royal caribbean cruise hits storm

Footage shows moment Royal Caribbean cruise ship was flooded during storm in the Gulf of Mexico

Water flowed into rooms and sunbeds were strewn across the deck as the vessel was battered by the fierce weather conditions.

Friday 2 February 2024 12:39, UK

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Footage has emerged of a cruise ship being flooded during a storm in the Gulf of Mexico - causing water to flow into people's cabins.

Travis Hair, a passenger on the Royal Caribbean vessel, filmed as the balcony of his room on the Voyager Of The Seas was swamped.

Mr Hair said he captured the video while the vessel was "sailing through a thunderstorm" on 26 January.

He added there were "high winds on the deck… platters of food crashing to the floor in the buffet, liquor and other glass breaking, water coming in through the balconies and flooding."

The footage also shows sunbeds piled up on the deck after being tossed around in the powerful storm.

The vessel was on its way back to Galveston, Texas, as part of a five-night trip to Cozumel, Mexico, according to USA Today.

Passenger Chelsea Ireland told the newspaper she felt the vessel tilt as it was battered by heavy winds.

She said: "When we tried to walk across our room, it felt like we were walking up a very steep hill."

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Fellow passenger Elaina Escobedo, 21, went to her grandparent's cabin to check on them during the storm. "There were just things flying all over the place," she said.

Ms Escobedo added that her grandmother was safe on the sofa, but her wheelchair had rolled across the room and cups of lemonade had been knocked over.

The footage emerged after another Royal Caribbean ship, Serenade of the Seas, reportedly flooded last month.

Sky News has contacted Royal Caribbean for comment.

Related Topics

• cruise ships

Videos capture terrifying moments of Royal Caribbean cruise caught in bad weather

A spokesperson for royal caribbean said the turbulence did not last long and there were no serious injuries., by monica galarza and kaitlyn schwanemann • published june 23, 2023 • updated on june 26, 2023 at 7:27 am.

A sudden storm hit a Royal Caribbean cruise ship, sending passengers running for cover as furniture flew around the deck.

Passengers had just boarded the Royal Caribbean’s Independence of the Seas docked in Port Canaveral in Cape Canaveral, Florida, and were about to depart for the Bahamas when gusts of hurricane-like winds hit the ship.

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Videos shared on social media show lounge chairs and tables flying across the deck.

One video captured the terrifying moment when a lounge chair narrowly misses a woman carrying a small child and hitting her stroller. Fortunately, the stroller was empty.

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Another video shows cruise guests running from the turbulent weather.

A spokesperson for Royal Caribbean said the storm did not last long and there were no serious injuries reported.

The cruise was able depart for the Bahamas and arrived at CocoCay on time, the spokesperson said.

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@cornettahh Another angle from the 6/16/23 squall that hit #independenceofthesea while docked in #PortCanaveral around 4pm. It hit so fast and was gone in a matter of minutes! No ship announcements were made before or after so people on the lower pool deck were hit completely without warning. 😳 #hurricaneseason #floridaweather #cruiseship #royalcaribbean #chaos #ocean #sea #squall ♬ original sound - Cora Cornett

This article tagged under:

Passenger video shows flooding on Royal Caribbean's world cruise in rough weather

Royal Caribbean International’s Serenade of the Seas hit rough weather off the coast of South America on Tuesday, causing flooding in some parts of the ship.

The vessel, which is currently operating the line’s nine-month Ultimate World Cruise, was on its way from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil to Montevideo, Uruguay at the time.

A spokesperson for Royal Caribbean said the ship “experienced heavy wind and rain.”

“One set of elevators and six rooms were impacted by some of the rain,” they said in an emailed statement. “Our team on board is managing the minor cleanup and elevator repairs.” Serenade of the Seas continued to Montevideo as planned, where it arrived Thursday.

Adita Larson, 64, was walking through the ship around 1 p.m. on Tuesday when she was thrown off balance. The ship was leaning to one side, making it difficult for her to stay upright.

“It was just really tilted, so it was hard to walk,” she told USA TODAY.

Even for Larson, who has been on more than 100 cruises with the line, it was a new sensation. “I've seen a lot of rocking, but never tilting just one side for so long,” she said. Later, as she walked down the stairs at the front of the ship, she heard what sounded like rain inside the elevator shafts.

The captain warned guests to stay away from the forward elevators as they had flooded and announced the ship’s outside areas were closed, according to Larson, who lives Houston, Texas and is sailing with her family. She said crew members in the dining room told her dishes fell off the tables when the ship tilted, and heard from fellow passengers that water had come into their cabins through their balcony doors.

Larson also shared a video on TikTok taken by a friend that appeared to show the floor on Deck 12 covered in water. She said the captain informed passengers the ship was sailing through winds as high as 60 miles per hour. Royal Caribbean did not comment on the specifics of Larson’s experience.

By about 3 p.m., the weather cleared up and the forward elevators were accessible again as of late morning Wednesday.

In the weeks since its departure from Miami, videos about the Ultimate World Cruise have proliferated on TikTok . Posts from both passengers on board – including Larson – and users at home recapping new developments and reported “drama” a la reality TV have amassed millions of views .

How long can you be on a cruise?: Why some passengers opt to sail for 6 months or longer

Angie Linderman, another passenger sailing the 274-night itinerary, saw her TikTok followers skyrocket as she chronicled her time on board. She told USA TODAY last month that the response was “mind-blowing.”

Larson, for her part, has not witnessed drama beyond isolated incidents such as a handful of passengers who have had to leave early for medical reasons and disputes over lounge access. Not even this week’s bad weather could spoil the trip for her. “I just feel like, I can swim, so I didn’t get scared,” she said.

Nathan Diller is a consumer travel reporter for USA TODAY based in Nashville. You can reach him at [email protected].

Passengers hit by a storm on a Royal Caribbean cruise line cling to railings as intense gusts rock the ship and send debris flying, videos show

• A Royal Caribbean cruise was battered by gusts of rain and wind before its departure Friday.
• Passengers shared videos of patrons sliding along the deck during the storm.
• The cruise line says no serious injuries or damage occurred as a result of the storm.

Passengers on a Royal Caribbean cruise ship ran for cover as umbrellas, chairs, and other furniture flew around them during a sudden, spectacular storm that struck Florida's Port Canaveral on Friday.

As the Independence of the Seas prepared to depart, strong winds and rain battered the 15-deck ship. In multiple videos posted to YouTube and Twitter , passengers are shown slipping and sliding across the decks while attempting to get safely inside.

The ship departed for the Bahamas despite the storm and arrived at CocoCay on time, according to a Royal Caribbean statement to Insider. The company called the storm "brief" and said there were no serious injuries to crewmembers or passengers.  

Related stories

Passengers took to the internet to describe their personal experiences. 

"Instead of telling people to come up to the top deck when we have a severe thunderstorm warning, maybe you should be more worried about your guests and employees and tell them to get inside," tweeted one passenger who filmed the storm .

Jerry Pike, a photographer and Florida local, told Insider he watched the storm hit the Independence of the Seas while sitting in a car in Jetty Park facing the port. Though the storm lasted only minutes, he said it was "exceptionally strong." 

—Jerry Pike (@JerryPikePhoto) June 16, 2023

Pike estimated winds reached between 40 and 50 miles per hour at the height of the storm, which he added was "terrifying" to watch. A meteorologist for Fox 35 reported winds reached from 55 to 60 miles an hour at their peak strength. 

"The Independence was just getting battered by winds as it was trying to push off the dock," Pike said. "Then [it] was covered by the gray cloud of rain and we couldn't see more than 20 yards out the window."  

The storm is just one of many expected to hit the Florida coast as hurricane season begins in the Atlantic Ocean, which runs from the beginning of June to November 30.

Watch: The rise and fall of the cruise industry

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Independent TV

Showing now | news.

Billal Rahman | Tuesday 27 June 2023 05:30 BST

Passengers flee as Royal Caribbean cruise ship lashed by storm

Passengers on a Royal Caribbean cruise ship were forced to run for cover after an intense rain storm and strong winds sent deck furniture flying across the deck.

Footage circulating on social media shows furniture flying across decks while people desperately attempted to escape the weather carnage.

The  Independence of the Seas  ship was caught in a brief rain storm as it prepared to leave Port Canaveral in Florida last week.

Passengers were lounging by the pool in the sunshine when strong winds and heavy rain suddenly hit the seas.

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'Sailing Through a Thunderstorm': Passenger Shares Experience as Royal Caribbean Cruise Ship Floods

A storm hit a Royal Caribbean cruise ship traveling through the Gulf of Mexico on January 26, flooding passengers’ cabins.

Travis Hair filmed the storm’s impact on the ship, the Voyager of the Seas, with water flooding the balcony of his room.

Travis said the footage was captured as the ship was “sailing through a thunderstorm”.

He said there were “high winds on the deck…platters of food crashing to the floor in the buffet, liquor and other glass breaking, water coming in through the balconies and flooding.”

Storyful has contacted Royal Caribbean for comment. Credit: @letsgetwanderlost via Storyful

Video Transcript

[NO SPEECH]

WOMAN: Is it better if you put it right up against the window?

Yeah, it actually is.

TRAVIS HAIR: You can't even tell where the water-- I think it's over there.

WOMAN: That overhang-- the little cover on top of the hot tub-- looks like it might not make it.

WOMAN: Yeah, see mine will still just focus on the water droplets.

TRAVIS HAIR: Our window is vibrating.

WOMAN: Huh?

TRAVIS HAIR: This window is vibrating.

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Royal Caribbean responds after video shows cruise ship passengers hit by flying deck chairs during storm

Cruise company responds to viral video.

Royal Caribbean responds after cruise ship passengers hit by flying deck chairs during severe storm

A Central Florida travel agent is concerned with how Royal Caribbean handled a severe storm, saying it could turn passengers away from future trips.

FOX 35 was sent a video from aboard the Independence of the Seas cruise ship last Friday. Passengers on board were caught in a severe thunderstorm, causing damage and forcing people to scramble looking for safety.

Travel experts say passengers put a lot of trust in cruises when booking vacations, and this isn’t how you maintain that trust. In several videos, you can hear passengers screaming and see dozens running trying to find shelter. 

It was a chaotic scene, and Kyleigh Cole is shocked it even happened in the first place.

"There’s always something you can do, other than just letting the guests and the travelers getting poured on, rained down on and being in the middle of a storm," Cole said, who’s a licensed travel agent with Boardwalk Travel Agency.

She cruises herself and knows how important safety is before, during and after the ship docks. 

"This could have ruined somebody’s cruise experience where they’ll never take another cruise again," Cole added.

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Wicked weather causes chaos on cruise ship

Passengers were caught off guard by a Florida summer storm as they were boarding their ship at Port Canaveral last week.

At least one person was caught on video getting hit by a flying beach chair. Fox 35 meteorologist, Brooks Garner, says there were severe weather warnings in the area at the time of the storm."

On Friday, June 16, between 3:45 and 4:15 p.m. – there was a severe thunderstorm warning for coastal Brevard County for a storm producing wind gusts over 60 miles per hour, in fact the port recorded winds gusting over 55 miles per hour, so there was a lot of wind confirmed with this storm," Garner said.

Passengers on board say they had no warning."They should have at least gave some kind of warning, you know, a minute or two or something, but they never made an announcement or anything," said Lucas Sparrow who was safely inside during the storm but captured a lot of the chaos on video.

In a statement sent to FOX 35, Royal Caribbean says, "…Independence of the seas encountered a sudden gust of high winds. This lasted for a brief period and there were no serious injuries to our guests or crew…". Whether there were injuries or not, this ordeal has passengers sounding the alarm on safety. 

Since receiving the statement from Royal Caribbean, FOX 35 is pressing for more information on what weather safety protocols are currently in place and why guests weren’t notified earlier. At this time, we haven’t heard back. 

Advertisement

Bonkers video footage shows chaos on cruise ship during intense storm, share this article.

An intense storm surprised passengers as they boarded a cruise ship in Florida and sent them scrambling for shelter as hurricane-like winds sent deck chairs and loungers, among other things, flying into the air in a chaotic scene some likened to the movie “Twister.”

The Independence of the Seas from Royal Caribbean was at the dock in Port Canaveral when the storm suddenly erupted with heavy rain and wind, sending many of the passengers into a panic as they sought safety. Some were hit by the flying debris.

Jenn Stancil captured video of the storm moving in and the passengers scrambling for safety as rain drenched the deck.

“It just turned crazy,” Stancil told FOX 35 Orlando . “It looked like a scene from the movie “Twister” is exactly what I thought, because you see these chairs flying up in the air.”

Lucas Sparrow, another eyewitness, told FOX 35 Orlando, “People were getting blown, losing their hats [and] towels.”

One lounger crashed down on an empty baby stroller as the woman pulled it. Fortunately the woman was carrying the baby and was not hit, as shown in footage posted on the Instagram account called Sunshine State of Mind 305 . (To view on some servers, you might have to click the link.)

  View this post on Instagram   A post shared by Sunshine State of Mind 305 (@305ssom)

Stancil’s video lasted only a bit over four minutes, showing how quickly a storm can move in. And how quickly, in this case, it can move on.

Also on FTW Outdoors: Video from fishing boat in high seas causes viewers to become ‘seasick’

Royal Caribbean responded to FOX 35’s request for comments, saying, “On Friday, June 16, while departing from Port Canaveral,  Independence of the Seas  encountered a sudden gust of high winds. This lasted for a brief period and there were no serious injuries to our guests or crew.  Independence of the Seas  continued its regularly scheduled 3-night itinerary, arriving to Perfect Day at CocoCay in The Bahamas, on Saturday morning, as scheduled.”

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Royal Caribbean cruise ship passengers scramble during freak storm

Royal Caribbean passengers speak with Fox 35 Orlando and recount the scary scene as a storm hit the Independence of the Seas cruise ship. 

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"People Getting Blown Away": Video Shows Moment Storm Hits Cruise Ship

One video shows passengers crawling on the deck as chairs fly above them. Another shows passengers running for shelter and grabbing onto the railing.

The cruise company said there were no serious injuries to passengers or crews.

A dramatic video circulating on Twitter has captured the moment panicked passengers scrambled for shelter aboard a Royal Caribbean Cruise ship that was hit by a freak storm. The clip shows deck furniture flying as the ship prepares to leave a Florida port. According to Fox 35 , the incident took place on June 16 when a storm hit the port where cruise ship named Independence of the Seas was docked. Royal Caribbean said the ship experienced a "sudden gust of high winds", adding that it "lasted for a brief period and there were no serious injuries to our guests or crew".

Yall act like this doesn't happen on any other cruise line. I just saw a stroller damn near hit a baby in the head last night on a Royal Caribbean ship pic.twitter.com/zbKqkFLmqj — Petty Mayonnaise (@breanna_monique) June 23, 2023

"People were getting blown away... losing their hats, towels," Lucas Sparrow, who was on ship with his family, told Fox 35 .

He added that the cruise line did notify passengers of incoming dangerous weather later in the trip.

Other clips showed umbrellas flying on the ship and screaming passengers sliding across a windswept walkway.

Several million Americans across multiple southern and midwestern states were under severe weather alerts as dangerous storms fuelled by high temperatures battered the region, bringing tornadoes, thunderstorms and hail the size of golf balls around that time.

Tornado, severe thunderstorm and flash flood warnings were issued for parts of Colorado, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Florida.

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Last week, a powerful tornado left at least four people dead and 10 injured in the southern US state of Texas.

The US National Weather Service, confirming the toll, described "significant damage" on the west side of Matador - main city in Motley County in north Texas with a population of about 600 - with several buildings heavily damaged or destroyed.

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What happens if there's a hurricane predicted at the time of my Royal Caribbean cruise?

We try to avoid operating any ship in the vicinity of a tropical system, and we will monitor the progress of these storms very closely. If there is a potential threat to any of our guests or ships, the itinerary may be altered to try to avoid any interaction with the storm or any affected areas. Additionally, our websites are continually updated to provide guests with information when a storm develops. For the latest information on itinerary changes and weather impacts on ports, please visit our  Travel Updates page .

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Passenger who jumped from world’s largest cruise ship fell 90 feet to his death: staffer

T he passenger who jumped from the world’s largest cruise ship on Sunday fell a staggering 90 feet to his death, sources said – and staff on board knew exactly what had happened practically before he hit the water.

The man, who has not been identified, jumped from the running track on the fifth level of Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas on the first day of its week-long voyage, a security team member told The Post when the ship returned to Miami Saturday morning.

Each deck is about 20 feet high, so the man fell from approximately 90 feet, the staffer explained.

The man’s body was transported via van to the Miami-Dade County Medical Examiner’s Office, according to crew members.

Cops also met the ship and took statements at the docks, and they retrieved a copy of the surveillance footage of the fatal incident.

When the man jumped on May 26, the overboard detection system was activated almost immediately – prompting onboard staff into action, the security team member continued.

“We knew what had happened literally seconds after he hit the water. The protocol is that we’re supposed to immediately make visual contact to see if we can spot him,” the source said, noting that one guard also saw the man jump on a security camera feed .

“It’s the captain’s call whether to stop and turn around, and he did,” he added.

Once the alert was sounded, the ship’s specialized security team prepared to take a rescue boat out to pick up the man.

The rest of the security team was stationed at predetermined lookout spots to do a 360-degree scan of the surrounding waters, while the Coast Guard was also briefed and immediately sent out an aircraft to the site, according to the crew member, who asked not to be named.

While the potential rescue got underway, the Icon of the Seas’ medical team was put on high alert.

The ship had paramedics, nurses, former ER doctors, and even a surgeon on board – as well as all the lifesaving medical equipment one typically finds in a small hospital, a member of the ship’s medical team told The Post.

The man was likely not alive when he was recovered from the water , the source added.

The doctor on board pronounced him dead once his body was transported to the medical bay, according to the crew member.

The passenger’s body was then stored in the on-board morgue, which is equipped with eight drawers.

There were no other fatalities on-board during the week-long voyage, which stopped in Honduras, Mexico and the Bahams, the medical team member said.

An onboard care team assisted the man’s family in the days after the incident, they explained to The Post.

The loved ones had the option of staying on the ship or flying home – though most bereaved families opt to stay with their relative’s body, the source noted.

The other passengers disembarking the massive ship – which holds up to 7,600 guests and 2,350 crew members – said they mostly went about their business for the rest of the cruise, though there was a prayer circle in the man’s honor.

“I didn’t know him but I felt horrible about it,” says Janine Pernell, a passenger from Atlanta.

Pernell was one of about 20 people who attended the small memorial that was held on the running deck.

“We just all held hands and prayed that the family would find comfort and peace. There were a lot of tears. We felt like it was all we could do,” she lamented.

Royal Caribbean halts cruise for search and rescue mission after man jumps overboard

• Updated: May. 29, 2024, 9:05 p.m. |
• Published: May. 29, 2024, 2:35 p.m.

A cruise passenger on the Royal Caribbean "Icon of the Seas" cruise jumped overboard, prompting a search and rescue mission where the passenger ultimately was found dead. TNS

• Katherine Rodriguez | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

A cruise passenger on the Royal Caribbean “Icon of the Seas” cruise jumped overboard, prompting a search and rescue mission where the passenger ultimately was found dead.

The passenger jumped from the 1,200-foot-long ship shortly after it left Miami, Florida, for Honduras Sunday morning, according to a statement from the Coast Guard obtained by The New York Post.

Once people noticed the emergency, the ship immediately halted its operations and the 2,350-person crew conducted a search-and-rescue mission. The ship stayed put for two hours, according to Cruise Hive.

The passenger was brought back onboard in critical condition. He eventually died of his injuries.

It is unclear what caused the man to jump, although his identity is being kept secret for the privacy of the deceased individual and his family.

The “Icon of the Seas,” which is the world’s largest cruise ship, took its maiden voyage in January 2024.

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PHOTOS: 1st cruise ship departs from Baltimore since Key Bridge collapse

by Alexa Dikos

Baltimore (WBFF) — A cruise ship departed from Baltimore on Saturday for the first time since the Key Bridge disaster.

On May 25, Royal Carribean International's "Vision of the Seas' departed from a 5-night voyage from Baltimore to Bermuda.

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Staff member on world’s biggest cruise ship recalls what happened in moments after passenger ‘jumped’ overboard

The staff member was a part of the ship's security team.

Callum Jones

A staff member on the world's biggest cruise ship has recalled the terrifying moments that followed when a passenger 'jumped' overboard.

The man, who tragically lost his life , had been on the first night of a seven-day voyage on Royal Caribbean's new vessel, named Icon of the Seas.

Lifeboats were dispatched from Icon of the Seas following the incident, and the man was brought back on board.

Sadly, he was later pronounced dead.

The ship stopped for around two hours while the 2,350-strong crew mounted a search and rescue mission for the passenger.

Icon of the Seas, which was heading for Roatan in Honduras, was just 300 miles away from Port Miami when the tragic incident unfolded.

A spokesperson for the US Coast released a statement, telling the New York Post: “The cruise ship deployed one of their rescue boats, located the man and brought him back aboard

“He was pronounced deceased. Beyond assisting in the search, the US Coast Guard did not have much involvement in this incident."

The man, who is yet to be identified, jumped more than 80 feet from the ship.

Meanwhile, Royal Caribbean told the New York Post: "The ship’s crew immediately launched a search and rescue effort alongside the US Coast Guard, who has taken over the search.

“Our Care Team is providing support and assistance to the guest’s family during this difficult time. For the privacy of the guest and their family, we have no additional details to share.”

Now, a cruise ship staff member has spoken out about the aftermath of the tragedy.

They told the New York Post that police took statements at the docks, while also retrieving a copy of the surveillance footage of the incident.

The member of security added that when the man 'jumped', the overboard detection system was activated almost immediately, which prompted the staff into action.

They said: "We knew what had happened literally seconds after he hit the water. The protocol is that we’re supposed to immediately make visual contact to see if we can spot him.

"It’s the captain’s call whether to stop and turn around, and he did."

As the search for the missing passenger got underway, the ship's medical team was put on high alert, as paramedics, nurses, former ER doctors, and even a surgeon were informed of the situation.

However, the source added to the Post that the man was likely not alive when he was recovered from the water.

UNILAD has previously reached out to Royal Caribbean and the US Coast Guard for further comment.

Topics:  News , Royal Caribbean , US News , Cruise ship

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Why royal caribbean does not have to share details of passenger who died on world’s largest cruise ship.

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The public may never know the full details surrounding the death of a passenger who reportedly jumped from the world’s largest cruise ship earlier this month.

Under maritime law, Royal Caribbean is not obligated to release the findings of its investigation into the death of the passenger on the Icon of the Seas.

The law allows the company, and other cruise lines — to downplay details that might cast them in a negative light, said Florida-based lawyer Keith Brais, whose firm specializes in injuries and incidents at sea.

“They wouldn’t even need to report on how much alcohol might have been involved if it makes them look bad,” he told The Post.

Royal Caribbean has not commented on the specific details of the incident and has only expressed its condolences to the family of the deceased.

The US Coast Guard in Miami said it assisted with the search, but it is not involved in the investigation into the passenger’s death.

Deaths on cruise ships are rare — but unique circumstances of a floating city in international waters — the Icon of the Seas can carry up to 7,000 people — means that they are not handled like deaths on land.

What happens to someone who dies on a cruise ship?

When an unidentified man jumped from Royal Caribbean’s new 1,200-foot-long Icon of the Seas on the first day of a seven-day voyage on Sunday, a rescue boat from the ship found him and brought him back aboard.

Passengers were initially told that the man was in the intensive care unit, but the Coast Guard confirmed to The Post that he died.

The Icon of the Seas proceeded on its voyage around the Gulf of Mexico after the incident.

It’s not clear where the man’s body is now, but it was likely taken to the ship’s morgue until it can be transferred to authorities on land, Brais said.

The ship has stopped in Honduras and Mexico, and is set for one more port of call in the Bahamas before it returns to Miami on Saturday.

Who investigates deaths at sea?

While the US Coast Guard assisted Royal Caribbean in the search and rescue of the man who fell overboard, officials said it was the cruise line’s rescue boat that ultimately found and transported the body, and it would be up to the company to investigate the case.

Brais said Royal Caribbean is not required to release its findings to the public, adding that it is rare for a company to publish anything that could make them seem liable for the death.

“As a result, the cruise line is likely to find that the passenger’s death resulted from ‘natural causes,’ even if the totality of the circumstances at hand suggests otherwise,” according to his law firm.

Braise noted that in his decades of experience in the industry and law, alcohol is involved in the majority of cases.

Royal Caribbean did not respond to The Post’s request for comment.

Does the family have any recourse about the investigation?

The Cruise Vessel Security and Safety act, which was passed in 2010, mandates that cruises not only follow strict regulations to ensure passengers are safe, but to also track crimes aboard their ships.

In regards to Sunday’s incident, Brais said the man’s family should look at whether Royal had the proper barriers in place to keep people from falling overboard and if they had Man-Overboard cameras installed that alerted them to the incident.

Even if Royal Caribbean was found to be negligent in the man’s death, the compensation could be limited to just covering funeral expenses under the Death of the High Seas Act, Brais added.

How common are deaths on cruise ships?

It can be difficult to determine how many deaths have occurred on cruise ships as it’s up to the companies to report such incidents.

According to the Department of Transportation’s Cruise Line Incident reports, there have only been four deaths aboard major cruise lines between January 2020 to March 2024.

Despite these numbers, Brais said it’s not rare for such man overboard stories to make headlines once every three weeks.

According to cruise expert Dr. Ross Klein, who maintains a master list of media reports of incidents where passengers have gone overboard, there have been at least 410 people who have fallen off cruises or ferries in the last 24 years.

Icon of the Seas death is the second so far this year aboard a Royal Caribbean cruise. In April, a drunk 20-year-old passenger reportedly jumped to his death from the Liberty of the Seas following a dispute with his father.

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