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In the event of a passenger’s death on board, the body is placed in the onboard morgue until the ship reaches a suitable port. The cruise line informs the next of kin if they’re not sailing with the passenger, and funeral arrangements are the responsibility of the family. It’s worth noting that some ports refuse to accept a body, which means it may remain on the ship for up to a week. With this age data, and given that an average cruise ship carries between 3,000 and 5,000 passengers, the chances of someone dying on board are not remote.
What Are the Protocols Surrounding a Death?
However, as stated above, port authorities in any of the ports visited by the cruise have the right to require an examination of anyone who's died, as well as the off-loading of the body. Onboard morgues on cruise ships are crucial for providing respectful care to the deceased until they can be transported home. So, the key takeaway is that cruise lines prioritize the safety and well-being of their passengers, even in death.
How Do Cruise Lines Help Family and Friends?
The deceased’s family will be notified, usually via the emergency contact info provided when booking. So let’s step inside this rarely-seen part of a cruise ship’s anatomy. To ensure a smooth process, they quickly unload the remains of the deceased through a separate exit from where passengers disembark. Falls include both accidental falls and intentional jumps, which could be suicides or homicides. Cardiac incidents only include deaths on board the ship and not those after being transferred to a hospital or a shore facility. Therefore, the actual number of cardiovascular deaths is higher than reported.
Where is the morgue on a cruise ship?
Grief counseling is provided for the crew, and the company covers the cost of repatriation. Overall, while it’s never easy to deal with the death of a loved one, cruise ships are well equipped to handle these situations and offer support to families during this difficult time. If someone dies on a cruise ship the body is placed in a body bag and stored in an onboard morgue that’s usually discreetly located on the lower decks.
Many passengers on a cruise are in their older years and perhaps in ill health but still trying to enjoy their life to the fullest. Neither the consulate nor the cruise line pays for anything related to bringing a loved one home; they only help the family make arrangements. And repatriation, with all its necessary paperwork and hassle, is not inexpensive. “The ship’s crew immediately launched a search and rescue effort alongside the US Coast Guard, who has taken over the search,” the statement reads. Misbehavior or breaking the law on a cruise ship can see you confined to your cabin or locked up in the brig.
When a Passenger Dies at Sea: What You Need to Know
Singer who used to live on a cruise ship reveals the VERY morbid reason why crew members throw 'free ice cream - Daily Mail
Singer who used to live on a cruise ship reveals the VERY morbid reason why crew members throw 'free ice cream.
Posted: Tue, 27 Feb 2024 08:00:00 GMT [source]
Each company has established protocols in place to handle these situations professionally and compassionately. In the event of a death at sea on a cruise ship, the well-being of the affected individuals and their families is a top priority. Large cruise ships can have a population as large as an entire small town so it’s necessary that they are prepared for a passenger’s death – or deaths. It’s not uncommon for more than one passenger to pass away during a cruise.
How Often Do People Die On Cruise Ships?
You would then pass the urn to the Guest Services team on board who would carry out the service for you – you don’t just get to pick and choose a location on the ship to do it. You would likely be able to attend, but expect the service to happen at a discreet time and place, away from other guests. The Telegraph further reported that an estimated 200 people die every year on cruise ships — "actually remarkably few given the 21.7 million people worldwide that cruise each year." Despite the sad nature of such events, life on the ship continues for other passengers.
Cruises
They can also be a provisional conservator for the estate if no one else is available. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention additionally requires each ship that calls or does a homeport while at a United States port to report any deaths immediately. It’s important to be prepared for all eventualities when planning your vacation, and knowing what to do in the event of a death is one of them. Any death-related costs incurred should be covered by travel insurance but make sure any cover includes repatriation. Sometimes, the ship may be required to question passengers as witnesses. However, if the death was due to foul play or an accident, an investigation will be required, and submit a report submitted to the proper authorities.
Would You Find A Morgue On A Cruise Ship?
But it provides necessary facilities in the rare case of a passenger death, allowing the cruise line to properly manage the body on board rather than storing it in a makeshift area. The body will be respectfully removed from the passenger’s cabin and transported to the ship’s morgue. It will be stored there in refrigeration until arrival at the next port. The morgue on a cruise ship is a very small, clinical room located out of the way from main passenger areas, often on a lower service deck without windows. Cruise ships are legally obligated to have a morgue because, on average, 200 people pass on cruise ships annually. The International Journal of Travel Medicine and Global Health (IJTMGH) conducted a study in 2020 that investigated the mortality rates of crew and passenger mortality on cruise ships.
Proper coded communication ensures the ship’s well-trained staff is ready to manage any situation professionally. While a morgue may seem like a grim necessity, it’s a vital facility that allows cruise lines to operate in a safe and lawful manner. When the ship arrived in Florida, a funeral home employee and a Broward County sheriff’s deputy found the morgue apparently out of service.
Crew members provide emotional support and assistance to the grieving family. The ship’s staff is trained to handle the needs of grieving loved ones and deal with the complexities of disembarking and repatriating the body. Their job is to assist with details of repatriating the deceased passenger and contacting a funeral home. They help families work with the local authorities, deal with insurance, and make travel arrangements. The Guest Care Team also gives free phone and internet while onboard, allowing loved ones to make arrangements.
Cruise morgues are stainless steel refrigerated rooms with shelves where bodies are stored, either until the end of the voyage or until they can be disembarked in a port of call and repatriated. Yes, cruise ships have medical facilities that can handle minor surgeries like wound suturing. Hospital beds, a small surgical suite, and ICU or isolation rooms are available if needed. However, it’s essential to be informed about the procedures and facilities available, such as the presence of a cruise ship morgue. From joyous occasions to celebrations of life, here are some extraordinary services cruise ships offer. In the unlikely event the morgue is fully occupied, the crew has contingency plans to use other refrigerated spaces or even cabins to hold bodies respectfully.
However, the actual number is likely much higher as not all cruise lines or countries share death statistics. Remains are frequently kept in the morgue until the ship reaches the United States. Then, a death certificate is formally issued by a local medical examiner’s office. Additionally, port authorities on any port the ship visits have the right to require examination of a dead body and off-loading the body. The morgue is usually found on the lowest ship deck, away from guests. It is a refrigerated room made of stainless steel with individual compartments.
The International Maritime Organization (IMO) and international regulations are the driving forces establishing the need for morgues on cruise ships. The IMO implements the standards for security and safety at sea (like the requirements for lifeboats). However, this video does provide a quick glimpse at what a cruise ship morgue looks like. It’s a little shaky as a video, but you can see the unit with the slide-out shelves to store bodies. It’s worth noting that while the cruise line will work with the port to arrange for the transfer of the dead body, including repatriation to the passenger’s home country, it won’t pay for it.
The person filming opens the morgue door, and you can see the opening showing three layers to hold three bodies potentially. While it may not be a thought for many passengers, for others, it can be a source of great comfort to know that the ship is prepared for any eventuality. Larger vessels may have space for up to 6 bodies, maybe more in some in cases, but to need the use of them all would be a rare occurrence. Among these emergency codes are “Charlie” for security threats, “Delta” for bio-hazard in some cruise lines, and “Bravo” for a fire emergency in most cruise lines.
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