What Happens When Someone Dies on a Cruise Ship?
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With millions of passengers sailing each year, it begs the question, what happens when someone dies on a cruise ship?
When vacationing on a cruise ship, the last thing on most people’s minds is the possibility of death. Yet, with cruises often being the holiday choice for the older demographic, it’s estimated that around 200 people pass away annually on cruise vacations.
Cruise ships are equipped to handle such eventualities with specific protocols and facilities in place for dealing with deaths on board. Most deaths result from natural causes, though accidents, suicides, and murder can occur.
What Happens When Someone Dies on a Cruise Ship?
When someone dies on a cruise ship, crew members follow meticulous procedures to insure that the process is handled with respect and care. Initially, the ship’s medical personnel confirm the death and immediately inform the necessary port authorities.
The ship’s staff immediately notifies all passengers traveling with the same reservation as the deceased guest, and alerts their emergency contact.
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.
The body is kept in the cruise ships morgue until it can be disembarked, either at the origin port or the next major port of call with facilities to handle the legal and logistical requirements to repatriate the body.
The repatriation process vary’s significantly based on local laws and the ship’s itinerary.
If the cruise ship’s next port doesn’t have the appropriate facilities they will continue to carry the body until reaching a sutible destination for unloading.
Disembarkation of the body is generally carried out early in the morning to maintain respect and minimize impact on the cruise experience for other passengers.
For the family, the repatriation process involves significant coordination with local authorities to ensure that a death certificate is issued and recognized by the deceased’s home country. This can be a complex and costly procedure, often necessitating assistance from embassies and requiring comprehensive travel insurance to manage potential expenses.
Overall, while the death of a passenger is a rare and unfortunate event, cruise lines are prepared to handle it with the utmost care and professionalism to respect the deceased and support the bereaved during a challenging time. Despite the somber 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.
Cruise Ship Morgues
All cruise ships are required to have morgues. Cruise ship morgues serve a crucial function, allowing for the respectful management of deceased passengers or crew until their final arrangements can be made.
Cruise ship morgues are typically located on lower decks, near medical facilities to ensure easy access by medical staff while remaining out of sight and inaccessible to passengers. It’s usually a steel refrigerated room where bodies are stored.
The size of a cruise ship morgue varies, but most can accommodate three to six bodies, though the largest cruise ships can hold up to ten bodies.
Cruise lines are prepared to hold bodies for extended periods of time, such as during repositioning cruises. However, the goal is for cruise ships to only hold bodies only as long as absolutely necessary. Cruise lines only store a body until they reach a sutible port with the resources to repatriate the body.
The design and operation of these morgues are strictly regulated to meet both maritime and international health standards. For example, the morgue is separated from food storage areas which is a mandatory health regulation preventing cross-contamination.
Morgue facilities are vital during long voyages, such as transatlantic or repositioning cruises. For cruises in regions like the Caribbean or the Bahamas, bodies are typically held until the ship returns to the U.S. Importantly, every port authority has the right to demand an examination of the deceased.
If foual play is suspected, the relevant authorities carry out an investigation.
Are the Ice Cream Rumors True?
A particular rumor about ice cream has been circulating for years.
The rumor says that they’ll use the freezer if the cruise ship runs out of room in the morgue. Guests and crew receive generous portions of ice cream to make room for the bodies.
Former and current cruise ship employees tell conflicting stories. Some say the rumors are true, while others call them urban legends.
My take: I don’t belive the rumor to be true. Health and safety laws mandate strict separation of body storage and food. If these rumors were true, the cruise ship would be violating health and safety laws.
Operation Rising Star
Many cruise ships give a secret code to protocol for handling a passengers death, “Operation Rising Star.” This secret code word on cruise ships provides discression and privacy to the individual. Crew members use the secret code to communicate without causing distress to other passengers, and providing respect and privacy to the deceased.
Operation Rising Star is initiated immediately after medical staff confirm a death on board. 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. The operation also includes notifying the captain, and the ship’s officers coordinate with the deceased’s family, providing support and beginning the process of repatriation according to maritime laws and the protocols of the ports they visit.
Similarly, the code word “Operation Bright Star” is a secret code that refers to serious medical emergencies requiring immediate medical attention.
Operation Bright Star mobilizes the ship’s medical response team to provide urgent care to stabilize patients until they can receive comprehensive medical treatment at a shore-based facility. Operation Bright Star could involve a range of medical complications including severe allergic reactions to a heart attack.
Importance of Travel Insurance
Ican’t understate the importance of having cruise travel insurance.
Travel insurance provides comprehensive protection to provide you with a worry-free vacation.
Coverages vary between policies, but you’ll often receive coverage for:
- Medical emergencies
- Onboard medical services
- Trip cancellations or interruptions
- Lost, damaged, or stolen baggage and personal items
- Repatriation
By covering these diverse and significant risks, travel insurance acts as a safety net, allowing passengers to fully enjoy their cruising experience with fewer concerns about potential financial losses or emergencies. Always review potential policies carefully to ensure they cover all aspects of your cruise itinerary and any personal health issues you may have.
Editor’s Tip
VisitorsCoverage is my preferred choice for cruise travel insurance. They offer cruise-specific plans to protect you and your loved ones while you sail.
How Many People Die on Cruise Ships?
There are no accurate statistics about how many people die on cruise ships. Estimates range from 150 to 200 people per year. However, the sad truth is that the actual number is much higher.
There are almost no accurate statistics on cruise ship deaths. While accidents, murders, and suicides are widely reported, deaths by natural causes are rarely published.
Cruise lines don’t exactly promote the number of cruise ship deaths. However, the CDC does require that ships divulge “any deaths or certain illnesses” to the ship’s port state.
From 2014 to 2017, 91 people died on cruise ships that arrived in Fort Lauderdale. And from 2008 to 2018, 129 naturally occurring deaths were reported on vessels arriving in Port Canaveral.
While most passenger deaths are not the cruise line’s fault, it is a reality for hundreds of passengers every year.
However, the number of cruise ship deaths is relatively low when considering the millions of people who sail on cruises. Each year more than 30 million people sail on cruises around the world.
How Do People Die on Cruise Ships?
From toddlers to seniors, people of all demographics sail on cruises. But, it’s no secret that cruising primarily appeals to an older population.
Given that many elderly passengers sail every year, it’s no surprise that age-related deaths are the most common cause of death.
A person may pass away at sea for various reasons, but the most common cause is heart attacks.
According to Cruise Critic, “The vast majority of deaths on cruise ships are natural, with most the result of heart attacks.”
Note: For those wondering, passenger death by falling off a cruise ship is an extraordinarily rare occurrence.
