Texas Woman Sues Norwegian Cruise Line After Slip and Fall on Wet Pool Deck of Norwegian Escape
Cheryl Pilgrim-Aristil, a resident of Texas, has filed a maritime personal injury lawsuit against NCL (Bahamas) Ltd. in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida. The lawsuit, filed under Case No. 1:26-cv-23857-RKA, alleges that Pilgrim-Aristil suffered serious and permanent bodily injuries after slipping on a pool of water on the deck of the M/S Norwegian Escape on December 29, 2024. The plaintiff claims that the cruise line failed to maintain its premises, failed to warn passengers of the hazardous condition, and negligently designed the pool deck area.
Cruise Passenger Injured Near Norwegian Escape Hot Tub Due to Accumulated Water and Slippery Deck
According to the complaint, the incident occurred while the Norwegian Escape was operating in navigable waters during a voyage that embarked and disembarked out of Galveston, Texas. Pilgrim-Aristil was enjoying the amenities aboard the vessel and was spending time in the Deck 16 Aft Hot Tub Area. After exiting the hot tub and walking toward a nearby bar area, she slipped in an accumulation of pooled water on the deck surface, which caused her to fall into a split position. A crew member in the immediate vicinity attempted to assist her by grabbing her hand as she fell.
Following the slip and fall, Pilgrim-Aristil presented to the shipboard medical center to report the incident. The medical staff administered pain medication, performed an x-ray of her left hip, and later gave her a hip injection due to her continued severe pain. Security personnel also requested that she identify the location of the fall and informed her that shipboard video surveillance would be reviewed to confirm the incident. The plaintiff alleges that she spent the remaining duration of her cruise vacation in severe pain.
Norwegian Cruise Line Accused of Failing to Maintain and Warn of Recurring Pool Deck Hazards
The lawsuit alleges that Norwegian Cruise Line had actual and constructive knowledge of the dangerous condition on the deck surface. The complaint states that the cruise line tracks and logs passenger complaints, injuries, and slip and fall incidents in internal guest services databases and safety reports. Furthermore, the plaintiff claims that the accumulation of water on deck surfaces surrounding hot tubs is a well-known, recurring, and foreseeable hazard due to passengers constantly entering and exiting the facilities.
To demonstrate that the cruise line had notice of the hazard, the plaintiff’s legal team references multiple prior slip and fall lawsuits filed against the company involving similar conditions. These referenced public court filings include Burke v. NCL (Bahamas) Ltd., Hester v. NCL (Bahamas) Ltd., Kessler v. NCL (Bahamas) Ltd., and Tremblay v. NCL (Bahamas) Ltd.. Notably, the Hester case involved a passenger slipping at the spa on Deck 16 of the Norwegian Escape itself, which is the exact same deck where Pilgrim-Aristil was injured. The complaint argues that these prior incidents should have put the cruise line on notice that its pool deck and hot tub flooring materials become dangerously slick when wet, yet the company failed to implement adequate safety measures.
Complaint Alleges Dangerous Design and Choice of Flooring Materials on Norwegian Cruise Line Vessels
In addition to failing to maintain the deck and warn passengers, the lawsuit brings a count for negligent design, construction, and selection of materials. Pilgrim-Aristil alleges that Norwegian Cruise Line has its ships custom built to its own specifications and possesses ultimate control over the design, material selection, and finishing treatments applied to the vessel walking surfaces. The complaint asserts that the cruise line breached its duty of care by selecting and approving a deck surface material that lacks an adequate coefficient of friction and becomes unreasonably slippery when exposed to moisture.
The plaintiff argues that the layout and finish specifications prioritized aesthetic appearance over passenger slip resistance. According to the filing, the cruise line failed to apply necessary safeguards in high-traffic passenger paths, such as slip-resistant textures, abrasive strips, mats, protective coverings, or non-skid surfacing. The lawsuit also notes that the cruise line was under a legal duty to comply with international vessel safety regulations promulgated by the International Maritime Organization under the Safety of Life at Sea treaty, which mandates that escape routes and walkways must be maintained in a safe condition.
Plaintiff Seeks Damages for Severe Injuries and Permanent Impairment Caused by Cruise Line Negligence
The lawsuit raises three distinct counts of negligence against the defendant: negligent maintenance of the pool deck and hot tub area, negligent failure to warn, and negligent design, construction, and selection of materials. The plaintiff asserts that the dangerous condition of the wet deck was not open and obvious because pooled water is highly difficult for passengers to visually perceive and appreciate before a fall occurs.
As a direct and proximate result of the cruise line’s alleged negligence, Pilgrim-Aristil claims she sustained severe and permanent physical injuries. The complaint details injuries to her left hip, left lower extremity, and lumbar spine, as well as associated musculoskeletal, neurological, and soft-tissue structures. The fall also allegedly caused the aggravation or acceleration of her preexisting medical conditions, including minimal osteoarthritis of her left hip and previous neck surgeries. The plaintiff is seeking compensation for economic and non-economic damages, including past and future medical expenses, hospital care, physical therapy, lost earnings, loss of earning capacity, physical impairment, disfigurement, mental anguish, and a permanent loss of the capacity for the enjoyment of life.
Contact a Cruise Ship Pool Deck Injury Lawyer Today if You Were Injured on a Vessel
Cruise lines have a strict legal obligation under general maritime law to provide all passengers with a reasonably safe environment and to exercise reasonable care under the circumstances. When cruise operators fail to properly monitor high-traffic areas, neglect to use non-slip materials in wet zones, or fail to post adequate warning signs, passengers can suffer life-altering injuries. If you or a loved one experienced a serious slip and fall accident while traveling on a cruise ship, you may be entitled to financial recovery for your medical bills, lost income, and pain and suffering. Contact our team of dedicated maritime law professionals today to discuss your rights and review your potential claims.
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Disclaimer: Our firm does not represent the plaintiff in this case and is not involved in the litigation. The information provided is a summary of allegations based on publicly available court filings. We make no representations about the truth of these allegations, are not commenting on the merits of the case, and are not predicting any outcome.
