Royal Caribbean Passenger Falls Overboard to His Death

During what should have been a routine cruise, it’s been reported that a passenger aboard a Royal Caribbean ship fell overboard and tragically plunged to his death. According to The Sun, officials pulled the unidentified man’s body from the water, and authorities are currently investigating. The ship is named Symphony of the Seas, and was travelling from St Kitts to St Thomas kin the Virgin Islands. “We are deeply saddened by the tragic incident that occurred on the Symphony of the Seas en route to Saint Thomas this morning,” a spokesperson for Royal Caribbean said in a statement. “Our hearts go out to the family and loved ones for their loss, and our care team is providing support and assistance during this difficult time.”

Notably, it is reported that Royal Caribbean is one of the cruise lines that have not made the decision to install automatic man overboard systems. These use motion detectors that send an immediate message to the ship’s bridge if someone goes over the rails for any reason.

Richard Fain, Royal Caribbean’s chief executive, spoke out about the decision last year, saying that the technology was “not yet at a viable stage.”

“Like many areas of technology, the promise is often better than the actuality today … You do need technology to work. And actually work in real life, not in a laboratory and not in a sales brochure,” he added.

Notably, this is not the first time a cruise ship passenger has fallen overboard this year. In June, a woman fell from a cruise ship — the Norwegian Epic — as it sailed to Palma, Majorca.

Shortly after the news went public, a Norwegian Cruise Line spokesperson issued a statement to the press, saying, “Early morning on June 8, a 63-year-old Korean female guest went overboard while the ship was sailing from Cannes, France to Palma de Mallorca, Spain.”

“As soon as the report was made, the authorities were notified and a search and rescue operation ensued. The search has now ceased, and sadly, the guest has not been found,” the spokesperson added, per The Sun.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with the individual’s family during this difficult time,” the statement concluded.

At this time, all that is known about the Royal Caribbean passenger is that he is believed to have been a native of Australia.