Deaths on a Cruise Ship

[Aquaman#1]

I just wondered if anyone has been on a cruise where someone has died? I'm sure there is a morgue, but is the body kept until returning to the home port, or just until the next stop, then taken off? I guess it depends on the length of the cruise, and the ports of call. Any insight?

[GMoney]

I was on a HAL cruise not too long ago where 2 people died in separate incidents. They were taken off in St Thomas a I forget where else.

 

Beyond that, I don't have any insight on the process - sorry. I'm sure this happens and most pax go unaware.

[truffles2]

We were on a cruise where a 39 year old woman died of alcohol poisoning. Don't know how they handled the details. I always worry when I see anyone "over consuming".

[FlHarley]

I just got off of Mariner of the Sea and there was a death the first night. The victim and the family were taken off of the ship at 3 AM by helicopter. Not sure what facilities they have on board, but do know that the body was removed from the cruise we were on.

[Druke I]

Deaths upon cruise ships is a fairly common occurrence.

 

Ships have a mini-morgue, basic caskets, and coroner's style refrigerators to store bodies.

 

It is not unusual to see a hearse alongside the pier, when making a port stop.

 

Way back in 3-92, on Royal Princess, the Captain had a heart attack, and was taken from the ship in Curacao. We were later told that he had died in hospital there.

[waykaylincruz]

I hate to even mention this as I do not know for certain and I can only base this reply on what I HEARD from others. Apparently an elderly lady died on our cruise on the Jewel last week. Rumors have it that she died in her sleep and the room steward found her and she had been dead awhile. They found her and took her body off in Saint John last Thursday. The people I heard this from was standing somewhere on the ship (I cannot recall specific location) and they saw the EMT's take her off. They did not cover her head and it would appear she was just sleeping. However, the people stated that the ladies head was not touching the pillow which leads us to think that rigor mortis has set in. They did carry her off the ship along with all her luggage and belongings but they did not carry her off through the passenger gangway. Apparently there is another exit perhaps a service one.

 

Again, I cannot confirm this and can only go by what I heard.

[Lionesss]

I am sure it happens more often than one thinks.

In this day and age with all the privacy acts, that we as the American Public are entitled too, I am sure that the workers on the ship sign some type of loyality contract. My point is, they are not permitted to devulge any information about any activities on board.

So the only way we would find out is by a fellow traveler observing the unusual activity and conversing about it.

I know I would be as curious as the next traveler to find out what was going on, but I guess the cruise line is trying to protect the family and the cruise line itself.

Later

[RLM77]

I recommend the following thread When someone dies aboard the ship…… from the Celebrity board.

 

[Host Kewlguy]

Someone jumped overboard during our Enchantment cruise in December 2006. This was at about 7:30 am with numerous witnesses including ourselves. We watched the entire episode including the recovery of the body from our balcony. Unfortunately the person drowned and it was ruled a suicide. Turns out the person was on board renewing his 50th anniversary wedding vows. Apparently he had been diagnosed with a terminal illness and had invited the entire family on the cruise for the event. They were staying in the Royal suite and he jumped the day before the cruise concluded.

[alansfreed]

I think the cruise folks definitely try to keep these things as hushed up as possible, although when it happens the rumor mill quickly spreads the details through the ship just as fast as though the captain had announced it on the PA system.

 

We had someone die (heart attack, I believe) while riding jet skis (if memory serves) at Coco Cay. I heard they kept the body in the ship's morgue until they were able to move it along at an appropriate port, a day or so later.

 

While we were in Alaska last summer, some folks from a different ship were killed on a floatplane ride either in Ketchikan or Skagway. We heard some buzzing about a tragedy of some sort, but didn't hear details until a day or so later.

[sddsddean]

We did the Sydney - LA repo cruise on the Sapphire Princess last year and 3 people passed away on that, though in fairness, due to the length and type of cruise, there was a much older clientele. One old boy I was talking to said he was 85 and said he would rather die at sea on a cruise enjoying himself than sitting at home watching the world go by!

 

Simon

[MrPete]

I FORGET THE NUMBER OF CASKETS on each sailing, but I thought the number was high, and there's X number of deaths per sailing.

[derf5585]

Maybe a true story maybe knot.

 

Someone died during a cruise. The ship did not have a morgue so they stored the body in the ice cream locker until they got to port. Free ice cream for the rest of the cruise.

[Pemcorgimum]

A few years ago a neighbour of mine died on a ship in the Pacific heading to New Zealand. He died in the cinema onboard while watching Some Like it Hot. So he really did die laughing. His body was flown home from New Zealand

[TigerLady]

I am sure it happens more often than one thinks.

In this day and age with all the privacy acts, that we as the American Public are entitled too, I am sure that the workers on the ship sign some type of loyality contract. My point is, they are not permitted to devulge any information about any activities on board.

So the only way we would find out is by a fellow traveler observing the unusual activity and conversing about it.

I know I would be as curious as the next traveler to find out what was going on, but I guess the cruise line is trying to protect the family and the cruise line itself.

 

Later

Dignity is nice when the unexpected happens away from home. I would hope the cruiseline would first think about the family, then themselves..

[firefly333]

I had friends whose FIL had a heart attack and died during the night during a Euorpean cruise. They had insurance thru the cruiselines and said they were wonderfull and took care of everything, even paid for the body to be embalmed and flew the wife home, and I guess the embalmed body? Everything was done at the next port in Europe before they flew home. Someone even took the wife to the airport.

[abridalmaven]

An aquaintance of ours son died while we were in Pt. Canaveral. They took him off there.

[Hgeffen]

Someone jumped overboard during our Enchantment cruise in December 2006. This was at about 7:30 am with numerous witnesses including ourselves. We watched the entire episode including the recovery of the body from our balcony. Unfortunately the person drowned and it was ruled a suicide. Turns out the person was on board renewing his 50th anniversary wedding vows. Apparently he had been diagnosed with a terminal illness and had invited the entire family on the cruise for the event. They were staying in the Royal suite and he jumped the day before the cruise concluded.

 

 

That is crazy. 50th anniversary? he must have been atleast 70 years old!

[dirtgirl]

That is crazy. 50th anniversary? he must have been atleast 70 years old!

 

 

I work in Victim Services, and we have 90 year olds committing/attempting suicide. It happens.

 

Very sad that he brought his whole family with him to deal with that. Ugh!:(

[mation101]

One cruise we were on had a bride and groom who had brought their entire wedding party on the 7 day cruise. In one of the ports the groom and best man were riding jet skis, and the best man hit the groom in mid air and killed him, Then two nights later the father of the bride dies of a heart attack

[pmp223]

AquaMan #1. You have me worried now as your tag line says "Grand Finale" that along with the question, I hope is a coincidence :-). Have a great cruise and come home healthly. :D :D :D

[kathyemma]

AquaMan #1. You have me worried now as your tag line says "Grand Finale" that along with the question, I hope is a coincidence :-). Have a great cruise and come home healthly. :D :D :D

 

I was thinking the exact same thing!!!

 

Enjoy your cruise and come home safe.

 

Kathy

[KillaFee]

I remember hearing about the man on the Enchantment for his 50th anniversary - that's so devastating. He obviously wanted to go when he was happiest and not have to deal with his sad fate, but still - that's no way to treat a woman that's stuck by your side for 50 years. :(

I defnitely know that there is a morgue on ships. I would imagine that deaths are somewhat frequent given the amount of people on all the ships together on any given day.

 

You can escape cooking and cleaning while on cruises but not death apparently! :eek:

[MattInFLL]

We had a passenger die on Norwegian Star while were visiting the very remote Fanning Island. He was in the water enjoying the view and died of a heart attack. The ship had facilities for it, and we had become close to several senior crew, and they said it happens all the time. They brought him back to Hawaii. An officer on Enchantment, who is a friend of a friend at RCI, also said it is a fairly common thing and they have the facilities to deal with it. All I can say is, if it happens, I hope they get the body to a US port. My brother passed away in Greece and the paperwork and hassles to get him back to the US was not what I wanted to be dealing with at the time.

[spirite]

The crude death rate for the US is about 8 people per 1,000 per year.

 

So, on a ship of 3,000 people (staff and passengers) you would expect 24 death per year or 2 per month. Allowing for the fact that many cruisers may be older (on average) and experience higher mortality rates, the average figure could be much higher.

 

There are many other factors - for instance, cruisers may be more affluent and in better health than the general population; those who are already seriously ill are unlikely to cruise and hence cruisers may have slightly better mortality rates.