Cruise passenger dies after falling over balcony on ship, Carnival confirms

A passenger sailing aboard the Carnival Firenze ship died Monday morning after falling over the balcony of her cabin, Carnival Cruise Line confirmed. 

The 135,156 gross-ton ship was near Catalina Island on a four-night cruise when the unidentified woman fell over the balcony of her cruise room and landed on the deck below, NBC News reported.

She was traveling with her family, who alerted the ship's crew members to her fall. At the time of publication, it was unclear what caused her to fall over the high railings. 

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"All appropriate authorities have been alerted," said a company spokesperson. "As is customary, law enforcement will board the ship today on Catalina Island to conduct the required investigation."

The statement continued, "Carnival’s Care Team is supporting the guest’s family, and our thoughts and prayers are with them and their loved one."

Carnival Firenze departed from Long Beach, California, on Sunday, April 26, according to Cruise Mapper. Catalina Island was the first port of call on the four-night itinerary. 

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At the time of writing, the 4,126-passenger ship was en route to its second (and final) port of call, Ensenada, Mexico. Carnival Firenze is scheduled to return to California on the 30th. 

Although not the largest ship in Carnival's fleet, she is one of the newest. Carnival Firenze was transferred from Costa Cruises to Carnival and began operating for the "FUN" ship line in 2024. Before that, she sailed as the Costa Firenze from July 2020 to February 2024. 

Norwegian Breakaway cruise crew overboard incident

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This is the second tragic cruise-related death reported this week. The first was aboard Norwegian Breakaway, with the cruise line confirming that a crew member went overboard from the ship off the coast of New England late Saturday. 

Security camera footage captured the unidentified crew member falling from the vessel into the Atlantic Ocean. Norwegian then launched its search-and-rescue protocols, alerting the U.S. Coast Guard Sector Southeastern New England.

The Coast Guard deployed a search helicopter and crew from Coast Guard Station Provincetown. However, the search was suspended just after noon on Sunday "pending new information." 

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The next sailing's embarkation from Boston was delayed because of the incident. 

"Overnight and into the early morning hours, the ship remained engaged in search and rescue efforts following a man overboard situation, working closely with maritime authorities," read the letter delivered to passengers. 

The letter continued, "These efforts required the vessel's full attention before the voyage could safely resume toward Boston. Situations such as these are never easy, and the safety and well-being of those at sea remain at the heart of every decision we make."

Read more: Crew member reported overboard from 4,000-passenger cruise ship, Norwegian confirms