in the US, i would be scared to go outside in case i farted in the wrong direction and got sued for spoliling someones day 

But you live in a country where it's own citizens has no consideration for their fellow man by throwing parties and ignoring lockdown and social distancing rules?   Coronavirus in Scotland: Lockdown house parties 'putting lives at risk' ?  Let's call  Spade a Spade. It''s happening everywhere. No need to single out a particular country.

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-52241218

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51 minutes ago, princevaliantus said:

But you live in a country where it's own citizens has no consideration for their fellow man by throwing parties and ignoring lockdown and social distancing rules?   Coronavirus in Scotland: Lockdown house parties 'putting lives at risk' ?  Let's call  Spade a Spade. It''s happening everywhere. No need to single out a particular country.

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-52241218

You maybe need to read what i wrote again and try and understand it better, BECAUSE AT NO TIME do i mention Covid-19 in relation to ANY country!!! WHAT  I did say was i couldnt live in US because people sue for any reason even the smallest of things, hence my joke about farting in the wrong direction......

And you are 100% correct with regards all countries not locking down completely,  it was all over our news about those gUys standing outside some Michigan building waving their guns about demanding that lockdown be done away with! We may hold house parties but we dont take to the streets with firearms 

https://www.theguardian.com/world/video/2020/may/01/armed-protesters-michigan-state-capitol-demanding-end-to-coronavirus-lockdown-video

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2 hours ago, Pima1988 said:

.

Finally, I feel for those people that are part of the class action lawsuit.  I hope they get a lot of money.  Why?  Because in the end this will become the end of their career with any cruise line.  Do they actually think that RCL is going to offer them another contract?  I wouldn't be shocked if the list of names on the class action against RCL does not somehow find its way over to the Carnival and NCL attorneys and than that list somehow finds it way to the HR dept for a DO NOT HIRE list.   Thus, these people signing up for this lawsuit believing in this attorney and not realizing what may occur in the long run.

 

In all honesty having worked with people from Asia and still have friends from this Area, even a sum of a $30000 settlement would set them up for life back home. 

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35 minutes ago, Ray said:

You maybe need to read what i wrote again and try and understand it better, BECAUSE AT NO TIME do i mention Covid-19 in relation to ANY country!!! WHAT  I did say was i couldnt live in US because people sue for any reason even the smallest of things, hence my joke about farting in the wrong direction......

And you are 100% correct with regards all countries not locking down completely,  it was all over our news about those gUys standing outside some Michigan building waving their guns about demanding that lockdown be done away with! We may hold house parties but we dont take to the streets with firearms 

https://www.theguardian.com/world/video/2020/may/01/armed-protesters-michigan-state-capitol-demanding-end-to-coronavirus-lockdown-video

Scotland has THE WORST drugs problem in Europe as death rate soars and is now higher than the USA and every other country in Europe, and three times the UK average, according to shocking new figures.

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17 minutes ago, Ray said:

In all honesty having worked with people from Asia and still have friends from this Area, even a sum of a $30000 settlement would set them up for life back home. 

Yes, but I hardly think RCL is going to pay out 40-50 Million.  

  •   Doing the math.  30K multiplied by 1000  = 30 Million.  Typically in cases like this they (lawyers) take 30% off the top.  That puts it at @45 Million for the recipients to get 30K.  Now I don't know about other countries and the tax implication, they probably would end up with even less.

I think if Royal pays out, it would be maybe 10 Million.  7 million net for recipients, or maybe 7000 pp. 

  •  We typically tip on top of the automatic grat.  10 per day to our cabin steward.  They usually have 8 -10 cabins to take care of during that 7 day period.  Assume they avg 50 per cabin per 7 days.  That is 400-500 a week, PURE CASH on top of the grats that RCL charges passengers.  Multiply by 36 weeks.  If my math is correct it would take them 2 contracts to make back what they were awarded with 30K,  1/2 of a contract for 7K. 

 

 

 

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25 minutes ago, Scrumps said:

The lawsuits are only just beginning. On Friday there were over 770 covid related filings. Some asking for class action status. Everything against cruise lines, airlines, gyms, retail stores.. It is going to be a blood bath in the courts over the next few years.

Unfortunately, I agree.

As I stated, I work for a national retailer  that furloughed their retail staff.  Our doors have been shuttered since March 17th.  We were suppose to reopen May 1st, than it was May 15th, than May 26th.  We are now looking at June 1st.  

During this same period, you are starting to see national companies like Niemans and J Crew announce that they will most likely file bankruptcy in the next week or so.  Part of me thinks that they are also doing this to cover their butts from any future lawsuit.  Lawyers aren't going to take on a class action lawsuit knowing that the company has officially filed for bankruptcy protection.  They would be so far down the pile that it would not make it worth the legal work just to try and get enough people to agree to the class action.

Not an attorney, but I am curious if someone knows this answer. In VA all liquor stores are run by the state.  They have remained open 7 days a week.  I noticed last week when I went in that they just recently placed the shields up by the registers. There were more than 10 of us in the store which might be 400 sqft.  The cashiers were wearing masks, but many customers were not.  Can they sue the state?  

 

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16 hours ago, Pima1988 said:

Unfortunately, I agree.

As I stated, I work for a national retailer  that furloughed their retail staff.  Our doors have been shuttered since March 17th.  We were suppose to reopen May 1st, than it was May 15th, than May 26th.  We are now looking at June 1st.  

During this same period, you are starting to see national companies like Niemans and J Crew announce that they will most likely file bankruptcy in the next week or so.  Part of me thinks that they are also doing this to cover their butts from any future lawsuit.  Lawyers aren't going to take on a class action lawsuit knowing that the company has officially filed for bankruptcy protection.  They would be so far down the pile that it would not make it worth the legal work just to try and get enough people to agree to the class action.

Not an attorney, but I am curious if someone knows this answer. In VA all liquor stores are run by the state.  They have remained open 7 days a week.  I noticed last week when I went in that they just recently placed the shields up by the registers. There were more than 10 of us in the store which might be 400 sqft.  The cashiers were wearing masks, but many customers were not.  Can they sue the state?  

 

The State cannot be sued in this instance as each individual has the responsibility to wear a face covering and continue  social distance.  If you see no one wearing a mask and/or the store is packed with people,  would you enter and why? No one is forcing you to enter. If you decide to enter, that's on you.  Moreover, what grounds would you file an action? The State doesn't own the property. The building or property is the responsibility of the individual whose name is on the deed or lease and physically runs the business. Unless the employees are hired and paid a salary by the State, you have nothing ... nada ... zilch, as you also need to have a serious physical injury due to the negligence of the negligible party.

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37 minutes ago, princevaliantus said:

Scotland has THE WORST drugs problem in Europe as death rate soars and is now higher than the USA and every other country in Europe, and three times the UK average, according to shocking new figures.

Yip ? just as US has the worst Disinfectant death rate in 2020 

Now as you have went completely off topic simply due to the fact you didn't read my initial post correctly and you obviously didnt like being told you misread initail post, im just going to ignore your blatant attempts to start any argument simply because its not worth it 

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29 minutes ago, bobroo said:

Why is there not a Royal Caribbean Blog GoFundMe to provide tequila and condoms for Royal Caribbean crew members trapped onboard????

 

I want to pledge $100 for tequila and another $100 for the condoms, where do I send my money?

Please send payment to:

Deuce Bigalow

69 Gigalo Drive

Palm Springs, CA 8675309

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2 hours ago, princevaliantus said:

The State cannot be sued in this instant as each individual has the responsibility to wear a face covering and continue  social distance.  If you see no one wearing a mask and/or the store is packed with people,  would you enter and why? No one is forcing you to enter. If you decide to enter, that's on you.

My bad for confusion.  I was tieing this to retail companies, not customers.

I was not speaking about customers.  I was talking about the cashiers.  I went into the store about a month ago, last week of March, way after VA had already shut down retail stores, movie theaters and schools, even the Pentagon was on essential staff at that time.  We were being told to stay 6 feet apart, but no stamps on the floor.  These employees did not have the shields or masks.  Went in around Easter and they still did not have masks or shields by the registers.  Went in yesterday to pick up stuff to make mint Juleps for the virtual Kentucky Derby that is today.  That is when I noticed them wearing masks and register shields, but still not adhering to the rec. no more than 10 people in the store.  And yes, they have tape lines outside of the store measuring 6 feet, but obviously the mgr is not adhering to that rec.

Hence, do these employees have the right to sue due to work conditions?  VA has classified the ABC as ESSENTIAL.  They use to be open 10-9 (M-S) 11-7 on Sunday.  Now it is 12-7 7 days a week.  They changed those hrs back on the last week of Mar.

I have lived in this area and shopped at that store for yrs and yrs.  It has had the same employees for eons/years, i.e. very low turn over.  However,  since the last week of Mar.  only the mgr is still at this ABC store.  The rest of the staff has left....the building....oops I meant store.   I wonder if they left because of the working conditions.

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32 minutes ago, Pima1988 said:

Hence, do these employees have the right to sue due to work conditions? 

If there is no serious physical injury OR OSHA violation, there is no action.  The employees should had taken pics and/or videos and reported the incident. You just can't sue just because it's sunny outside without having proof or paper trail. 

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It has always confounded me about America and its lawsuits. People feel entitlement, then they feel entitled to that entitlement. I live in Chicago, there are people protesting the extended stay at home, demanding businesses open. Nobody understands the true severity of that, most are just looking for ways to make money....i.e a quick buck by suing. If you open a restaurant or mall meant to serve hundreds of people, but should limit it to 10 at a time or less....with time in between to disinfect. All you are doing is setting yourself up for lawsuits. Never mind that you didn't force anyone to go to said mall or restaurant, you bear the brunt of making sure that it is safe.

I begin to wonder if a lawyer went to these people with lies because this is not a winnable case. COVID-19 had been declared a pandemic but only restaurants had been asked to stop service. Also remember there were still some cruises out, the CDC wasn't forcing the lines to cease operations. They could try to argue that they assume the party was mandatory and that RCCI was facetious in its information. But it was free will, RCCI was not forcing them to continue to work, it was trying to determine its next course of action. I am sure RCCI had correspondence for this, maybe a staggering option or temperature taking. I feel bad because all this does is put those people on a list that makes them undesirable and not able for rehire.

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Here you go regarding why I think those on the class action lawsuit that crew members have fears of retaliation.

https://www.miamiherald.com/news/business/tourism-cruises/article242380421.html

  • “We are prisoners right now,” said a crew member on the Carnival Freedom, who has not received any information about when he will be sent home. The Herald is not using his name because he fears retaliation from the company.

This from an NCL crew member. 

Do you actually think that this person is going to sign on for a class action lawsuit?  Two different cruise lines, both crew members speaking in anonymity fear retaliation.  They know sign on to that lawsuit and it is a risk financially for their family in the future.  They are basically rolling the dice since they must place their name on that lawsuit.

Now for:

Julia Whitcomb, 24, from Illinois, is one of three American crew members, among 954 total, stuck on the Celebrity Infinity cruise ship, owned by Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. She worked as a singer on the ship.

She has stated she will never work on a cruise ship again.  She is the ideal candidate for the attorneys.  She does not fear retaliation.  I wonder if her Argentinian boyfriend will also sue or will he live in fear of retaliation?


Read more here: https://www.miamiherald.com/news/business/tourism-cruises/article242380421.html#storylink=Julia Whitcomb, 24, from Illinois, is one of three American crew members, among 954 total, stuck on the Celebrity Infinity cruise ship, owned by Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. She worked as a singer on the ship cpy

 

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6 minutes ago, Ampurp85 said:

I begin to wonder if a lawyer went to these people with lies because this is not a winnable case. COVID-19 had been declared a pandemic

I wonder too.

My husband bc of his military career, we moved to areas that were hurricane prone (NC), tornado prone (KS) and earthquake prone (AK).  For our home owners insurance it always had the caveat of ACT OF GOD.  

  •  IOWS, they would not cover my home, belongings, etc. if my house was destroyed since nobody could predict it.

I truly believe that since this is the same attorney he is trying to make more money off of the backs of these crew members and destroying their ability to make money in the future.

Than again, maybe he hopes to throw dirt on RCL for his lawsuit against them regarding the Freedom of the Seas fatality.

  •   Telling a jury,  look at what they did to their crew members during the pandemic!  Look at this Miami Herald article regarding how they live in fear from retaliation.  How can you trust this cruise line?  
  •  Now FFWD.  Tell these crew members, look I got a settlement out of court for the Freedom of Seas fatality.  I can win this for you.  

AMBULANCE CHASERS that is what this firm is from any direction you look at.

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@Pima1988 That's what I mean, this lawyer is offering plastic and saying its a diamond. If this was an isolated incident, then he and the crew members involved might have a chance. But the burden falls on each individual in this case since it is a global event. I work for a law firm, in accounts receivable that mainly deals with divorces, and most of my coworkers said that no case prior to April 1st will have legs. Given how little we knew about COVID-19, plus the lack of universal standards, means there is a grace period. A lot of the people who signed on seem to be from first world countries. The singers, dancers, comedians and other performers. Maybe they got a few of their third world friends to sign on, but this doesn't look good. I feel like this is just another blow to the cruise industry.

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13 hours ago, Ray said:

You maybe need to read what i wrote again and try and understand it better, BECAUSE AT NO TIME do i mention Covid-19 in relation to ANY country!!! WHAT  I did say was i couldnt live in US because people sue for any reason even the smallest of things, hence my joke about farting in the wrong direction......

And you are 100% correct with regards all countries not locking down completely,  it was all over our news about those gUys standing outside some Michigan building waving their guns about demanding that lockdown be done away with! We may hold house parties but we dont take to the streets with firearms 

https://www.theguardian.com/world/video/2020/may/01/armed-protesters-michigan-state-capitol-demanding-end-to-coronavirus-lockdown-video

I agree. I am European why live in USA for 40 years and I still didn't get used to it about firearms and like you say low suits about everything . It is just different culture .

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OMFG!!!!  Winkleman?  He's the biggest sleazeball of them all .... I guess since he fell flat on his face after the Freedom tragedy, it was time to go looking for more "victims" --- What an ass.  I would love it if the cruise lines went after him ..... Makes my blood boil just hearing his name.

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Class action lawsuits in the US became a gold mine for attorneys and that is all some of them do. I get listed in about 5-6 every year and it's the same result. Everyone gets a free month of netflix (that you have to cancel or they charge you) and the attorney's get 50 million or more. 

The issue listed above about the American singer I feel is lacking details. The ship is docking in a US port for supplies, I am pretty sure that she could not be forced to remain on board and refused entry to the US. It may have taken longer than it should, but the US has accepted all US nationals back into the country. What would they have done if she had walked off the ship and onto US soil? thrown her back into the ship?

As for the other people, I don't blame CCL and RCL for having issues with what the CDC is demanding.. but on the other hand, you have a foreign listed company, with a foreign registered ship with non US nationals on board.

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35 minutes ago, Scrumps said:

What would they have done if she had walked off the ship and onto US soil?

I doubt she could just walk off the ship.  I am sure she had to go through security just like passengers.  She would obviously have to have at the very least her passport scanned, and most likely hand in her work i.d.  If that is the case it will beep and they would pull her aside because she is not on the list.

  •   Think about when you debark and go through immigration with your passport.  I know for my sister in law last July when we went through, they looked up your name on a list.  She was selected for further inspection. Her name was on the list, it wasn't a biggie, but the point is they know who is debarking.

From the articles I read it wasn't as if they could make their way back home on their own dime. RCL had to prove to the CDC that they would be in charge of getting her back to Illinois. The CDC wanted RCL to only use charters.   RCL was stating that because she was the only crew member that lived in Illinois it was too expensive to charter anything to get her home.

My question is now that RCL is repatriating many of their crew members, I wonder is her BF being repatriated?  

I also wonder if there is an aspect that is not being stated.  Her BF.  She admits that RCL was allowing them to live together in a cabin.  Could that also be reason?  The CDC may say that she has not really been self-quarantined due to living with him in a small cabin, and he is not American.  

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