Cruise Lines Stay the Course, Weather Be Damned

Cruise lines are loathe to change, much less cancel, itineraries for rough seas or major ocean storms like Hurricane Lane, the Category 3 cyclone lashing Hawaii.

The ships must set sail, even in rough seas, if they are to make money, admiralty lawyers tell Bloomberg Law. That bottom-line focus means cruise lines insist on strict departure and arrival times, even in hurricane-force winds and heavy downpours.

But when things go wrong, the ship’s operators can face a barrage of passenger complaints, negative publicity and, though likely unsuccessful, litigation that can be time-consuming and expensive to defend.

“It is been ...