Carnival Cruise Lines, Inc. v. Shute et Vir
499 U.S. 585 · Decided April 17, 1991 · Supreme Court of the United States
Record summary. This page is generated from the Supreme Court Database’s coded data about the case. It describes who decided what, not the Court’s reasoning. Read the opinion itself before relying on it. Not legal advice.
At a glance
Carnival Cruise Lines, Inc. v. Shute et Vir was decided on April 17, 1991 by a vote of 7–2. The Court reversed the lower court's decision. Justice Harry A. Blackmun wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Election of remedies” in the Economic Activity area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 499 U.S. 585 · 111 S. Ct. 1522 · 113 L. Ed. 2d 622 · 1991 U.S. LEXIS 2221
- Docket number
- 89-1647
- Decided
- April 17, 1991
- Argued
- January 15, 1991
- Court era
- Rehnquist Court
- Decision type
- Opinion of the Court (orally argued)
- Disposition
- Reversed
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party received a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 7–2
- Majority opinion
- Harry A. Blackmun
- Opinion assigned by
- William H. Rehnquist
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue (SCDB)
- Election of remedies
- Issue area
- Economic Activity
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Conservative what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Justice Byron R. White | Majority | |
| Justice Thurgood Marshall | Dissent | |
| Justice Harry A. Blackmun | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
| Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist | Majority | |
| Justice John Paul Stevens | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Sandra Day O'Connor | Majority | |
| Justice Antonin Scalia | Majority | |
| Justice Anthony M. Kennedy | Majority | |
| Justice David H. Souter | Majority |
Full case caption
Carnival Cruise Lines, Inc. v. Shute et Vir
SCDB identifiers: case 1990-063, docket 1990-063-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Election of remedies”
- Mercedel W. Miles v. Apex Marine Corporation
- Southwest Marine, Inc. v. Byron Gizoni
- Sisson v. Ruby
- Chesapeake and Ohio Railway Company v. Nancy J. Schwalb and William McGlone
- Northbrook National Insurance Company v. Larry W. Brewer
- Bath Iron Works Corporation v. Director
Same Term, same area (Economic Activity)
- Mercedel W. Miles v. Apex Marine Corporation
- Jay Palmer v. BRG of Georgia, Inc.
- Arcadia v. Ohio Power Company
- Coy R. Grogan v. Frank J. Garner, Jr.
- McDermott International, Inc. v. Jon C. Wilander
- Trinova Corporation v. Michigan Department of Treasury
Source: Supreme Court Database, 2026 Release 01 (data file dated September 8, 2026). Imported into CaseTrail November 5, 2026. Coverage: decisions from the 1946 through 2025 Terms. Methodology · Report an error