Man goes overboard on Norwegian Cruise Line ship headed for Miami; search called off

A cruise passenger went overboard on a Norwegian Cruise Line vessel, NCL confirmed.

Norwegian Jewel departed from Barcelona, Spain, on October 15, 2025. The 12-night transatlantic cruise is slated to conclude in Miami, Florida, on Oct. 27. 

However, about halfway through the voyage on Oct. 21, guests were awoken around 2:00 a.m. to the secret "man overboard" code word being blasted into their cabins via the public address system. The ship had just departed from Ponta Delgada, Portugal, at 5:00 p.m. the night before.

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"A guy just announced three times on my stateroom on the Jewel speaker, 'Code Ospire, starboard side.' After looking it up, I think he was trying to say 'Oscar,' which Google says means passenger overboard. I hope I am wrong," one guest shared on an online forum. 

Another passenger added that the Captain confirmed they were in a "search and rescue mission" and would be circling the area. He asked guests to stay inside and remain calm. 

However, the crew called off the search after about 10 hours and resumed its course to Miami, Florida. 

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Cruise Mapper's satellite tracking data confirms that Norwegian Jewel did pause and circle in the Atlantic Ocean. 

"I'm surprised how long they're searching but it is understandable because we're in international waters, too far from any national Coast Guard to perform the search," wrote on Redditor. 

Norwegian Cruise Line confirmed the incident in a statement shared by Local 10:

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"We are deeply saddened to confirm that on Monday, Oct. 20, 2025, we were notified that a guest was reported to have gone overboard while the ship was sailing from Ponta Delgada, Portugal to Miami." 

"The appropriate authorities were immediately notified, and an extensive search and rescue operation with multiple vessels was conducted. The search was unfortunately unsuccessful, and the ship was released by authorities to continue its voyage. Our team is attending to the guest’s loved ones during this very difficult time, and our thoughts and prayers are with them," the spokesperson added.

Facts about the Norwegian Jewel cruise ship

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Norwegian Jewel is an older ship in NCL's fleet, having launched in 2005. The vessel measures 93,502 gross registered tons and 965 feet long. 

She can comfortably accommodate 2,376 passengers at double occupancy and is slated to begin offering cruises from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in April 2026.