10. FORUM SELECTION; GOVERNING LAW; TIME LIMITS TO BRING SUIT; ARBITRATION; CLASS ACTION WAIVER:
a. FOR CRUISES WHICH ARE NOT U.S. CRUISES NOR CRUISETOURS INCLUDING A U.S. CRUISE, THE FOLLOWING SECTIONS 10.a.i, 10.a.ii, and 10.a.iii APPLY:
(i) FORUM SELECTION: EXCEPT AS PROVIDED IN SECTION 10.c. BELOW, ALL DISPUTES, CLAIMS OR OTHER MATTER OF ANY DESCRIPTION ARISING OUT OF, IN CONNECTION WITH OR IN ANY WAY RELATED OR INCIDENT TO THIS AGREEMENT, THE CRUISE, CRUISETOUR, LAND TOUR OR TRANSPORT (INCLUDING A CLAIM FOR PERSONAL INJURY, ILLNESS OR DEATH OF A GUEST) MUST BE LITIGATED, IF AT ALL, IN AND BEFORE THE COURTS OF ENGLAND AND WALES, TO THE EXCLUSION OF ALL OTHER COURTS OR TRIBUNALS. GUEST HEREBY CONSENTS TO JURISDICTION AND WAIVES ANY VENUE OR OTHER OBJECTION THAT GUEST MAY HAVE TO ANY SUCH ACTION OR PROCEEDING BEING BROUGHT IN THE COURTS OF ENGLAND AND WALES.
(ii) GOVERNING LAW: THIS AGREEMENT AND ALL DISPUTES OR CLAIMS WHATSOEVER BY GUEST ARISING FROM OR RELATED TO THIS AGREEMENT SHALL IN ALL RESPECTS, AND WITHOUT REGARD TO CONFLICT OF LAW PRINCIPLES, BE GOVERNED BY AND CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH ENGLISH LAW. FOR THE AVOIDANCE OF DOUBT, THIS SECTION 10.a.ii APPLIES TO ALL DISPUTES AND CLAIMS WHETHER RESOLVED IN COURT OR IN ARBITRATION. EXCEPT AS OTHERWISE EXPRESSLY SPECIFIED IN THIS AGREEMENT, GUEST AGREES THIS CHOICE OF LAW SUPERSEDES AND PREEMPTS ANY PROVISION OF LAW OF ANY OTHER COUNTRY, STATE, OR TERRITORY.
(iii) TIME LIMITS TO PROVIDE NOTICE AND FILE A CLAIM:
(A) FOR PERSONAL INJURY/ILLNESS/DEATH CLAIMS: NO SUIT SHALL BE MAINTAINABLE AGAINST THE CARRIER, THE VESSEL OR THE TRANSPORT FOR PERSONAL INJURY, ILLNESS OR DEATH OF ANY GUEST UNLESS WRITTEN NOTICE OF THE CLAIM, WITH FULL PARTICULARS, IS DELIVERED TO CARRIER AT THE FOLLOWING ADDRESS, C/O RCL CRUISES LTD., BUILDING 7, THE HEIGHTS, BROOKLANDS, WEYBRIDGE, SURREY, ENGLAND, KT13 0XW OR VIA EMAIL TO claims.intl@rccl.com, WITHIN SIX (6) MONTHS FROM THE DATE OF THE INJURY, ILLNESS OR DEATH AND SUIT IS COMMENCED (FILED) WITHIN ONE (1) YEAR FROM THE DATE OF SUCH INJURY, ILLNESS OR DEATH AND PROCESS SERVED WITHIN 120 DAYS AFTER FILING, NOTWITHSTANDING ANY PROVISION OF LAW OF ANY STATE, TERRITORY OR COUNTRY TO THE CONTRARY.
(B) FOR ALL OTHER CLAIMS: NO SUIT SHALL BE MAINTAINABLE AGAINST THE CARRIER, THE VESSEL OR THE TRANSPORT FOR ANY CAUSE OF ACTION ARISING OUT OF OR RELATED TO THIS AGREEMENT, THE CRUISE, CRUISETOUR, LAND TOUR OR TRANSPORT, UNLESS ARBITRATION IS COMMENCED WITHIN ONE (1) YEAR FROM THE DATE SUCH CAUSE AROSE OR BE FOREVER BARRED, NOTWITHSTANDING ANY PROVISION OF LAW OF ANY STATE, TERRITORY OR COUNTRY TO THE CONTRARY.
b. FOR U.S. CRUISES AND CRUISETOURS INCLUDING A U.S. CRUISE, THE FOLLOWING SECTIONS 10.b.i, 10.b.ii, 10.b.iii and 10.b.iv APPLY:
(i) FORUM SELECTION: EXCEPT AS PROVIDED IN SECTION 10.c. BELOW, ANY DISPUTE, CLAIM OR OTHER MATTER OF ANY DESCRIPTION ARISING OUT OF, IN CONNECTION WITH OR IN ANY WAY RELATED OR INCIDENT TO THIS AGREEMENT, THE CRUISE, CRUISETOUR, LAND TOUR OR TRANSPORT (INCLUDING A CLAIM FOR PERSONAL INJURY, ILLNESS OR DEATH OF A GUEST) MUST BE LITIGATED, IF AT ALL, IN AND BEFORE THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF FLORIDA LOCATED IN MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, FLORIDA, U.S. TO THE EXCLUSION OF ALL OTHER COURTS OR TRIBUNALS. AS FOR THOSE LAWSUITS WHICH THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF FLORIDA LOCATED IN MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, FLORIDA, U.S. LACKS SUBJECT MATTER JURISDICTION, THE DISPUTE, CLAIM OR OTHER MATTER OF ANY DESCRIPTION ARISING OUT OF, IN CONNECTION WITH OR IN ANY WAY RELATED OR INCIDENT TO THIS AGREEMENT, THE CRUISE, CRUISETOUR, LAND TOUR OR TRANSPORT (INCLUDING A CLAIM FOR PERSONAL INJURY, ILLNESS OR DEATH OF A GUEST) MUST BE BROUGHT BEFORE A COURT LOCATED IN MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, FLORIDA, U.S. TO THE EXCLUSION OF ALL OTHER COURTS OR TRIBUNALS. GUEST HEREBY CONSENTS TO JURISDICTION AND WAIVES ANY VENUE OR OTHER OBJECTION THAT GUEST MAY HAVE TO ANY SUCH ACTION OR PROCEEDING BEING BROUGHT IN THE COURTS REFERENCED IN THIS SECTION WHICH ARE LOCATED IN MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, FLORIDA, U.S.
(ii) GOVERNING LAW: EXCEPT AS OTHERWISE EXPRESSLY PROVIDED FOR HEREIN, THIS AGREEMENT AND ALL DISPUTES OR CLAIMS WHATSOEVER BY GUEST ARISING FROM OR RELATED TO THIS AGREEMENT SHALL IN ALL RESPECTS AND WITHOUT REGARD TO CONFLICT OF LAW PRINCIPLES, BE GOVERNED BY AND CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE GENERAL MARITIME LAW OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AND, WHEN APPLICABLE, THE U.S. DEATH ON THE HIGH SEAS ACT (46 U.S.C. § 30301 ET SEQ.). FOR THE AVOIDANCE OF DOUBT, THIS SECTION 10.b.ii APPLIES TO ALL DISPUTES AND CLAIMS WHETHER RESOLVED IN COURT OR IN ARBITRATION. EXCEPT AS OTHERWISE EXPRESSLY SPECIFIED IN THIS AGREEMENT, GUEST AGREES THIS CHOICE OF LAW SUPERSEDES AND PREEMPTS ANY PROVISION OF LAW OF ANY OTHER STATE, TERRITORY OR COUNTRY.
(iii) TIME LIMITS TO PROVIDE NOTICE AND FILE A CLAIM:
(A) FOR PERSONAL INJURY/ILLNESS/DEATH CLAIMS: NO SUIT SHALL BE MAINTAINABLE AGAINST THE CARRIER, THE VESSEL OR THE TRANSPORT FOR PERSONAL INJURY, ILLNESS OR DEATH OF ANY GUEST UNLESS WRITTEN NOTICE OF THE CLAIM, WITH FULL PARTICULARS, IS DELIVERED TO THE CARRIER AT THE FOLLOWING ADDRESS, C/O CELEBRITY CRUISES INC., 1050 CARIBBEAN WAY, MIAMI, FL 33132 OR VIA EMAIL TO guestclaims@rccl.com, WITHIN SIX (6) MONTHS FROM THE DATE OF THE INJURY, ILLNESS OR DEATH AND SUIT IS COMMENCED (FILED) WITHIN ONE (1) YEAR FROM THE DATE OF SUCH INJURY, ILLNESS OR DEATH AND PROCESS SERVED WITHIN 120 DAYS AFTER FILING, NOTWITHSTANDING ANY PROVISION OF LAW OF ANY STATE, TERRITORY OR COUNTRY TO THE CONTRARY.
(B) FOR ALL OTHER CLAIMS: NO SUIT SHALL BE MAINTAINABLE AGAINST THE CARRIER, THE VESSEL OR THE TRANSPORT FOR ANY CAUSE OF ACTION ARISING OUT OF OR RELATED TO THIS AGREEMENT, THE CRUISE, CRUISETOUR, LAND TOUR OR TRANSPORT, UNLESS ARBITRATION IS COMMENCED WITHIN ONE (1) YEAR FROM THE DATE SUCH CAUSE AROSE OR BE FOREVER BARRED, NOTWITHSTANDING ANY PROVISION OF LAW OF ANY STATE, TERRITORY OR COUNTRY TO THE CONTRARY.
(iv) CLASS AND REPRESENTATIVE ACTION RELIEF WAIVER: GUEST MAY BRING CLAIMS AGAINST CARRIER ONLY IN GUEST’S INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY. EVEN IF THE APPLICABLE LAW PROVIDES OTHERWISE, GUEST AGREES THAT ANY ARBITRATION OR LAWSUIT AGAINST CARRIER, VESSEL OR TRANSPORT WHATSOEVER SHALL BE LITIGATED OR ARBITRATED BY GUEST INDIVIDUALLY AND NOT AS A MEMBER OF ANY CLASS OR AS PART OF A CLASS OR REPRESENTATIVE ACTION, AND GUEST EXPRESSLY AGREES TO WAIVE ANY LAW ENTITLING GUEST TO PARTICIPATE IN A CLASS OR REPRESENTATIVE ACTION.
c. MANDATORY ARBITRATION OF CERTAIN CLAIMS FOR ALL CRUISES: PLEASE READ THIS SECTION 10.c CAREFULLY. IT AFFECTS YOUR AND OUR RIGHTS IF THERE IS A DISPUTE. It requires you and us to resolve most disputes in arbitration after first trying to work them out between you and us. Arbitration is less formal than a lawsuit in court and uses a neutral arbitrator instead of a judge or jury. Discovery is more limited in arbitration than in court. Arbitrators can award the same individualized remedies that a court can award. Their rulings are legally binding and subject to very limited review by courts. Arbitration will take place on an individual basis. Class and representative proceedings are not allowed, and you and we cannot seek, and arbitrators cannot award, relief on behalf of others.
In this Section 10.c only, references to “we” “us”, and “our” include Carrier’s and/or Operator’s past, present, and future parents, subsidiaries, affiliates and joint venturers, as well as our and each of those entities’ agents, employees, predecessors, successors, and assigns. In this Section 10.c only, references to “you” and “your” includes Guest, as well as your and each of those person’s assignees, heirs, trustees, agents, or other representatives. This Section 10.c does not preclude you or us from bringing issues to the attention of federal, state, or local agencies. Such agencies can, if the law allows, seek relief against you or us on the other’s behalf. BY AGREEING TO ARBITRATE, YOU AND WE EACH WAIVE THE RIGHT TO SUE IN COURT, TO TRIAL BY JURY, OR TO PARTICIPATE IN A CLASS OR REPRESENTATIVE ACTION. This Section 10.c shall survive termination of this Agreement or any other agreement between you and us.
(i) Claims Subject to Arbitration: Except as otherwise provided in Section 10.c.ii below, any dispute or claim between you and us must be arbitrated. This agreement to arbitrate is intended to be broadly interpreted. It includes, but is not limited to:
- claims arising out of or relating to this Agreement and/or the Cruise, purchases of other goods or services, or any other aspect of the relationship between you and us, whether based in contract, tort, fraud, misrepresentation, or any other statutory or common-law legal theory;
- claims that arose before this Agreement or any prior agreement between you and us (including, but not limited to, claims relating to advertising or disclosures for any of our products or services);
- claims for mental or emotional distress or injury not arising out of bodily injury;
- claims relating to the retention, protection, use, or transfer of information about you or any of your reservations for any of our products or services;
- claims relating to communications with you, regardless of sender, concerning any of our products or services, including emails and automatically dialed telephone calls and text messages; and
- claims that may arise after the termination of this Agreement and/or the Cruise.
(ii) Claims Not Subject to Arbitration: You and we agree that the following disputes or claims cannot be arbitrated:
- claims arising from personal injury, illness or death; and
- disputes over the scope and enforceability of this Section 10.c, whether a dispute or claim can or must be brought in arbitration, or whether Sections 10.c.iv, 10.c.vii, or 10.c.viii have been violated.
These exclusions from arbitration are intended to be interpreted narrowly.
(iii) Pre-Arbitration Notice of Disputes and Informal Resolution: Before either you or we commence arbitration, the claimant must first send a written Notice of Dispute to the other (“Notice”). Any such Notice to Carrier must be sent by U.S. mail or professional courier service to Carrier c/o: Legal Department, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd., 1050 Caribbean Way, Miami, Florida 33132 (“Notice Address”). Any such Notice to you will be sent to your address on file with your reservation for the Cruise. The Notice must include: (a) the claimant’s name, mailing address, email address, and phone number; (b) the claimant’s loyalty number (if applicable); (c) reservation number for the Cruise; and (d) onboard folio number (if applicable); (e) a description of the nature and basis of the claim or dispute; and (f) the specific relief sought. The Notice must be personally signed by you (if you are the claimant) or by our business representative (if we are the claimant). Please be advised that we cannot disclose information about your reservation to anyone but you, the Lead Guest or your travel agent (if you or the Lead Guest used a travel agent to book or service your Cruise reservation), unless you provided us with signed, written permission to do so. Accordingly, if you retained an attorney to submit your Notice, please also provide signed written authorization for us to discuss your reservation and share our records regarding you with your attorney.
After the Notice containing all of the information above has been received, within 60 days, either you or we may request an individualized discussion (by telephone or videoconference) regarding settlement (“Informal Settlement Conference”). You and we must work together in good faith to select a mutually agreeable time during business hours for the Informal Settlement Conference (which can be after the 60-day period). You and our business representative must both personally participate in the Informal Settlement Conference, unless otherwise agreed in writing. Your and our lawyers (if any) may also participate.
Any applicable statute of limitations or contractual limitations periods will be tolled during the “Informal Resolution Period,” which is the period between the date that a fully complete Notice is received by either you or us and the later of: (i) 60 days later; or (ii) the date an Informal Settlement Conference is completed, if timely requested.
(iv) Commencing Arbitration: An arbitration proceeding cannot be commenced until after the Informal Resolution Period has ended. Any court of competent jurisdiction will have authority to enforce this Section 10.c.iv, including the power to enjoin the filing or prosecution of arbitrations without first providing a fully complete Notice and participating in a timely requested Informal Settlement Conference. Any court of competent jurisdiction also may enjoin the assessment or collection of arbitration fees incurred as a result of such arbitrations. Further, unless prohibited by applicable law, the arbitrator shall not accept nor administer any arbitration unless the claimant has complied with the Notice and Informal Settlement Conference requirements of Section 10.c.iii.
(v) Arbitration Procedure: The arbitration will be governed by the Consumer Arbitration Rules (“AAA Rules”) of the American Arbitration Association (“AAA”), as modified by Section 10.c.iv, and will be administered by the AAA. (If the AAA is unavailable or unwilling to administer arbitrations consistent with this Section 10.c, another arbitration provider shall be selected by mutual agreement or by the court.) The AAA Rules are available online at www.adr.org or by writing to the Notice Address. As in court, you and we agree that any counsel representing someone in arbitration certifies that they will comply with the requirements of Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 11(b), including a certification that the claim or the relief sought is neither frivolous nor brought for an improper purpose. The arbitrator is authorized to impose any sanctions available under that rule, the AAA Rules, or applicable federal or state law against all appropriate represented parties and counsel. The arbitrator may consider rulings in arbitrations involving different claimants against us, but an arbitrator’s ruling is not binding in other proceedings. Except as provided in Section 10.c.vii below, the arbitrator shall apply the substantive law that governs this Agreement, set forth in Section 10.a.ii or Section 10.b.ii, and can award the same individualized remedies (including punitive and statutory damages and statutory attorney’s fees and costs) that a court could award under applicable law. Unless you and we agree otherwise, the arbitration will be decided based on papers submitted by you and us. The arbitrator shall issue a reasoned written decision sufficient to explain the essential findings and conclusions on which the award is based.
During the arbitration, the amount of any settlement offer shall not be disclosed to the arbitrator until after the arbitrator determines the amount, if any, to which either you or we are entitled.
(vi) Arbitration Fees: We will pay all AAA filing, administration, case-management, hearing, and arbitrator fees (“AAA Fees”) if we initiate an arbitration. If the aggregate value of your claims is US$750 or less, we will pay all AAA Fees, so long as you have fully complied with the Notice and Informal Settlement Conference requirements in Section 10.c.iii. In such cases, we will pay the filing fee directly to the AAA upon receiving a written request at the Notice Address that you have commenced arbitration or, if the AAA makes you pay the filing fee, we will send that amount to the AAA and request that the AAA reimburse you. If, however, the arbitrator finds that either the substance of your claim or the relief you seek is frivolous or brought for an improper purpose (as measured by the standards set forth in Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 11(b)), then the payment of all such fees will be governed by the AAA Rules. If the aggregate value of your claims is US$750 or more, you will pay all AAA Fees. In such cases, you agree to reimburse us for all monies previously disbursed that are otherwise your obligation to pay under the AAA Rules or this Section 10.c.vi. For mass arbitration filings, you agree to pay all administrative fees for AAA to initiate the mediation process for the mass arbitration filings.
(vii) Requirement of Individual Arbitration: The arbitrator may award declaratory or injunctive relief only in favor of the individual claimant seeking relief and only to the extent necessary to provide relief warranted by that claimant’s individual claim. YOU AND WE AGREE THAT EACH MAY BRING CLAIMS AGAINST THE OTHER ONLY IN YOUR OR OUR INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY, AND NOT AS A PLAINTIFF OR CLASS MEMBER IN ANY PURPORTED CLASS, REPRESENTATIVE, OR PRIVATE ATTORNEY GENERAL PROCEEDING. Further, unless both you and we agree otherwise, the arbitrator may not consolidate the claims of more than one person, and may not otherwise preside over any form of a representative, class, or private attorney general proceeding. If, after exhaustion of all appeals, any of these prohibitions on non-individualized declaratory or injunctive relief; class, representative, and private attorney general proceedings; and consolidation are found to be unenforceable with respect to a particular claim or with respect to a particular request for relief (such as a request for injunctive relief), then that claim or request for relief shall be severed and decided by a court after all other claims and requests for relief have been arbitrated.
(viii) Mass Arbitrations: If 25 or more claimants submit Notices or seek to file arbitrations raising similar claims and are represented by the same or coordinated counsel (whether such cases are pursued simultaneously or not), all the cases must be resolved in staged proceedings. You agree to this process even though it may delay the arbitration of your claim. In the first stage, we and claimants’ counsel will each select up to 25 cases (50 cases total) to be filed in arbitration and resolved individually by different arbitrators. In the meantime, no other cases may be filed or proceed in arbitration, and the AAA must not assess or demand payment of fees for the remaining cases or administer or accept them.
The arbitrators are encouraged to resolve the cases within 120 days of appointment or as swiftly as possible thereafter, consistent with fairness to the parties. After the first stage is completed, the claimants must engage in a single mediation of all remaining cases, and we will pay the mediation fee. If the remaining claimants and we cannot agree how to resolve the remaining cases after mediation, we and claimants’ counsel will repeat the process of selecting and filing up to 50 cases to be resolved individually by different arbitrators, followed by mediation.
If any claims remain after the second stage, the process will be repeated until all claims are resolved, with four differences. First, a total of 100 cases may be filed in the third and later stages. Second, the cases will be randomly selected. Third, arbitrators who decided cases in the first two stages may be appointed in later stages if different arbitrators are not available. Fourth, mediation is optional at the election of counsel for the claimants.
Between stages, counsel will meet and confer regarding ways to improve the efficiency of the staged proceedings, including whether to increase the number of cases filed in each stage. Either party may also negotiate with AAA regarding the amount or timing of AAA fees.
If this Section 10.c.viii applies to a Notice, the Informal Resolution Period for the claims and relief set forth in that Notice will be extended (including the tolling of any applicable statute of limitations or contractual limitations period for the claims and requested relief) until that Notice is selected for a staged proceeding, withdrawn, or otherwise resolved. A court will have the authority to enforce this Section 10.c.viii, including by enjoining the mass filing, the prosecution or administration of arbitrations, or the assessment or collection of AAA fees.
This Section 10.c.viii and each of its requirements are intended to be severable from the rest of Section 10.c.viii. If, after exhaustion of all appeals, a court decides that the staging process in this Section 10.c.viii is not enforceable, then the cases may be filed in arbitration and the payment of AAA filing, administration, case-management, hearing, and arbitrator fees will be assessed as the arbitrations advance and arbitrators are appointed rather than when the arbitrations are initiated.
(ix) Future Changes to this Section: Notwithstanding any provision in this Agreement to the contrary, you and we agree that if we make any future change to this Section 10.c (other than a change to the Notice Address), you may reject that change by sending us written notice within thirty (30) days of the first notice of the change to the Notice Address provided above. To be effective, your rejection must include your name, mailing address, email address, phone number, booking reference, and a statement personally signed by you that you wish to reject the change to this Section 10.c. By rejecting that future change, you are agreeing that you will arbitrate any dispute or claim between you and us in accordance with the language of this provision, as amended by any changes that you did not timely reject.