washingtonpost.com Cruise Lines May Settle ADA Suits

[Ginette Perkins]

Cruise Lines May Settle ADA Suits

The Associated Press
Wednesday, June 6, 2001; 3:52 PM

MIAMI –– Two more Carnival Corp. cruise lines appear to be falling in line
with the company's flagship line on commitments to make their ships more
accessible to passengers with disabilities.

Carnival Cruise Lines agreed in April to settle a lawsuit over disabled
access by committing to a six-year plan for ship renovations to comply with
the Americans with Disabilities Act.

In similar suits filed against the Holland America and Costa Cruises
subsidiaries, both sides said in a recent court filing, "The parties have
discussed possibilities of settlement, and such settlement seems possible."

The industry has been under pressure to demonstrate ADA compliance since a
federal appeals court agreed nearly a year ago with federal regulators that
cruise ships registered in foreign countries are covered by the 11-year-old
U.S. law.

"It's a common-sense business decision to do so," attorney Matthew Dietz,
who filed the suits on behalf of Access Now, said Wednesday. "Most of the
cruise lines really have a deep interest in making their cruise lines as
accessible as possible."

Cruise lines often say they welcome disabled passengers, and new ships have
been built with wheelchair access in mind, but many older ships have
physical barriers in cabins and public rooms.

Ships sailing for Seattle-based Holland America feature Dutch names, such as
the Amsterdam and Rotterdam. Carnival promotes Costa as Europe's top cruise
line, and its ships also sail the Caribbean.



© 2001 The Associated Press
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: https://mailman1.u.washington.edu/mailman/private/wash-at/attachments/20010611/d204fcee/washingtonpost.comCruiseLinesMaySettleADASuits.htm