A passenger was found dead on a tropical island after being left behind by a luxury cruise ship.
The Coral Adventurer reported the woman, who was in her 80s, missing on Saturday at 9:00 p.m. when the crew failed to locate her on board after a scheduled visit to Lizard Island.
The ship had departed around sunset but returned a few hours later when the crew realized that the guest was unaccounted for.
Supposedly, she had been on a group hiking tour but failed to return with other passengers aboard the luxury vessel.
Queensland Police confirmed that the cruise passenger's body was found on Lizard Island on Sunday. According to WXII 12 News, they described her death as "sudden and non-suspicious."
The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) has stated that its investigation of the incident will include "the circumstances surrounding why the passenger may not have been accounted for during boarding."
The AMSA will question the ship's crew when it arrives in Darwin, Australia, on Sunday, November 2.
Coral Adventurer is a luxury cruise ship that's owned and operated by Coral Expeditions. Purpose-built for remote Australian and international destinations, the vessel has a capacity of just 120 guests and 46 crew members.
The ship had departed from Cairns, Australia, on Oct. 24, the day before the woman's disappearance, on a 60-day voyage around Australia. Lizard Island, a resort island about 19 miles off the Queensland coast that's renowned for its natural beauty and upscale accommodations, was the first stop.
The Independent reported that rooms for solo travelers cost between $81,000 and $97,200.
"While investigations into the incident are continuing, we are deeply sorry that this has occurred and are offering our full support to the woman’s family. The Coral team have been in contact with the woman’s family, and we will continue to offer support to them through this difficult process," said Coral Expeditions C.E.O. Mark Fifield.
Elizabeth Wright
Elizabeth graduated from New York University's Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute with her M.A. in Journalism in May 2023. Having sailed on over 30 cruises across different lines, including Royal Caribbean, Carnival, MSC, Margaritaville at Sea, and Princess, she loves sharing her insight and expertise on all things cruising!
In addition to writing for Cruise.Blog, Elizabeth has bylines in Business Insider, Royal Caribbean Blog, and Cruiseshipfood.com.
