Looking to sue Princess? Small claims court is an option, and you may have others…
The cruise line titan Princess is known for its luxury and splendor, but it can also leave many of its customers wanting. Maybe you had a bad interaction with one of their representatives or they overcharged you after promising a discount. Whatever your case, you may want to sue Princess, only to find that your contract forbids it. You may still be able to sue them in small claims court, however.
You first need to figure out whether small claims court is even an avenue can pursue. Most small claims court cases have upper monetary limits that you need to stay within, and these limits can vary by your state. Monetary awards usually range between $2500 and $10,000.
Secondly, be sure that you know which type of award you want to seek in your lawsuit. Monetary awards are those that provide money damages, while equitable awards are any nonmonetary solutions to your grievance. Keep in mind that small claims courts usually only handle monetary awards.
If you find that small claims court isn’t an option based on the above two criteria, you can still seek arbitration against Princess through the National Arbitration and Mediation company, which is the organization that cruise lines use for all their arbitration needs.
Should you decide to proceed with your small claims court case, you’ll need to write a demand letter and formally ask Princess to deal with your request before you file a claim. This is a simple affair; keep your letter short, sweet and to the point and request that Princess take care of your problem or else. The letter can even be as long as a few sentences.
You’ll need to mail a hard copy of the letter to Princess, as well as keep a hard copy for your own records. You can mail your demand letter to Princess via this address:
Princess Cruise Lines
24305 Town Center Drive
Santa Clarita, CA 91355
After the demand letter is finished (and Princess fuses to handle your problem), you can then move on to filling out Court forms. Head to your state website to figure out which forms you need to file to successfully push a claim against Princess. Be prepared to pay a small fee for filing the documents, and be sure to make several copies for your own records.
You can file the documents with the court as soon as they are complete, although you may need to show up physically at the courthouse on certain days and within certain business hours.
The last thing you need to do with the documents is actually serve them to Princess themselves. This is as simple as mailing them the same documents you filed to the court. Your court’s website should also have instructions about how you can correctly deliver these forms to Princess.
This is of critical importance! You need to file these absolutely perfectly or your case might be thrown out.
When all the above is done, all that’s left is to show up in court and make your case. You’ll get a court date and a specific courthouse to appear in – be sure you have both of these memorized before the actual date. Also make sure to bring all the relevant documents and evidence you need to prove your case against Princess and represent yourself honestly.
If Princess doesn’t show up to the court, it’s all the better for you, as you can focus on your side of the story without them presenting dissenting evidence.
Ready to sue Princess Cruise lines in small claims court?
If this sounds too hard and expensive, try consumer arbitration instead…
The Ultimate Guide to Consumer Complaints
Learn More
