Do I need a maritime attorney, or just a regular employment attorney?
I would have liked to give you a “yes” or “no” answer, but the most helpful attorney could be one who is experienced with cruise ship wage matters. And not every maritime attorney handles cruise ship wage claims, even if they handle Jones Act claims for crew members. Cruise ship employment can be governed by contract, and crew contracts can vary according to the company, as some ships operate under the U.S. flag and some cruise lines, while having corporate headquarters in the United States, operate ships whose flags of registry are in the Bahamas, Panama, Monrovia, and other overseas locations.
Tim Akpinar
