Deaths on a Cruise Ship

[Mach1]

I don't understand why they put them off at the next stop. Then someone has to pay to have the body shipped home, it seems it would be easier to hand them over to family at the end of the cruise...since they have facilities on the ships.

Like Matt said - dealing with paper work and making arragments is not what you want to be doing when you have a loved one die.

 

 

 

[Sarvowinner]

In 1969, we sailed on the Australis from Sydney to Fort Lauderdale. There were a lot of older Americans doing the world cruise. Several had died and were being kept in the freezers until FL. :(

[DiamondDavescruisin]

In January of 2003, while cruising with my mother on the Rhapsody of the Seas, she died in the ship's hospital. I was informed by the ship's doctor that there was a maritime law that required the body must be taken ashore if the ship is in port 24 hours after death. She died late in the evening, and the next day we were in Cozumel until 7 pm.

 

Since the ship left port within 24 hours of her death, the body was able to remain onboard the ship and be returned to the United States. Had she died at say 5 pm, on Wednesday, and we were in port from 9 am until 7 pm on Thursday, she would have had to be taken off the ship in Cozumel. The ship had all the facilities to handle the remains, and the coroner in Galveston, Texas met the ship when we returned to the US. The ship's staff was very supportive, and gave me all the assistance I needed to clear the paper work for the coroner in Texas.

[ladytaekwondo]

On our Dec 06 NOS cruise both of our parents became ill and were admitted overnight to the infirmary with IV fluids for a nasty nasty flu bug. Our mom's room was beside the "morgue" which was labeled "morgue"-giant freezer. We blocked her view of it each time she got up to use the bathroom so she couldn't see the sign...she was really feeling horrible and we didn't want her to see it.

[Lanark Lass]

We were on the Sea Princess last year leaving Southampton going around the Med, it was mainly elderly and there were a lot of emergency calls, there was someone taken off who was ill at every port, but while in Lisbon someone who died was taken off.

 

We had came back onto the ship just as they were preparing to take the body and family off. They shut off all the elevators aft and closed the doors leading from the main areas into the area with the elevators, they tried really hard to give the family some dignaty, someone from the ship accommpanied them off the ship. Most passengers were not aware of what was going on, if we had not been there at that time, we would not have known anything about it.

[Aquaman#1]

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

No, no, no!! LOL!!! Thanks for the concern, but "The Grand Finale" is for Sovereigns last cruise before she gets transferred out of the fleet! LOL! I actually work for a county EMS service with more than our share of cruisers, and we had to take a DOA to the morgue the other day which led to the question of "What happens if someone dies while on a cruise?" So, (knock on wood), I fully plan on returning home from my cruise safe and sound!:D

[West Texas]

my good friend took a carnival cruise out of galveston, the first week of june this past summer. a man from another carnival ship drowned, in the water park play area in Yucatan, or cozemel, ( can't remember)

 

she said it was awful. the mexican authorities took their sweet time, in every step. getting to him,, checking him,, out, and calling for help. my friend is a RN, and there was also a DR. in the group, and the Mexican medical people would not let anyone touch him, or even try to do CPR, and they never tried it either. Don't know what they did with the body though.

 

I know 2 people who's husbands have died in their sleep while on vacation ( not cruise) I can't imagine dealing with that!

[want2cruiseagain]

I don't think anyone passed away on our last cruise, but we did see a man taken off the ship on a gurney to a waiting ambulance after arriving back at home port.

 

We were thinking he probably had a heart attack after seeing his bill for a four day cruise that turned into an eight day cruise because of Ike!:p

[bravesfan19]

I was on the Mariner of the Seas May 2006, and a younger man fell off the outside promenade deck and his body was never recovered. Based on the letter that the cruise line gave to all passengers, the man apparently snuck liquor onboard the ship in shampoo bottles and drank it all on embarkation. He was outside and was soo drunk he fell over board that night. We were delayed in St. Thomas while the FBI came onboard and investigated.

[leaveitallbehind]

Yes. One of our cruises an elderly man - who was sick and trying to enjoy one last cruise - died halfway through.

Also had a man airlifted the second day out of Miami on another cruise after he suffered an apparent stroke.

And we rescued 8 Cuban refugees from a sinking boat mid-cruise on one of our early cruises a number of years back.

 

Other than that................they've all been wonderful!

[shaggyofwv]

I don't understand why they put them off at the next stop. Then someone has to pay to have the body shipped home, it seems it would be easier to hand them over to family at the end of the cruise...since they have facilities on the ships.

Like Matt said - dealing with paper work and making arragments is not what you want to be doing when you have a loved one die.

 

 

 

 

 

I would assume that they put the family off at the next port of call due to the fact that the family would not be in the mood to be on a cruise ship where they are supposed to be enjoying themselves while their loved on is on ice in the morgue.

 

Would you really want to be stuck on a cruise ship immediately after a loved one has passed away?

[pmp223]

No, no, no!! LOL!!! Thanks for the concern, but "The Grand Finale" is for Sovereigns last cruise before she gets transferred out of the fleet! LOL! I actually work for a county EMS service with more than our share of cruisers, and we had to take a DOA to the morgue the other day which led to the question of "What happens if someone dies while on a cruise?" So, (knock on wood), I fully plan on returning home from my cruise safe and sound!:D

 

I am so glad to hear that you will be coming home breathing instead of water in your lungs. Have a great time and stay away from the balconies.:D

[Rancher Dave]

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!:(

 

I doubt he brought his family to watch him die...sounds as if the cruise was booked well in advance, since they knew when the 50th would be...and he was DX with a terminal illness etc...soon before the cruise, so he celebrated and ended it instead of fighting what could have been a terrible illness.

 

I know of several folks who died accidentally shortly after terminal illness diagnosis being rendered. It is definitley a shame, but I can understand that to these folks it seemed there was no other option.

 

It is definitely a shame...

 

I recall a family visiting Houston many years back from Poland where they lived, the dad had a massive MI and passed away...the wife said we didn't plan on dealing with anything like this while visiting...and hearing those words 30 years ago....I still recall that scene vividly. Was a very sad situation.

 

 

I am sure the cruise line does all they can to respect dignity and help the family...since a cruise usually has lasting memories and death leaves an impression, the cruise line would want to be remembered as helpful at least within reason to the family.

[PetulantMe]

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.

 

Didn't this happen on an episode of NCIS once?

 

-Pet

[wrp96]

Didn't this happen on an episode of NCIS once?

 

-Pet

 

Yes, on a submarine. It was back when Kate was on the show.

[cruisePRN]

I was on Celebrity's Xpedition, a ship with 61 passengers when a man in his forties died. It was imposable to keep it a secret on a small ship. It was handled with dignity and the wife and her deceased husband we tendered to the mainland, the Xpedition never docks, always tenders even for embarkation and debarkation.

[sddsddean]

Yes, on a submarine. It was back when Kate was on the show.

 

Bit of a hijack here...do you know what sort of cars they drive in NCIS? I've been trying to spot a makers badge, but never seem to get a glimpse of it!

 

Simon

[klfhngr]

Yes, on a submarine. It was back when Kate was on the show.

 

Kate's not on the show anymore??! Hmmm...

[wrp96]

Bit of a hijack here...do you know what sort of cars they drive in NCIS? I've been trying to spot a makers badge, but never seem to get a glimpse of it!

 

Simon

 

 

Sorry. I have some episodes on my DVR at home. I'll try and spot it for you next time I watch.

[PetulantMe]

Bit of a hijack here...do you know what sort of cars they drive in NCIS? I've been trying to spot a makers badge, but never seem to get a glimpse of it!

 

Simon

 

Hi Simon,

 

I think it's an '06 Dodge Charger, but not positive.

 

-Pet

[PetulantMe]

Kate's not on the show anymore??! Hmmm...

 

She died at the end of season 2. :'(

 

-Pet

[CatherineL]

There's some tragic stories here. I expected that the majority of folk who died on a cruise ship would be those who were elderly and cruised a lot but it seems that is not the case.

 

I wonder what the reason was for allowing recuscitation in Mexico - religious perhaps? I hope I never get ill there.

[1stCruiser2008]

Yes, someone died on our ship (AOS) last year in March and they are taken off at next port. We just left a port and they announced we were turning around and going back due to an emergency which we did. Then they announced we were going on, so they must have died in between.

 

Donna

[cassieroll]

A girl in the next town over died on her make-a-wish cruise and they removed her body at the first port and flew her home.

[xeonpro]

On my Feb. VOS cruise there was an alpha called on deck nine...I was meeting some people outside the concierge club before we went in so I hung around. I saw a bunch of security, ship officers and medical personal come up. Security locked all the port side aft elevators and advised everyone to evac the area. We went into the concierge club and my now-Fiance peaked through the slight bit of clear glass in the wall of the club and saw the gurney being loaded onto the elevator, sheet pulled over the entire body. :(

 

But, it is where I would like to pass on....should the time come lol