Scattering of human remains at sea

[luvs2beachit]

It has been a while since I last posted so I am unfamiliar with the new CC site

I am trying to find out information on which lines allow for the scattering of human remains at sea.

Thanks in advance for any feedback

[hallux]

I put 'what cruise lines allow scattering of ashes ceremony' into Google and some of the results on the first page of the search were from cruise line websites with their policies on such activities...

 

There were several other results that had other information that would be pertinent.

Edited January 14, 2022 by hallux

[capriccio]

Princess does.  This is a current thread on the Princess board: 

 

[Host Kat]

4 hours ago, luvs2beachit said:

... I am trying to find out information on which lines allow for the scattering of human remains at sea...

 

From Carnival FAQ: Bringing Cremated Ashes on Board / Burial at Sea | Carnival Cruise Line

 

From Royal Caribbean FAQ: What is Royal Caribbean’s Burial at Sea Policy? | Royal Caribbean Cruises

[OVgirl]

Holland America facilitates it too.

[rkacruiser]

3 hours ago, OVgirl said:

Holland America facilitates it too.

 

WCB's blog on the HAL Message Board recently indicated that such a ceremony took place recently on the Nieuw Statendam.  

[PurpleHays]

We scattered my husband's first wife's ashes from a Princess ship in 2013. We submitted a request, but I don't remember who it was directed to. Staff closed off a deck on the back of the ship and allowed us time. The ashes had to be in a biodegradable container.

[navybankerteacher]

1 hour ago, PurpleHays said:

…The ashes had to be in a biodegradable container.

I believe this is the operative phrase.  Dumping a sealed package of ashes, rather than “scattering” the loose ashes — the end result is the same, it is just that the image is less photogenic.

 

What is being disposed of consists essentially of little chunks of calcium (bone) not the sort of  dust-like “ashes” you see in an ashtray.

Edited January 16, 2022 by navybankerteacher

[Ferry_Watcher]

I was at a funereal home with a relative helping to chose a burial urn and one of the options available was a biodegradable sea turtle container.  As weird as it sounds, the turtle made me smile thinking that the turtle with the ashes inside would just float off and soon disappear under the waves.  It just seemed peaceful.

[XBGuy]

16 hours ago, navybankerteacher said:

I believe this is the operative phrase.  Dumping a sealed package of ashes, rather than “scattering” the loose ashes — the end result is the same, it is just that the image is less photogenic.

 

What is being disposed of consists essentially of little chunks of calcium (bone) not the sort of  dust-like “ashes” you see in an ashtray.

 

I would be very surprised if a good number of those little chunks of calcium are not, in fact, dust particle size;

 

There was  a poster here on Cruise Critic who reported that his family decided they were going to spread the ashes of their loved one from the rear of a Princess ship, but they did not bother, or did not know that they should, make prior arrangements with Princess.  So, they did not know that there were procedures to follow.  Rather than just drop their container into the sea, they opened it up to "spread" the remains.  I'm sure that many of you know what happened even if you haven't heard this story before.  The remains were blown back onto them.

 

OP. contact your cruise line.  They will help you.

[Pyrate13]

32 minutes ago, XBGuy said:

 

I would be very surprised if a good number of those little chunks of calcium are not, in fact, dust particle size;

They are, my brothers ashes were mostly like dust, very few so called "chunks".

[lobsternight]

My mother passed mid 2020, we had an Alaskan cruise booked with Celebrity.  First of all I cannot praise all the help and compassion I received from the Celebrity shore team.  We were able to transfer her booking to my wife.  What was really nice is that the Celebrity agent offered the chance to do a interrment at sea, as mentioned above, they would have a time and place, think they even mentioned slowing the ship down.  Wonderful gesture, thats why we will continue to sail with them.

 

To end off my little story, we declined.  Mom absolutely loved Alaska, the day before she passed when I came to see her in hospice, the first thing she said was I guess we are not going on that cruise.  I declined the service for a few reasons.  Mom could not swim and feared water having nearly drowned as a child.  She was OK on cruise ships, but nothing smaller.  Also her brother died as a submariner in WW2, and there were a few other incidents as well.  No, as nice an idea as it was, if I had done that she would have haunted me.

 

Also did notice one option from the funeral home, a paper envelope for the remains.  It floats for about a minute, then sinks.  

[navybankerteacher]

3 hours ago, XBGuy said:

 

I would be very surprised if a good number of those little chunks of calcium are not, in fact, dust particle size;

 

...

"Dust" is defined as "a fine, dry powder"  ---  which term surely does not match the cremated remains I have seen.

[mom says]

2 hours ago, navybankerteacher said:

"Dust" is defined as "a fine, dry powder"  ---  which term surely does not match the cremated remains I have seen.

You're getting a little pedantic. The PP didn't say the cremains were ALL dust particle size. Just some. And that is certainly true of the cremains that I saw. The particles were of irregular size; some fine, some of a sandy texture, and others more like what I would characterize as pea gravel. Irregardless, cremains scattered from a ship, and not properly interred in a container, will result in some blow back, and cremains deposited on the ship surfaces and possibly other passengers. A horribly disrespectful way to bid farewell to a loved one.

[navybankerteacher]

1 hour ago, mom says said:

You're getting a little pedantic. The PP didn't say the cremains were ALL dust particle size. Just some. And that is certainly true of the cremains that I saw. The particles were of irregular size; some fine, some of a sandy texture, and others more like what I would characterize as pea gravel.

 

Irregardless, cremains scattered from a ship, and not properly interred in a container, will result in some blow back, and cremains deposited on the ship surfaces and possibly other passengers. A horribly disrespectful way to bid farewell to a loved one.

Sorry, Mom.  I call it the way I see it -- and cremated human remains do NOT look like dust.  Your use of the term: "pea gravel" was appropriate, and much of the rest is like very coarse sand - with a few chunks of what are unmistakably bone fragments.

 

At the end of the day, some careful thought should be applied before grabbing upon some romantic notion of saying farewell to a loved one.

Edited January 17, 2022 by navybankerteacher

[mom says]

1 hour ago, navybankerteacher said:

At the end of the day, some careful thought should be applied before grabbing upon some romantic notion of saying farewell to a loved one.

Completely agree that interment at sea requires forethought.  I don't think the OP has shown any evidence of having any "romantic notion". They may have a family member who has requested this as their final disposition. We interred my FIL this way, at his request. It was done, along with several other deceased navy veterans, from a navy frigate, with a chaplain, the Captain, and crew, as well as the families  in attendance. It was a truly beautiful ceremony.

[navybankerteacher]

The notion of burial at sea is, in the long run, environmentally attractive.   If traditional burial practices were to continue indefinitely, think about how much of the earth’s surface would eventually be so dedicated.  
 

On the other hand, while there are efforts to preserve old burial grounds - a fair amount of such real estate does get repurposed.  Consider Egypt’s Valley of the Kings - or the fact that England’s King Richard III’s remains were recently located under the pavement of a parking lot.

[Pyrate13]

18 hours ago, navybankerteacher said:

  I call it the way I see it -- and cremated human remains do NOT look like dust.   

I know what my brothers looked like when we as a family spread his ashes. Mostly like dust, not pea gravel. You can say what you want, I know what I saw. Oh, and still have some of them in a vial.

[rkacruiser]

55 minutes ago, Pyrate13 said:

I know what my brothers looked like when we as a family spread his ashes. Mostly like dust, not pea gravel. You can say what you want, I know what I saw. Oh, and still have some of them in a vial.

 

My experience matches yours.  My Brother and Sister-in-Law's ashes appeared to be a gray powder and I saw no chunks of anything whatsoever.  What surprised me was the weight of the bag that contained each of their ashes.  

[navybankerteacher]

53 minutes ago, rkacruiser said:

 

My experience matches yours.  My Brother and Sister-in-Law's ashes appeared to be a gray powder and I saw no chunks of anything whatsoever.  What surprised me was the weight of the bag that contained each of their ashes.  

I have (sadly) dispersed three sets - perhaps the crematories processing the sets I handled simply did not pulverize the cremains into powder.

[luvs2beachit]

Thank you all for taking time to respond.  The information and personal insights are very much

appreciated.

[Chocolate martini fan]

I will be doing the ashes at sea for my husband in the near future.  I have contacted Celebrity and provided all the required documentation and have gotten approval.

I have a question for anyone who has been involved in this procedure, how do people typically dress for it.  It just seems to me shorts and flip flops would be disrespectful.  My adult children and my husband's siblings will be attending.

[mom says]

20 minutes ago, Chocolate martini fan said:

I will be doing the ashes at sea for my husband in the near future.  I have contacted Celebrity and provided all the required documentation and have gotten approval.

I have a question for anyone who has been involved in this procedure, how do people typically dress for it.  It just seems to me shorts and flip flops would be disrespectful.  My adult children and my husband's siblings will be attending.

Dress in whatever way you feel appropriate.

[navybankerteacher]

43 minutes ago, mom says said:

Dress in whatever way you feel appropriate.

Agreed - we are talking about an event where it really is the thought that counts.

[hallux]

I also agree with @mom says, dress in a way you feel is appropriate.