A multi-million-shekel lawsuit was filed last week in the Haifa District Court against the Israeli shipping and tourism company Mano Maritime, following a summer cruise on the Crown Iris ship in the Mediterranean, which plaintiffs described as a "continuous nightmare."
The 35-page statement of claim was filed through Attorney Liron Preminger on behalf of passengers from the cruise that departed from Haifa Port on June 21, 2026, as well as on behalf of hundreds of other passengers who claims could potentially join a class action suit.
According to the lawsuit, the cruise scheduled to depart at 1:30 p.m. set sail only around 6:00 p.m., with the delay at the port being "just the opening shot" for a series of alleged breakdowns and failures throughout the voyage.
The Crown Iris is Mano Maritime's flagship vessel and currently the only ship operating regular cruise voyages from Israel since October 7, 2023. The company has been operating under complex conditions in recent years, following the COVID-19 period and the regional security situation, which also includes tension in foreign ports where it docks.
"Harsh and deplorable physical conditions"
"During the cruise, it became clear that reality was light-years away from what had been presented," the lawsuit stated. "A prolonged wait under uncertain conditions was only the opening shot for a series of severe failures."
According to the passengers, significant breakdowns were discovered after embarking, chief among them a problem with the air conditioning system. They claim the system was out of service across large parts of the ship for extended periods, causing "unbearably heavy heat and a severe feeling of suffocation" in rooms and public areas, including the lobby and casino.
The plaintiffs claim that passengers "found themselves trapped in scalding rooms, lacking the minimal ability to rest or enjoy the amenities for which they paid their hard-earned money."
They further allege that the situation was aggravated by the fact that one of the ship's pools was closed and drained, leaving no way to cool off and ease the heat burden.
In a video included in the court file, one passenger can be heard saying: "We are on Mano Maritime, the time is 5:15 p.m. Everything is closed, there are no air conditioners in the room, people here are completely desperate. No one from the crew knows how to answer us, there's no power. The girl is exhausted here, she had a panic attack. There is simply no one to talk to."
The boarding gangway fell and tore
The lawsuit also alleges sanitary deficiencies. According to the passengers, yellow water flowed from the taps on certain days of the cruise, which they claim prevented basic usage like bathing or brushing teeth.
The plaintiffs further claim that the company unilaterally altered the cruise route. According to them, instead of arriving at the destinations listed in the original plan – Rhodes in Greece and Agios Nikolaos in Crete – the ship sailed to Limassol in Cyprus.
One of the central events underpinning the lawsuit is an incident that allegedly occurred while docked in Rhodes, when the boarding gangway fell and tore. The lawsuit calls this a "severe and terrifying safety incident," claiming it sparked fear and anxiety among passengers and raised concerns regarding the ship's maintenance and their safety.
It is also alleged that throughout the cruise, passengers encountered a "disrespectful and indifferent" attitude from crew members and company representatives, and that requests for explanations or assistance were not met with satisfactory responses. Additionally, the plaintiffs claim passengers were asked not to document the defects on camera.
Demand for NIS 4M compensation
The plaintiffs note that they paid approximately 2,500 euros for a couple with two children, arguing that the company sold them a "dream vacation" but actually delivered a "journey of hardships." Attorney Liron Preminger claims the accumulation of events – from the departure delay, through the AC and pool failures, the yellow water, to the boarding gangway incident – constitutes a "complete failure of consideration."
At this stage, Preminger is demanding compensation of approximately NIS 4M., calculated at NIS 2,000 for each of the roughly 2,000 passengers. According to him, "The cluster of breakdowns that began even before departure indicates negligence by Mano Maritime, both in its handling of the ship and its treatment of customers."
Mano Maritime: "The picture is completely different"
Mano Maritime told Walla Tourism that the company rejects the allegations raised in the lawsuit.
"Most of the claims raised in the statement of claim do not reflect what actually happened on the cruise, during which most passengers enjoyed a vacation experience that included full board with chef meals, international shows, entertainment activities, pools, a water slide, sports facilities, and visits to two overseas destinations," the company stated.
Mano Maritime added that "the company will present its position before the court, along with evidence and testimony from passengers presenting a completely different picture from the one presented by the plaintiffs. At Mano Maritime, everything is done so that cruisers have a good and enjoyable experience. The best proof is the thank-you letters we receive on every cruise, including the cruise on which the lawsuit was filed, and the number of returning passengers, who make up the majority of all sailors."