A male passenger from Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas is in essential situation after leaping overboard solely in the future into his 7-night Western Caribbean crusing, which launched into Might 25, 2024.
The incident, which occurred on the morning of Sunday, Might 26, 2024, unfolded whereas the world’s largest cruise ship was en path to Roatan, Honduras, from its homeport of Miami, Florida. On the time, the ship was roughly 300 miles from PortMiami and about 30-40 miles north of Santa Lucia, Cuba.
The emergency was instantly observed and members of the two,350-person crew sprang into motion to cease the ship and start a search and rescue mission. In response to cruise monitoring information, the ship halted her course for roughly two hours and stayed put till the person was introduced again onboard.
Friends at the moment onboard the 7,600-passenger ship confirmed the scenario by posting movies of two small rescue boats launched from the vessel. Additionally, primarily based on posts from present passengers, it’s believed the person is at the moment recovering within the ship’s onboard intensive care unit together with his household by his aspect.
Right now, it’s unclear what prompted the person to leap. His id and full prognosis has been stored confidential to guard the privateness of the passenger and his family members.
With the rescue mission ending in success after solely a pair hours, Icon of the Seas Western Caribbean itinerary is to date unaffected by the delay. The brand new, Icon-class ship ought to be capable of make up time at sea to reach in Roatan, Honduras, on time on the morning of Monday, Might 27.
Earlier than the 248,663-gross ton vessel returns to Miami on June 1, she may even name on Costa Maya, Mexico; Cozumel, Mexico; and Good Day at CocoCay within the Bahamas, which is the cruise line’s non-public island vacation spot.
Since her maiden voyage on January 27, 2024, Royal Caribbean’s latest ship has been alternating between 7-night Jap and Western Caribbean itineraries, which she is scheduled to proceed working as far out as April of 2026.
Cruise Hive has reached out to Royal Caribbean for an announcement. We’ll replace this publish as soon as extra particulars come by means of.
Current Overboard Conditions from Royal Caribbean Ships
This isn’t the primary time in current months {that a} Royal Caribbean ship has dealt with a man-overboard emergency. Sadly, nearly all of these conditions have a low likelihood of profitable rescues, which will be made decrease by accidents the particular person could have sustained within the fall, climate circumstances, water temperature, and powerful currents.
It’s protected to say the Icon of the Seas visitor is fortunate to be alive, however crew members onboard Symphony of Seas did additionally efficiently rescue an individual who went overboard off the west coast of Spain on October 29, 2023. It’s unclear if this particular person was a visitor or member of the two,200-man crew.
However sadly, different current incidents have led to tragedy. Most not too long ago, a 20-year-old man fell overboard from Liberty of the Seas on April 4, 2024, throughout a 4-night Jap Caribbean cruise to and from Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
Regardless of fast motion taken by the Freedom-class ship and the US Coast Guard, the rescue mission ended unsuccessfully after six days of looking out with no signal of the lacking visitor.
Over the 2023 holidays, a 41-year-old male passenger fell overboard about 127 miles east of Charleston, South Carolina, from Imaginative and prescient of the Seas on the evening earlier than Christmas Eve, December 23, 2023. The ship’s crew instantly initiated emergency protocols and contacted the US Coast Guard for help – however as soon as once more, the person was sadly not discovered.
Wanting even additional again, Surprise of the Seas – which is now the second largest cruise ship on the planet after the arrival of Icon of the Seas – skilled a man-overboard incident final summer season.
Learn Additionally: Icon of the Seas vs Surprise of the Seas: A Big Comparability
The passenger went into the water on August 29, 2023, whereas the 7,084-guest vessel was crusing simply south of Cuba on a modified Western Caribbean itinerary to keep away from a hurricane.
Few particulars had been ever launched about this disaster. However it’s recognized that for roughly three hours, the huge cruise ship retraced its path, utilizing spotlights, small crafts, and watchers to attempt to find the lacking particular person.
The scenario was additional sophisticated when a passenger onboard skilled a medical emergency, and the choice was made to cease the search as a way to get the mandatory remedy for the ailing visitor. The one who went overboard was by no means discovered.