Cruise Ship Safety Statistics

Table Of Content

• Costa Victoria
• Tamara Loraine Tucker Murdered on Carnival Elation
• How Many People Actually Go Missing on Cruise Ships?
• Kristy Manzanares Murdered on The Emerald Princess
• More from The Times and The Sunday Times
• Deaths on cruise ships are rare but they do happen – as was the case on Royal Caribbean’s Ultimate World Cruise
• July 1956: Andrea Doria

Cases linked with cruise travel have been reported to CDC in at least 15 states. Since February, multiple international cruises have been implicated in reports of COVID-19 cases, including at least 60 cases in the United States from Nile River cruises in Egypt (Figure 2). Secondary community-acquired cases linked to returned passengers on cruises have also been reported (CDC, unpublished data, 2020). Outbreaks of COVID-19 on cruise ships pose a risk for rapid spread of disease beyond the voyage. All persons should defer all cruise travel worldwide during the COVID-19 pandemic. Under the Cruise Vessel Security and Safety Act, for example, cruises to and from the US are required to report all suspicious deaths, murders and missing persons, as well as any criminal activity, to the FBI.

Costa Victoria

Guests who do such irresponsible things are usually banned from the cruise line for life, and from other cruise lines too. 200 deaths out of 30,000,000 yearly passengers equate to 1 in 150,000 guests. There are approximately 30 million people who took a cruise in 2019. Assuming that each took a cruise for one week that means that there are around 500 thousand guests at sea at any one time.

Tamara Loraine Tucker Murdered on Carnival Elation

Some described feeling like prisoners or pieces of cargo with no ETA. It is unpleasant to contemplate the possibility of a passenger death occurring on a cruise ship, but unfortunately, it is not an uncommon occurrence. It is important to be aware of what happens in such situations and to know your rights as a passenger. In the unfortunate event that you or a loved one may need assistance, it is important to stay vigilant and seek help as needed. The onboard team must be qualified to handle early disembarkation and repatriation arrangements.

How Many People Actually Go Missing on Cruise Ships?

Crew members ensure the deceased is handled with respect and care, involving the medical team and security personnel who work together to transfer the body to the ship’s morgue. On standard Caribbean sailings, remains are often kept in the cruise ship morgue until the vessel returns to the United States, where a death certificate can be issued by the local medical examiner's office. However, as stated above, port authorities in any of the ports visited by the cruise have the right to require an examination of anyone who's died, as well as the off-loading of the body. The vast majority of deaths on cruise ships are natural, with most the result of heart attacks. But even when death is not entirely unexpected, such as when someone with advanced-staged cancer chooses to cruise, it's shocking to family and friends, whether they're on the cruise ship or on land.

Kristy Manzanares Murdered on The Emerald Princess

Despite the sad nature of such events, life on the ship continues for other passengers. Cruise ships often have counselors or chaplains available to provide support and help manage the emotional impact on passengers and crew. If you are concerned about your safety, take the time to do some research before deciding to take a cruise trip.

More from The Times and The Sunday Times

He was originally sent to a hospital in Freeport, Bahamas but they didn’t have the medical facilities to treat him. Now you go to the bow, you climb up the emergency ladder and coordinate the evacuation. You must tell us how many people, children, women and passengers are there and the exact number of each category,” said officials to Francesco Schettino. On some cruise lines, you will find lifeguards but this isn’t mandatory and not all cruise lines have them. Royal Caribbean and Norwegian Cruise Line have recently added lifeguards but Princess cruises are one cruise line that doesn’t have lifeguards on duty. Despite all of the warnings some guests still do not respect the cruise lines rules and they try to do things like jump from the balconies.

Why falling off a cruise ship is so deadly - The Washington Post

Why falling off a cruise ship is so deadly.

Posted: Mon, 31 Jul 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]

These events, like the sinking of the Costa Concordia in 2012, always make international news and are very much in the public eye. Even casual observers will be familiar with these events, a testament to their rarity. When discussing how many cruise ships have sunk, this distinction is actually quite important.

At the time of the eruption, there were reportedly 47 people on the island and 19 people were killed, most on Royal Caribbean’s excursions. It’s a maritime tradition that the captain always goes down with his ship. Meaning that the captain should make sure that everybody else is off the ship before they disembark.

July 1956: Andrea Doria

Royal Caribbean passenger dies aboard 9-month world cruise: report - New York Post

Royal Caribbean passenger dies aboard 9-month world cruise: report.

Posted: Mon, 12 Feb 2024 08:00:00 GMT [source]

Of these, five sinkings occurred when the cruise ships were carrying no passengers. The amount of alcohol being served on cruise ships is also a concern cited by several experts, who said passengers are being overserved. Alcohol is involved in up to 60 percent of overboard cases, according to Klein, and alcoholic drinks have become one of the leading sources of onboard revenue for cruise lines in recent years.

According to her father, on June 9 crew heard a code “Alpha” blared over the ship’s intercom system—shorthand for a medical emergency. Jocson was found hanged over her cabin’s balcony railing, police say. But they also faulted cruise operators for seeming unwilling to pay for chartered flights abroad. Chiames says the company would have taken quick action if there had been signs of trouble. Through this and other emergency procedures, cruise staff uses specific codes based on the circumstances.

Likewise, authorities in many small African and Asian ports with third-world infrastructures will often refuse to allow human remains off the ship. However, alternatives can be found, if necessary, such as when a ship won't be visiting a larger port anytime soon. It is impossible for a person to be prepared for a loved one's death but the cruise lines are, and they're quick to step in to help.

While it’s true that tens of millions of people vacation on cruise ships every year without incident, experts say a combination of mitigatable risks and loose safety regulations are contributing to deaths. While most deaths on cruise ships occur due to natural causes, some are caused by onboard injuries, suicide, or even foul play. In the event of foul play, the FBI or the appropriate investigative team will be called to examine the situation and interview all parties involved. The suspects may be held in a small brig on the ship until local authorities arrive. While notable incidents have occurred in the past, they should be viewed as lessons learned, leading to improvements in safety measures and emergency response protocols.

Our mission is to craft new narratives around the world that are focused on the intersection of cruise travel and the upcoming generation. Cruise ships have a long and storied history of transportation, adventure, and discovery. Unfortunately, they have also had a long history of mysterious disappearances as well.

It could involve a range of medical complications, including severe allergic reactions to a heart attack. Crew members provide emotional support and assistance to the grieving family. The ship’s staff is trained to handle the needs of grieving loved ones and deal with the complexities of disembarking and repatriating the body.

Vilmos says his own grief was worsened by Carnival’s refusal to discuss the specific circumstances of his son’s death. He theorizes it’s in the company’s legal interest to disclose as little information as possible. He was especially rattled by their first call, when representatives said it was for his own “protection” not to go into detail about the matter. A Carnival spokesperson says that the company’s crew medical coordinator had at least 15 subsequent email exchanges with Vilmos, and that at no time did he indicate his questions weren’t being answered. Carnival says it suspended contact after learning of the family’s pending legal action. Mariah Jocson, a waitress from the Philippines stranded on Royal Caribbean’s Harmony of the Seas, which was docked in Barbados, was last seen asking a friend for a teapot.

A number of other cruise ships also came from close by to join the search. Sadly there are a number of people who decide to end their lives on cruise ships, mostly by jumping from the ship. It’s not only passengers who do this but also sometimes crew too. What's more concerning is that many of these cases go unresolved and remain unsolved even after extensive investigations by law enforcement officials. This raises questions as to why so many people are going missing on cruise ships and why authorities are unable to provide answers in most cases.