A passenger died after being found unconscious on a cruise ship in the Caribbean on Tuesday.
The British tourist, 79, was found unresponsive on the top deck of the ship. Crew members began first aid efforts before he was transported to a local hospital, where he succumbed to his condition on Tuesday morning, as reported by The Daily Mail.
News reports claim that the medical emergency happened while the cruise ship was at sea, forcing the vessel to dock in Crete, Greece.
It's unclear which ship the passenger was on, as the vessel's unscheduled stop wasn't included in the normal timetables that reveal ships' planned arrival and departure times. However, multiple vessels were sailing in that general area, including Celebrity Xcel, Sun Princess, Norwegian Viva, MSC Lirica, and more.
Authorities in Chania have launched a preliminary investigation into the cruise passenger's death and ordered an autopsy to establish the cause of death.
"We are supporting the family of a British man who died in Greece and are in contact with the local authorities," a spokesperson from the United Kingdom's Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) told The Daily Mail.
What happens when someone dies on a cruise ship?
Cruise ship deaths aren't entirely common, but they do happen. As such, each vessel is equipped with a morgue to store the deceased body until the ship reaches a port where it can be offloaded and repatriated home.
One crew member, who works aboard Carnival's Mardi Gras ship, shared a glimpse of what the morgue looks like aboard the 180,800 gross-ton vessel. Although it isn't located within the medical center, this isn't the case on every ocean-going vessel.
"In the incredibly rare event that you die on a cruise ship, you'll be moved to the morgue," he said.
On Mardi Gras, the morgue has room for three bodies. However, according to the crew member, the ship's morgue has never reached capacity.
"As you can see, the slab slides out, and we can transfer the deceased onto there, where the freezer is then activated," he explained.
The freezer then keeps the bodies at a controlled temperature until they're disembarked from the cruise ship.
Additionally, cruise lines assign a guest care team to work with family members to help arrange for early disembarkation and repatriation, notify family members, and handle local authorities.
Since there are steep costs involved, you want to ensure your travel insurance plan includes medical evacuation and repatriation coverage.
When was the last fatal cruise ship accident?
Recently, a crew member died after going overboard from a cruise ship in the Caribbean on Monday, July 13.
A spokesperson for Princess Cruises confirmed that a crew member, who worked aboard the Regal Princess, went overboard near Cancun, Mexico.
The Royal Class vessel immediately began a search operation with maritime authorities, cancelled its scheduled port day in Cozumel, Mexico, to circle the waters off the Yucatán Peninsula. Unfortunately, the cruise line later confirmed that the crew member died.
"Our heartfelt condolences go out to the crew's family and friends during this difficult time," Princess Cruises said in a statement to KHOU 11.
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.
