Table Of Content
- The Reality of Deaths on Cruise Ships
- What Are the Protocols Surrounding a Death?
- Are there morgues on cruise ships?
- Vacation horror as ‘drunk’ son, 20, jumps from Royal Caribbean cruise in front of family
- What Can You Expect When Facing A Death Onboard?
- Jail Cells? Morgues? Your Cruise Ship Has Some Surprises for You.
In the past few years, most cruise lines have enacted onboard safety measures and surveillance systems to help reduce the risk of overboard deaths. Fall-related accidents were found to be the most common cause of death among passengers, followed by cardiac arrests and suicides. Crew members, on the other hand, were found to be at higher risk for suicide, murder, and falls. These findings highlight the need for safety precautions and awareness while at sea. Many cruise lines, including Disney Cruise Lines, Carnival and Royal Caribbean, offer weddings and wedding renewals aboard the ship or at scenic tropical locations.
The Reality of Deaths on Cruise Ships
This statistic may come as a surprise, as the cruise lines typically strive to avoid negative publicity surrounding such incidents. Approximately 200 passengers total die while on a cruise each year, considering over 20 million cruise passengers worldwide. The vast majority of these deaths are due to natural causes, often heart attacks or other medical emergencies.
What Are the Protocols Surrounding a Death?
Cruise lines will also often employ dedicated staff to assist the on-board family of someone who has passed away. They are not usually trained counsellors, but they are available for support of administrative matters such as arranging the repatriation of the body and contacting a funeral home. And, of course, this isn’t like a land holiday where the body can be taken to a local morgue. Sometimes, passengers will die in the middle of the ocean, far away from any funeral home. While nobody wants to think about dying on vacation, it is the unfortunate truth that sometimes it happens. There are millions of cruise passengers every year, so it’s sadly inevitable that a small number will pass away while on their voyage.
Are there morgues on cruise ships?
The design and operation of these morgues are strictly regulated to meet maritime and international health standards. For example, the morgue is separated from food storage areas, a mandatory health regulation to prevent cross-contamination. The most significant concern regarding death at sea is returning the body home.
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This short video features an onboard morgue on the Carnival Fantasy cruise ship (one of the smallest Carnival cruise ships at the time of service). The morgue on a cruise ship is typically located on the lower decks, away from the high-traffic passenger areas. Once the deceased and their loved one arrive at the closest port of call, the port’s country must be able to issue a death certificate recognized in the deceased’s home country. For their loved ones, this can be a long, painful, and costly process.
How Big Are the Morgues on Cruise Ships?
With each factor, the family must work with the cruise line to ensure the body arrives home. When a guest dies on a ship, a person from the Guest Care Team is assigned immediately to assist the deceased person’s friends and family. They have received special training in dealing with grieving individuals; however, these people are not grief counselors. While cruise ship deaths are tracked by federal governments, they may not publicize the statistics.
What Can You Expect When Facing A Death Onboard?
Several cruise lines allow for the scattering of cremated remains from their ships, provided the guest can produce the decedent's death and cremation certificates. Most people know cruises offer a great value and are nearly all-inclusive with good food, accommodations and entertainment. Add to that exotic ports of call and shore excursions that strike all fancies, from beach bums to adrenaline junkies. Cruise ships have hidden features that many passengers, particularly first-timers, don’t know about. Travel insurance data suggests about three-quarters of cruise ship deaths are from expected natural causes.
Repatriation for a Passenger Who Died on a Cruise Ship
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It's true that major cruise lines have morgues on board, and that's for good reason. Older people spending longer periods of time on cruises means an increased likelihood that some will die of natural causes during their trips. Cruise ship morgues serve a crucial function, allowing for the respectful management of deceased passengers or crew until final arrangements can be made. 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. Repatriating a body is a complex and costly procedure, often necessitating assistance from embassies and requiring comprehensive travel insurance to manage potential expenses.
Factors include where the ship was at the time of death, the port being visited, and the ship’s Flag State (where the cruise ship is registered). Cruise Lines International Association states that the ship’s location and the visiting port contain requirements regarding off-loading a dead body. It may also preclude the cruise line from its ability to offload a dead body. When scattering ashes on a cruise, there are some ceremony regulations and ash scattering restrictions to consider.
Yes, most large cruise ships have a small morgue or mortuary facility onboard. This allows them to handle passenger deaths discreetly when they occur. The morgue on a cruise ship is typically quite small, often about the size of a large closet or small room. It is not designed to hold more than one or two bodies at a time, as a larger morgue would take up valuable space needed for passenger amenities. Most deaths on cruises are caused by cardiac-related issues, such as heart attacks. This is particularly common among older passengers, who make up a large populace among cruise ship travelers.
The cruise ship will assist the deceased’s family as reasonably possible with travel, lodging or other logistics during this difficult time. Counseling services may be offered to those traveling with the deceased or any crew/passengers deeply affected by the event. Prior to arriving at the next port, the ship’s staff will contact relevant authorities such as customs officials and the local morgue to arrange for body disembarkation.
Proper facilities like the onboard morgue and established protocols allow the cruise line to make necessary arrangements while still continuing voyage. Once the necessary arrangements are in order, they have authorities issue a death certificate and return the deceased to their home country. The cost of returning the deceased falls to the family, but travel insurance usually covers these expenses. Operation Bright Star is a code some cruise lines use to alert the medical team that a passenger has an urgent medical emergency, such as a stroke, seizure, or heart attack.
Arrangements will then need to be made to get the body home, either by return journey or disembarking the body at a port of call. 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. Overall, cruise ships are well-prepared to handle unfortunate situations and prioritize the well-being of their passengers, even in the event of a passenger’s death. Typically, ocean-going cruise ships have morgues that can accommodate three to four bodies. It’s important to note that the specific procedures and policies can vary among cruise lines.
The guest services team typically carries out the ceremony, but the captain provides the coordinates of the designated location. One option for families who wish to scatter their loved one’s ashes at sea is to book a cruise and bring a biodegradable urn. Carnival Cruise Lines offers around 200 complimentary ash scattering ceremonies each year, and the Guest Services team carries out the ceremony. The captain provides the coordinates of the ceremony location, ensuring that the ashes are scattered in a meaningful and respectful manner. In the case of a death on board, the cruise ship secret code is “operation rising star” which discreetly alerts crew members that a passenger has passed away.
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