What happens when a passenger dies on a cruise ship?

Cruise ship deaths are rare and crew have strict procedures to follow

If you hear the phrase Operation Rising Star on a cruise, that means a passenger has died (Getty Images)

It may not be the most appealing feature of a cruise, but ships have strict and discreet procedures to follow if someone dies on board.

If you ever hear crew discussing Operation Bright Star, that means there is a medical emergency onboard, while Operation Rising Star means a passenger has died.

Cruise lines may not shout about it but they are prepared if the tragic situation of a passenger death arises – many of the major vessels will have a morgue on board to store a deceased person.

There have been a few high-profile cases of passengers dying on a cruise in recent months.

Read more: What happens when someone falls off a cruise ship?

A passenger died in December 2024 after attempting to jump overboard from a Princess Cruises ship while en route back to Florida after a pre-Christmas cruise around the Caribbean.

In a separate case earlier that month, a Royal Caribbean cruise ship passenger died after being detained on board in Los Angeles for ‘drunkenly attacking crew members.’

An MSC Virtuosa passenger went overboard in October 2024 while the ship was sailing to Southampton.

These types of cases attract a lot of attention and there is even a morbid urban legend spread by TikTok users recently that ships will host free ice cream parties if they need to make more space in the freezer for a dead body.

Despite the media interest and social media commentary, it is actually pretty rare for someone to die on a cruise ship.

Here is what really happens if someone dies while on a holiday at sea.

How often do people die on cruise ships?

Research by the International Journal of Travel Medicine and Global Health between 2000 and 2019 – based on 78 ocean and river cruise lines, such as Carnival and Royal Caribbean – recorded 623 deaths during the nine-year period.

Out of all deaths, 89 per cent were passengers and 11 per cent were crew.

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Falls overboard or onto lower decks, cardiac incidents and suicides were the main causes of passenger deaths.

This figure may have been skewed in recent years by the pandemic and a higher likelihood of people catching coronavirus onboard, particularly as cruises can attract an older clientele.

However, the figure is small when placed in the context of the 30 million people that go on a cruise each year.

What happens when someone dies on a cruise ship?

Cruise ships are required to have at least one medical professional onboard as well as an examination and intensive care room.

A doctor will examine the body and crew will inform people who were travelling with the passenger or must contact the next of kin if the person was travelling alone.

A cruise ship death must be recorded in the ship’s log and the flag state - the country where the ship is registered - must also be notified as it has jurisdiction over incidents that occur onboard.

Suspicious circumstances will be investigated by security personnel onboard and by either local authorities at the next port of call or by the flag state.

The location of the ship will determine who an issue is reported to.

Under the US Cruise Vessel Security and Safety Act, ships that embark or disembark within the US must report any suspicious activity to US law enforcement.

Ships will also report issues to local authorities. For example, Cruise Lines International Association (Clia) members are also required to report issues to appropriate law enforcement wherever they are in the world.

Some cruise lines will have ministers and small chapels for people to perform final rites according to the passenger’s faith.

The body will need to be stored until the ship reaches the next suitable port to release the body to local authorities.

The key point here is a ‘suitable’ port, and cruise blogger Jenni Fielding, also known as Cruise Mummy, says it needs to be somewhere that is willing and able to inspect the body, provide a death certificate and then process the task of flying the body home.

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She said: “A lot of ports aren’t suitable and would refuse to accept a body, so often a passenger who has passed away will remain on the ship for up to a week until the ship returns to a suitable location.”

The Maritime Injury Guide said: “Most cruise ships are required to have a morgue on board as well as enough body bags in case of an emergency. The body will be kept at the morgue until it can be disembarked at the next major port or at the port of origin.”

The cruise ship morgue is usually found on the ship’s lowest deck and typically has space for three to six bodies.

The body and any fellow passengers typically disembark early in the morning to minimise disruption.

Who covers the cost when someone dies on a cruise ship?

Unfortunately, cruise lines don’t cover the cost of dealing with a dead body and returning it home, so it is important to have travel insurance in place.

A Clia spokesperson said: “Travellers are always encouraged to purchase travel insurance to cover unexpected medical and associated travel expenses should their trip be interrupted due to a medical emergency.

“Various policies and providers are available, so travellers are encouraged to do their research and make sure they are choosing the best coverage for their needs.”

Is the TikTok cruise ship ice-cream rumour true?

There is no evidence for the free ice-cream legend on cruise ships.

Fielding said: “I haven’t found any evidence to support it.

“This seems more like an urban legend than a standard practice as ships are generally equipped to manage these sad situations without such improvisation. A typical cruise morgue is able to hold at least three bodies, and some hold six or more.

“It would be very rare that more than three to six bodies would need to be stored at the same time. If they did, then no doubt the crew would come up with a plan to store them somewhere else.

“But as for the ice cream freezer? That’s unlikely.”

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