Question about the inevitable ... ?

[Bob & Sandy]

What happens if you are on a sea day, out of helicopter range of any land - and someone dies? Is there a 'ship's morgue'? What is the capacity?

I've heard that the departed is stuffed in a plastic bag and placed in a refrigerator in the galley! Also, does any cruise line allow burial at sea for those passengers who are, 'beyond ill'? Do all cruise lines handle this event the same way - if not, what are the differences?

[RevSmith]

Yes believe it or not the ship companies all have special morgues just for that purpose...and more people than you would imagine die at sea...it happens all the time...it's just keep very private, as it should be.

[Bob & Sandy]

Thanks, RevSmith, but do you have any other information beyond confirmation of a morgue? (Is it located in or near the galley?). Anything on "burial at sea"? I know there are still a few ships who do weddings - but what about funerals (I realize a mortician's services would be out of the picture, I suppose ...)

[K&RCurt]

When you mention "Burial at Sea" do you mean of someone who passed away while on-board? I can't see how this would be possible. There are no "Official" law enforcement or investigative agencies represented on board nor is their a forensic physician to conduct an autopsy. I believe the remains of the passenger(s) who passed away on the voyage must be returned to the port of embarkation to be examined, an official cause of death determined and a death certificate issued.

 

If you mean the burial at sea of a person who passed away other than on the voyage and who's death certificate has been issued, I would think that unlikely.

[cherylandtk]

The morgue "refrigerator" is nowhere near the galley, it is down in the medical center area. Don't know the capacity of the morgue, but it is apparently sufficient to handle whatever incidents occur on board.

 

Cruise ships do not perform burials at sea, although that service is offered by many day-trip operators. As noted above, a death certificate is needed before any burials (land or sea) can be performed; that would require facilities and authorities on shore.

[Nliedel]

There are regulations that would prevent the storing of a corpse in the galley. Since many older people cruise it does happen quite a bit. All lines have procedures for it.

[Bob & Sandy]

K&RCurt:

 

Regarding Law and Order: I understand that the ship's officers and security have wide latitude for maintaining safety & regulations. If they can arrest and detain people, aren't they capable of determining 'suspicious circumstances'? Couldn't the ship's doctor issue the death certificate? (I would assume in cases where it is obvious the individual expired from natural causes, of course ...). In certain rare cases of contagious disease, would you want the remains on board? I wouldn't ... :eek: !

[K&RCurt]

K&RCurt:

 

Regarding Law and Order: I understand that the ship's officers and security have wide latitude for maintaining safety & regulations. If they can arrest and detain people, aren't they capable of determining 'suspicious circumstances'?

 

While they have the authority to detain someone they suspect of a crime they typically leave the investigation of suspicious circumstances to actual law enforcement agencies. vis. The RCI ship that had a missing person and blood all over the outside of the ship. They sealed the room and called the local authorities who met the ship when it docked at the next port.

 

Couldn't the ship's doctor issue the death certificate? (I would assume in cases where it is obvious the individual expired from natural causes, of course ...).

 

I don't believe the ship's infirmary has the facitities to perform an autopsy. In addition the physicians are typically not "employees" of the cruise line but regular physicians who work for a week or two a year acting as a "contractor" to the cruise line. Few, if any of them would have expertise in forensic medicine.

 

In certain rare cases of contagious disease, would you want the remains on board? I wouldn't ... :eek: !

 

If someone died of a highly contagious disease the damage would have been done BEFORE they died, not after. You would be safe with a dead body sealed in a body bag under refrigeration in a mourge. You would be decidedly LESS safe with the infected person walking, breathing, touching things, shaking hands, all over the ship before they passed.

[cherylandtk]

Bob and Sandy-Have you been watching too many alien horror movies or CSI re-runs? Ship doctor possibly could determine COD, but there is usually no immediate need for it, not to mention they would not be ideally suited perform the autopsy or analyze the toxicology samples. If and when your virulent, rampant, 100% fatal highly-contagious disease takes over the ship they would be too busy cutting up the bodies and storing them in your room mini-fridge to worry about the paperwork. If you don't want dead bodies on board, don't fly on commercial airlines, take a train, drive on a highway or go on a cruise. They all have them on a fairly regular basis.

[Bob & Sandy]

Bob and Sandy-Have you been watching too many alien horror movies or CSI re-runs? Ship doctor possibly could determine COD, but there is usually no immediate need for it, not to mention they would not be ideally suited perform the autopsy or analyze the toxicology samples. If and when your virulent, rampant, 100% fatal highly-contagious disease takes over the ship they would be too busy cutting up the bodies and storing them in your room mini-fridge to worry about the paperwork. If you don't want dead bodies on board, don't fly on commercial airlines, take a train, drive on a highway or go on a cruise. They all have them on a fairly regular basis.

 

Possibly too much TV!! Ha, ha! I'm just curious because it isn't discussed too much - unlike most threads on pizza or pool chairs! I really don't believe any cruise I'm on is going to resemble a Stephen King novel!! ;) Also, thanks to K&R Curt for their very logical reasoning ... :)

[cherylandtk]

You are right--its not much discussed, but it does happen. The ship does try to give the grieving family as much privacy and comfort as possible. One of our first cruises we turned around to return to the nearest port for an ill passenger (announcement made over the ship PA system)--but a few hours later we resumed course without making a stop or transferring anyone off the ship. Nothing was ever said publicly that we heard. Upon return to Miami disembarkation was delayed for an hour or so (PA announcement apologized for delay but did not specify why, just said delay in completing the process of clearing the ship) the appropriate authorities came onboard and the casket was the first thing we saw removed from the ship, accompanied by family members and what looked like ship staff. Shortly after they started removing baggage and then passengers.

 

P.S. Glad to know you understood that post was humor...not everyone on these boards does; and I half expect the next question to be "how often are the bodies stored in the mini-fridges?"

[kitty9]

I was on board Crystal when a person passed away and there are procedures for a death at sea. When someone passes away, it must be reported to the local authorities at the next port of call. If the locals suspect anything, they do bring on investigators to talk to whomever. On my particular cruise, the next port was Hawaii, and the local sheriff's department did come on board and spoke to the doctor, captain and nurse, and the coronor came on, took the body, did an autopsy. The person who passed was 88 and it was determined it was natural causes. But it behoves cruise lines to cover their behinds, so to speak, when someone dies on a cruise ship, so there's no question of foul play and no cause for action by a family member.

 

Many people have asked about burial at sea, on a cruise ship, and they are turned down. There are now maritime laws that prevent cruise ships from doing that.

 

I was on another Crystal cruise where an elderly woman fell down and broke her hip. We were on a crossing from Lisbon to FLL, so of course we far from any port. Late at night, I woke up feeling the ship tuning hard and really gunning the engines. The captain had to head back towards the Canary Islands and get close enough for a medi-evac helicopter to come to the ship. At about 3am, I heard the sound of a helicopter and went out on the balcony to get a look. I then went up to the lounge at the front of the ship to watch the procedure. The ship slowed to about 2 knots, the craft hovered over the bow and lowered a man and a stretcher to the deck. They secured the woman on the stretcher, hoisted her up to the aircraft and off they went to a hospital in the Canary Islands. It was pretty amazing to see.

[gracecarmo]

On our last cruise a man passed away while on shore in Kona. He was taken to the hospital there, then to a funeral home or morgue. I believe he was traveling solo with a group of people. One person in the group was able to help out, but not being next of kin, had no authority to make arrangments etc.. The remains were then sent to the hometown of the deceased. On the ship, there is a department called Mortuary Services that provides assistance.

This all happened within the US, so circumstances may be different in other countries.

Also: we had dinner one time with the ship's doctor (on another cruise), and I asked him about the facilities for deceased. He said that the ship had 5 slots abailable in the ship's morgue.

I know this is a morbid subject, but it may be of importance if needed and I think we should all be aware that this happens at sea.