Second Helms-Burton Lawsuit Against a Cruise Line Dismissed

A Florida judge has dismissed a second Helms-Burton lawsuit against another cruise line company, Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings, Ltd. for allegedly trafficking in stolen property.

US District Judge Beth Bloom for the Southern District of Florida granted the defendants a Motion to Dismiss because the plaintiff’s rights expired in 2004. Norweigan Cruise Lines was not using the port terminal at the time of the leasehold.

The case against Norwegian Cruise Line was filed by the Havana Docks Corporation under the Libertad Act of Helms-Burton, Title III.

This dismissal follows a similar ruling yesterday of Judge Bloom in the Havana Docks vs. MSC Cruises (USA) Inc. Cruise line companies Royal Caribbean Cruises and Carnival Corporation will also most likely follow the decision.

The plaintiff’s property interest was a leasehold that expired in 2004. The Defendants’ attorneys have argued that attorney’s argued that the Havana Docks Corp could only assert claims under Title III that allegedly took place before that date. The cruise lines companies only began using the Havana cruise terminal in recent years.

Judge Bloom made note that the Havana Docks Corp possessed a time-limited concession that expired in 2004.

The Motion to Dismiss may be appealed.