FI LED

U.S. COURT OF APPEALS

ELEV ENT H CI RCUI T
APRI L 27, 201 0

J OHN LEY
CLERK [DO NOT PUBLISH]

IN THE UN ITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS

FOR THE ELE VENTH CIRCUIT

__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __

No. 0 9- 13 34 3

Non -Arg um en t Ca le nd ar

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D.C. Dock et No. 0 8- 21 13 5- CV-WMH

RAY RACCA,

Pl ai nt iff -Ap pe ll an t,

ve rs us

CELEBRITY CRUIS ES, INC.,
ROYAL CARIBB EAN CRUISES LTD.,

Defen da nt s- App el le es

.

__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __
App eal fro m

th e Uni te d S ta te s Di st ric t Co ur t fo r th e So ut he rn Dis tri ct of F lo rid a

__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ (Ap ril 27 , 20 10 )

Befo re EDMONDSON, PRYOR an d C OX, Circ ui t J ud ge s.

PER CURI AM:

The is su e in th is cas e is whe th er a co nt ract ua l pr ov is io n in a cru is e ti ck et whi ch

li m it s a pa ss en ge r’s rig ht to su e fo r pe rs on al in juri es to on e y ear was reas on ab lyco m

m un ic at ed to th e Pl ai nt iff Ray Rac ca. Afte r rev ie w, we affi rm th e di st ric t co ur t’s

gr an t o f su m

m ary jud gm en t t o Def

en da nt s.

Rac ca fil e d su it ag ai ns t Cel eb rit y Cru is es , I nc . a nd Ro y al Carr ib ean Cru is es ,

Ltd

. on Apr il 22

, 20 08

, al l e g i n g t h a t h e in jure d hi s kn ee by st ep pi ng in to a ho le

be ne at h t he carp et in th e h al lway near hi s ro om on th e sh ip on Apri l 3 0, 2 00 6. Th e

in jury res ul te d in Rac ca un de rg oi ng se ve ral su rg eri e s an d a co m pl et e kn ee

rep la cem en t. Bec au se Rac ca di d no t br in g su it wit hi n on e y ear of th e da te of in jury,

th e di st ric t co ur t gr an te d su m m ary jud gm en t to Cel eb rit y an d Ro y al Cari bb ean ,

ho ld in g th at Rac c a ’s su it was ba rred by th e li m it at io ns pe rio d in th e cru is e ti ck et

.

R a c c a fil ed a m ot io n to rei ns ta te an d/ or m ot io n fo r a ne w tri al

. The di st ric t c o u r t

de ni ed th is m ot io n. Ra cca a pp eal s.

The co nt ract in Racc a’s pa ss en ge r ti ck et is su ed by Celeb rit y pro vi de s:

No su it sh al l be m ai nt ai na bl e ag ai ns t carr ie r, th e ve ss el or th e tra ns po rt f or an y cl ai m , in cl ud in g bu t no t li m it ed to de la y , de te nt io n, pe r s o n a l
in jury, il ln es s or de at h of pa ss en ge r un le ss writ te n no ti ce of th e cl ai m , wit h fu ll pa rti cu la rs , sh al l be de li ve red to carr ie r at it s pr in ci pa l of fic e wit hi n si x (6 ) m on th s fro m th e da y th e cau se of act io n oc cu rred ; an d in

no ev en t sh al l any su ch su it fo r an y cau se ag ai ns t carr ie r, th e ve ss el

, or th e tra ns po rt be m ai nt ai na bl e un le ss su ch su it sh al l be co m m en ced (fi le d) w it hi n on e (1 ) y ear fro m th e da y whe n th e cau se of act io n

oc cu rred an d pr oc es s was se rv ed wit hi n th irt y (3 0) da y s aft e r fil in g,

no twi th st an di ng an y pr ov is io n of l aw of an y st at e or co un try to th e

co nt rary.

2(R.1 -6

, Cru is e/ Cru is eTo ur Tick et Co nt ract at ¶ 12 (B).) Tit le 46 U.S.C. § 30 50 8( b) (2 )

sp eci fic al ly au th or iz es cru is e li ne s to pl ace a on e-year li m it at io ns pe rio d on th e rig ht

of pa ss en ge rs to fil e pe rs on al in jury la w su it s. “ Co ur ts wil l en fo rce su ch a li m it at io n

if th e cru is e ti ck et pr ov id ed th e p a s s e n g er wit h reas on ab ly ad eq ua te no ti ce th at th e

li m it ex is te d an d fo rm ed pa rt of th e pa ss en ge r co nt ract .” Na sh v. Kl os te r Cr ui se A/S

,

90 1 F .2d 15 65 , 15 66 (11 th Cir . 19 90 ) (ci ta ti on s o m it te d)

.

Rac ca co nt en ds th at th e di st ric t co ur t erre d be cau se th e li m it at io ns pr ov is io n

in th e co nt ract was no t reas on ab ly co m m un ic at ed to hi m : “ [t]he ti ck et is ro ug hl y 10 0

pa ge s an d ev en th ou gh th e ti ck et do es pr ov id e so m e no ti ce to th e gu es t (o n th e fro nt

co ve r) th at so m et hi ng im

po rta nt is co nt ai ne d in si de [,] th e fo nt di rect in g th e gu es t to

th e sp eci fic se ct io n( s) do es no t st an d ou t fro m th e ot he r wor ds on th e co ve r no r is th e

la ng ua ge di st in gu is ha bl e by an y hi gh li gh t, bo ld in g , i t al ic s or un de rli ne s.”

(Ap pe ll an t’s Br . at 1 0) . In ad di ti on , Racc a n ot es th at he is in hi s l at e-7 0's

.

The di st ric t cou rt c on cl ud ed th at th e li m it at io ns pro vi si on in th e cru is e ti ck et

was bi nd in g o n R acca . The b ro ch ur e d oe s con ta in on e hu nd red pa ge s. The di st ric t

co ur t co nc lu de d, h owe ve r, th at :

th e ti ck et co nt ract is on ly th ree (3 ) pa ge s wit hi n th e en ti re “ Gue st
Vacat io n Br o c h u r e ” [Rac ca] rece iv ed pr io r to th e cru is e. In de ed

, th e

warn in g th at th e co n t r act “ co nt ai ns im po rta nt li m it at io ns on th e rig ht s of pa ss en ge rs ” ap pe ars on th e face o f t h e Gue st Vacat io n Bro ch ur e

rece iv ed by [R a c c a ], an d an in de x to th e Bro ch ur e ap pe ars on pa ge 1,

3no ti ng th at th e ti ck et co nt ract can be fo un d on pa ge 67 of th e Bro ch ur e.

. . .[Fu rth er], de sp it e al l of hi s co m pl ai nt s ab ou t Defen da nt an d th e ti ck et

co nt ract

, [Rac ca] do es no t di sp ut e th at he rece iv ed th e ti ck et co nt ract

an d th at th e un am

bi gu ou s li m it at io ns la ng ua ge is co nt ai ne d th erei n. [Rac ca] ap pa ren tl y ha d an at to rn ey as earl y as Ju ly 20 07

, bu t st il l wait ed

un ti l Apri l 20 08 to fil e th is act io n. [Racca ’s] su rg eri es oc cu rred wit hi n

m on th s of th e acci de nt in 20 06

, bu t th ere is no reco rd th at [h e] pr ov id ed
Defen da nt wit h writ te n no ti ce of hi s cl ai m at an y ti m e pr io r to th e fil in g of th is laws ui t.

(R.1 -1 9 at 3- 4.) Bas ed on th es e fin di ng s, th e di st ric t co ur t he ld th at Rac ca di d no t

“ rai se [ ] a su ffi ci en t ba si s to av oi d th e bi nd in g pr ov is io ns of th is co nt ract an d th e

te rm s o f th e co nt ract are en fo rcea bl e ag ai ns t [h im ]. ” (R.1 -1 9 a t 4 .)

W e fin d no erro r in th e di st ric t co ur t’s gr an t of su m m ary jud gm en t to Cel eb rit y

.

A pa s s en ge r’s fai lu re to act ua ll y read th e co nt ract ua l pr ov is io n at is su e do es no t

pr ecl ud e hi s be in g bo un d. Ca rp en te r v. Kl os te rs Red er i A/S

, 60 4 F.2 d 11

, 13 (5 th Ci r.

19 79 ). The qu es ti on is whe th er Rac ca rece iv ed ad eq ua te no ti ce of th e li m it at io ns

pr ov is io n.

Alt ho ug h a pa ss en ge r m ay al m os t ne ve r read al l of th e fin e pr in t on th e ti ck et up on pu rch as e, or as pl eas ur e read in g in th e be rth th e fir st ni gh t

at se a, th e sa m e pa ss en ge r m ig ht ve ry well be ex pe ct ed to co ns ul t t h e

m ul ti fari ou s te rm s an d co nd it io ns of th e ti ck et /c on tra ct in th e ev en t of

an acci de nt res ul ti ng in a lo ss or i nju ry

.

Na sh

, 90 1 F.2 d at 15 68 (q uo ta ti on an d ci ta ti on om it te d)

. Here, af t e r h i s in jury, or

cert ai nl y aft er on e of hi s su rg eri es , it is no t un reas on ab le to ex pe ct Rac ca to read th e

th ree- pa ge co nt ract whi ch th e face of th e br oc hu re di rect ed hi m to

. Mo reo ve r, ev en

4th ou gh he co ns ul te d an at to rn ey by Ju ly 20 07

, Rac ca wait ed an ot he r ni ne m on th s to

co m m en ce th is la wsu it

. W e do no t co ns id er Rac ca’s arg um en t reg ard in g hi s cl ai m s

un de r Tex as Co ns um er Pro te ct io n St at ut es be cau se he fai le d to rai se it in th e di st ric t

co ur t. Se e Kr en kel v. Ker zn er In t’l Hot el

s, Ltd

. , 57 9 F.3d 12 79

, 12 82 n.3 (1 1t h Cir.

20 09 ). Rac ca’s co nt en ti on th at th ere was un fai rn es s, ba d fai th

, an d/ or frau d is

m eri tl es s. Fi na ll y , Rac ca’s arg um en t th at th e d i s t ric t co ur t erre d in gr an ti ng Ro y al

Cari bb ean su m

m ary jud gm en t be cau se R o ya l C a rib be an was no t a pa rty to th e

a gr eem en t be twee n Rac ca an d Cel eb rit y is wit ho ut m eri t be cau se he pr es e n t s n o

arg um en t o n t hi s ap pe al su pp or ti ng li ab il it y on th e p art of R oyal Car ib be an

.

AFFIR MED.

5