norwegian cruise line overboard

The Coast Guard called off a search for a man who went overboard during a heavy-metal 'Headbangers Boat' cruise

• A man fell overboard while on a heavy-metal themed "Headbangers Boat" cruise, WTVJ first reported . 
• The 41-year-old fell fom the ship, the Norwegian Pearl, Friday morning. 
• The US Coast Guard reportedly called off the search nine hours later. 

A 41-year-old man fell overboard early Friday morning while on a heavy-metal-themed "Headbangers Boat" cruise, according to Miami news outlet WTVJ .

Per the outlet, the man fell Friday while the ship, the Norwegian Pearl, was sailing near the Bahamas on its way back to Miami. The US Coast Guard initiated a search, but it was called off after nine hours, according to trade publication CruiseHive .

On Monday, a spokesperson for Norwegian Cruise Line confirmed the search was called off in a statement to Insider.

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 "On the early morning of Friday, Nov. 3, 2023, Norwegian Pearl was notified that a 41-year-old male guest went overboard while the ship was sailing near the Bahamas on its way to Miami," the spokesperson said. "The authorities were immediately notified and the United States Coast Guard search and rescue operation went underway. After an extensive search in cooperation with the United States Coast Guard it was unfortunately unsuccessful. The investigation is ongoing, and we will share updates as appropriate. Our thoughts and prayers are with his loved ones during this difficult time." 

Representatives for the US Coast Guard and the Headbangers Boat did not respond to Insider's requests for comment.

The Headbangers Boat set sail on October 31 and returned to Miami on November 4. According to its website , the cruise was an "immersive, hell-raising hurrah" for heavy metal fans. Lamb of God, the headlining band, told music publication Louder that they were "deeply saddened" by the news on Saturday.

"We're deeply saddened to have learned that a member of our community was involved in a tragic incident," the statement read. "Sending love and light to their family and loved ones."

The odds of going overboard on a cruise ship are low: Between 2009 and 2019, 212 such incidents were identified by the Cruise Lines International Association . However, just 28.2% of those falls resulted in a successful rescue.

As Insider previously reported, at least nine people have fallen overboard on cruise ships this year. Of those, only two have survived . 

Most recently, on October 29, a passenger of Royal Caribbean's Symphony of the Seas went overboard as the ship departed Barcelona. A spokesperson for the cruise line told Insider that the ship turned around, and the person was found. 

"The ship and crew immediately reported the incident to local authorities and began searching for the guest," the spokesperson said. "Thankfully, the guest was successfully recovered and was brought on board."

Watch: Stowaways survive 14 days at sea clinging to a ship rudder

• Main content

Man went overboard on Miami-bound Norwegian ship during ‘Headbangers Boat' cruise

Coast guard searching for 41-year-old man who went overboard near the bahamas, by brian hamacher • published november 3, 2023 • updated on november 3, 2023 at 8:47 pm.

A search was underway after a man went overboard from a Norwegian cruise ship that was returning to Miami during a "Headbangers Boat" trip.

The incident happened early Friday morning as the Norwegian Pearl was sailing near the Bahamas on its way to Miami, a spokesperson for the cruise line said.

A search was underway to find the passenger, a 41-year-old man, by the U.S. Coast Guard.

"The investigation is ongoing, and we will share updates as appropriate. Our thoughts and prayers are with his loved ones during this difficult time," the spokesperson said in a statement.

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The ship was on a roundtrip from Miami to Nassau and then back to Miami as part of the "Headbangers Boat" cruise.

A number of metal bands were performing during the cruise, including Lamb of God, Mastodon and Gwar, according to the trip's website .

The ship left on Halloween and was expected to return to Miami on Saturday morning.

This article tagged under:

Search underway for man missing from Headbangers Boat cruise

41-year-old man feared lost overboard from Headbangers Boat heavy metal cruise hosted by Lamb of God

The owners of a cruise ship which is playing host to the Headbangers Boat metal cruise say a 41-year-old man is missing overboard.

A spokesperson for the Norwegian Cruise Line confirmed that a United States Coast Guard search and rescue operation was underway after the man went overboard from the Norwegian Pearl near the Bahamas.

Headbangers Boat is a four-day cruise hosted by Lamb of God and also featuring Mastodon , Testament , Hatebreed and more. It set sail from Miami, Florida, heading to Nassau in the Bahamas.

The Norwegian Cruise Line spokesperson said: "On the early morning of Friday, November 3, 2023, Norwegian Pearl was notified that a 41-year-old male guest went overboard while the ship was sailing near the Bahamas on its way to Miami.

"The authorities have been notified and the United States Coast Guard search and rescue operation is underway. The investigation is ongoing, and we will share updates as appropriate. Our thoughts and prayers are with his loved ones during this difficult time."

The Norwegian Pearl is a 294m (964ft) cruise ship. The Norwegian Cruise Line describes the ship as follows: "Cruise to the breezy islands of The Caribbean, or simply sit back and sail through the world's greatest shortcut on a Panama Canal cruise. Whatever you choose to do, we invite you to experience the wonders of getting there aboard Norwegian Pearl. 

"Her 16 chic dining options, 14 bars and lounges, dazzling casino, tranquil spa, and spacious Garden Villas are just a few things that make this Jewel Class cruise ship a destination of her own."

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This is the inaugural Headbanger’s Boat cruise, featuring two performances from Lamb of God including Ashes of the Wake in full.

In a statement provided to Rock Feed, a spokesperson for the Norwegian Cruise Line confirmed that a passenger went overboard during the Headbangers Boat cruise early this morning. The statement reads: “On the early morning of Friday, Nov. 3, 2023, Norwegian Pearl was notified… pic.twitter.com/8nTBJacACU November 3, 2023

Stef wrote close to 5,000 stories during his time as assistant online news editor and later as online news editor between 2014-2016. An accomplished reporter and journalist, Stef has written extensively for a number of UK newspapers and also played bass with UK rock favourites Logan. His favourite bands are Pixies and Clap Your Hands Say Yeah. Stef left the world of rock'n'roll news behind when he moved to his beloved Canada in 2016, but he started on his next 5000 stories in 2022. 

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Man Overboard on Cruise Ship, Search Called Off

Doug Parker

• November 5, 2023

A 41-year-old man went missing after going overboard during the “Headbangers Boat” cruise this weekend on Norwegian Pearl.

Confirmed by Norwegian Cruise Line, the vessel was en route back to Miami from the Bahamas when the incident occurred.

The line issued a statement saying. “On the early morning of Friday, Nov. 3, 2023, Norwegian Pearl was notified that a 41-year-old male guest went overboard while the ship was sailing near the Bahamas on its way to Miami.”

177 miles southeast of Miami

Following the search pattern, the guest went overboard approximately 177 miles southeast east of Miami.

The weather in the area on early Friday morning was choppy, with wind gusts up to 30 knots. The ship searched for nine hours before being released by the US Coast Guard.

The statement went on to read, “The authorities have been notified, and the United States Coast Guard search and rescue operation is underway. The investigation is ongoing, and we will share updates as appropriate. Our thoughts and prayers are with his loved ones during this difficult time.”

Cruise co-host speaks on event

One of the cruise co-hosts, Riki Rachtman, former host of MTV Hangbanger Ball TV show, spoke on the incident during a Facebook Live on Saturday morning.

“Everybody was devastated when we were woken up by the calls, and then they spent nine hours trying to find this person with the Coast Guard. And I get sentimental when I say this, but at about nine o’clock in the morning, they made the announcement that the search was called off. And when that happened, it was devastating, and it hurt everybody when you walked around the ship.”

12 cruise ship passengers overboard in 2023

This was the twelfth man overboard on a cruise ship in 2023, according to the CruiseJunkie website .

Last week, a guest went overboard on Royal Caribbean’s Symphony of the Seas as it left Barcelona. That guest was found shortly after he went overboard .

This story will be updated when additional details are released.

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THEPRP News

A Man Went Overboard On Inaugural ‘Headbangers Boat’ Cruise (Updated)

Update: November 03rd, 2023 02:22pm :

A statement issued by the Norwegian Cruise Line to Rock Feed confirms that a 41-year-old man went overboard on the ‘ Headbangers Boat ‘ cruise earlier this morning. That statement reads as follows:

“On the early morning of Friday, Nov. 3, 2023, Norwegian Pearl was notified that a 41-year-old male guest went overboard while the ship was sailing near the Bahamas on its way to Miami. The authorities have been notified and the United States Coast Guard search and rescue operation is underway. The investigation is ongoing, and we will share updates as appropriate. Our thoughts and prayers are with his loved ones during this difficult time.”

Original Story:

According to several attendees, a man has been reported going overboard on this year’s inaugural ‘ Headbangers Boat ‘ cruise. That event, which was curated by Lamb Of God , set sail from Miami, FL aboard the Norwegian Pearl on October 31st and is scheduled to wrap up tomorrow, November 04th.

A number of individuals claiming to be aboard the cruise have since stated online that the ship docked as rescue operations were launched for the individual, who apparently went overboard late last night.

Several of the attendees have commented on Reddit on the matter, and mentioned choppy waters seemingly played a part in the incident. Theprp.com has also heard similar reports from individuals associated with the cruise of a man having gone overboard.

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Man jumps overboard from Norwegian Cruise Line ship, has not been found

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NEW ORLEANS — A passenger on a cruise ship near the coast of Mexico jumped overboard, according to Norwegian Cruise Lines.

In a statement from Norwegian Cruise Line Public Relations, a 31-year-old man aboard the Norwegian Breakaway jumped off of the ship on March 11 while sailing near Costa Maya, Mexico.

They said authorities were notified immediately and a search began, but the man has not yet been found.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with the individual's loved ones during this difficult time,” said a spokesperson for Norwegian Cruise Line.

This is the second report of a person jumping overboard from a cruise ship. A woman jumped overboard the Carnival Valor ship in February after being detained by security for a disturbance at the swimming pool. 

The location of the ship is not known at the moment, but it is currently en route to New Orleans.

No further details are available at this time but this is a developing story, and it will be updated with the latest information available. 

RELATED: Coast Guard ends 14-hour search for woman overboard Carnival Valor

RELATED: Crews search for missing cruise traveler in Gulf of Mexico

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41-year-old man presumed dead after going overboard on heavy metal 'Headbanger's Boat'

MIAMI, Fla. (WKRC) - The search for a 41-year-old man who fell overboard was called off, according to the cruise line.

According to PEOPLE Magazine, a man went overboard a heavy metal-theme cruise hosted by the Norwegian Pearl. A Norwegian Cruise Line spokesperson speaking to the publication confirmed a man “went overboard while the ship was sailing near the Bahamas” Friday.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with his loved ones during this difficult time,” the spokesperson said. The passenger's identity has not been released at this time.

Per Metal Injection , an outlet covering movements in the genre, Lamb of God, who headlined the five-day, four-night event, issued a statement saying the group was "deeply saddened to have learned that a member of our community was involved in a tragic incident," and that they were "sending love and light to their family and loved ones."

Cruise left port in Miami on October 31 and was scheduled to return on November 4, just one day after the passenger's vanishing. According to PEOPLE , the cruise was on its way back from Nassau when the passenger went missing. Per PEOPLE , Shadows Fall, GWAR, Mastodon and Hatebreed were also slated to perform on the cruise.

According to the publication, an investigation into the disappearance is ongoing.

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2nd Overboard Case In Less Than 2 Months For Norwegian Cruise Lines

Vanessa Romo

British tourist Kay Longstaff speaks to the media upon her arrival in Pula on a Croatian coast guard ship on Sunday. AFP/Getty Images hide caption

British tourist Kay Longstaff speaks to the media upon her arrival in Pula on a Croatian coast guard ship on Sunday.

A British woman who spent 10 hours treading water in the Adriatic Sea after going overboard from a cruise ship was released from the hospital on Monday following treatment for hypothermia.

It is unclear exactly how Kay Longstaff went into the water from the aft deck of the Norwegian Star cruise ship off the Croatian coast, but the captain of the vessel, Lovro Oreskovic, told Sky News that she credited yoga for keeping her fit enough to survive the night.

"It is a real miracle that she is alive," Oreskovic was quoted by Sky News as saying. "It's obvious that she's very fit."

David Radas from the Croatian Ministry of Maritime Affairs told the BBC that Longstaff was suffering from hypothermia when she was rescued by the Croatian coast guard.

"I was in the water for 10 hours, so these wonderful guys rescued me," Longstaff, 46, said in an interview with Croatia news service HRT, according to Sky News.

"I am very lucky to be alive," she added.

Hospital director Irena Hristic told Sky News that Longstaff, a former flight attendant, "swam all the time and was conscious."

Longstaff is believed to have gone overboard around 60 miles south of Pula at about a quarter to midnight on Saturday night. She was rescued at 10:30 a.m. Sunday.

The Two-Way

Watch: giant cruise ship smashes into dock in honduras.

Physical fitness aside, Longstaff also likely owes her survival to the warm waters where she went overboard. Seatemperature.org reports water temperatures in the area at this time of year range between 72 degrees and 86 degrees Fahrenheit.

In a statement issued to Quartz , Norwegian Cruise Lines wrote:

"In the morning of August 19th, a guest went overboard as Norwegian Star made her way to Venice. The Coast Guard was notified and a search and rescue operation ensued. We are pleased to advise that the guest was found alive, remains in stable condition, and is being treated in Croatia. We are very happy that the individual, who is a UK resident, is now safe and will soon be reunited with friends and family. We remain in contact with the guest and her family. We continue to cooperate with authorities investigating this matter."

The Cruise Line International Association contends that overboard incidents are "very rare."

"Out of more than 24.7 million cruise passengers in 2016, there were nine such incidents involving passengers, or about one incident per 2.7 million passengers," the industry group reported. And for those who do go overboard, the association said, that "without exception" they are the result of an "intentional or reckless act."

Miami-based maritime lawyer Jim Walker, who tracks cruise ship-related sea rescue missions, wrote that Longstaff is now the second person in less than two months to fall overboard from a Norwegian Cruise Line. He noted that in both instances, the cruise ship headed back toward its intended destination before the missing person had been rescued.

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Passenger Goes Overboard on Headbangers Boat Cruise

The post Passenger Goes Overboard on Headbangers Boat Cruise appeared first on Consequence .

Headbangers Boat , the inaugural metal cruise headlined by Lamb of God, experienced a tragic turn early Friday morning (November 3rd) when a 41-year-old male passenger went overboard. A search and rescue mission is currently underway.

In a statement provided to Rock Feed , a spokesperson for the Norwegian Cruise Line offered the following details:

“On the early morning of Friday, Nov. 3, 2023, Norwegian Pearl was notified that a 41-year-old male guest went overboard while the ship was sailing near the Bahamas on its way to Miami. The authorities have been notified and the United States Coast Guard search and rescue operation is underway. The investigation is ongoing, and we will share updates as appropriate. Our thoughts and prayers are with his loved ones during this difficult time.”

The incident sadly casts a pall over what by all accounts was turning out to be a very festive metal experience. As we’ve been reporting, via our on-board photographer, the cruise has had some memorable moments thus far, like Lamb of God frontman Randy Blythe officiating a wedding between two of the passengers, as well as a hot tub circle pit breaking out during Hatebreed’s set.

In addition to Lamb of God and Hatebreed, the cruise has featured performances from Mastodon, GWAR, Testament, and several more acts. The ship set sail from Miami on Halloween (October 31st), and visited the Bahamas. The original schedule had it returning to Miami to disembark on Saturday (November 4th).

Our thoughts go out to the family and friends of the missing passenger.

In a statement provided to Rock Feed, a spokesperson for the Norwegian Cruise Line confirmed that a passenger went overboard during the Headbangers Boat cruise early this morning. The statement reads: “On the early morning of Friday, Nov. 3, 2023, Norwegian Pearl was notified… pic.twitter.com/8nTBJacACU — Rock Feed 🎸 (@RockFeedNet) November 3, 2023

Passenger Goes Overboard on Headbangers Boat Cruise Heavy Consequence Staff

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He posted on Facebook about a man going overboard. Weeks later, he plunged into the sea

Two weeks before he plunged into the Atlantic Ocean, the Norwegian Cruise Line crew member who later survived the ordeal had eerily shared a Facebook post about another man who had fallen overboard — and also survived.

In the post , the man talks about falling from a ship and treading water for hours as he watched the vessel sail away. He describes when, in a moment where he thought he might drown, he felt God encouraging him to stay afloat and when, later, he was threatened by a large shark. The man was eventually saved by the Coast Guard.

When he shared the post, Norwegian crew member Francis Rakochi Santiago didn't add a comment. It's still unclear what happened to the 33-year-old man when he fell into the ocean, treading water for at least 22 hours before a Carnival Cruise Line vessel found him alive. But posts on his Facebook indicate he may have been troubled. Several crew members have speculated that Santiago jumped, but Norwegian has declined to comment on circumstances surrounding the incident.

A crew member Facebook group, comments on several forums, a crew website and a friend have identified Santiago, a Filipino worker who cleans the public areas on the Norwegian Getaway and who goes by the nickname "Kiko," as the man who was rescued Sunday by the Carnival Glory. His cover photo on Facebook is an image of the Norwegian Getaway and MSC Armonia at port.

Friend Chin Nie told the Miami Herald that Santiago is "safe and recovering."

On Sunday, Nie posted on Santiago's Facebook page saying, "Hey! Boy! What is this? Get up... it's not a good joke! I told you to stay positive... why like this?"

On a Facebook post Saturday, the day he went overboard, Santiago shared an image with the words, "Don't be so quick to believe what you hear, because lies spread quicker than the truth." A commenter on the post, who also works for Norwegian, asked, "Wherever you are, please come back now. People in the ship are worried about you!"

In another post last week, Santiago shared a post with the words, "I am a strong person. But once in a while, I need someone to hug me and tell me, 'Everything is going to be okay.' "

Santiago was found at about 1 p.m. Sunday , 21 miles north of Cuba and in stable condition. He was disembarked by the Glory in Cozumel Monday, said Carnival spokeswoman AnneMarie Matthews.

Passengers on the Glory were alerted to the situation in the afternoon Sunday, when an alarm and calls of, " Man overboard, man overboard, port side," sounded through the the intercom system, said Kristine Shipman, a passenger who was on the ship with her 13-year-old son.

Shipman was sitting down at the lunch buffet when she glanced out the window and saw Santiago clinging to a bright orange life vest that had been thrown at him. As crews worked to pull the man aboard, cheers and applause erupted at the buffet.

Shipman said "it looked like the individual was alert and able to function."

According to Norwegian, the man went overboard early in the morning on Saturday. The U.S. Coast Guard was notified at about 3:20 p.m. and it, along with the Norwegian Getaway, which was 28 miles northwest of Pinar Del Rio in Cuba at the time, began a search and rescue operation.

Several commenters on Cruise Critic, a popular forum for cruisers, said the ship called for the missing crew member in the morning and then announced it was beginning the search around 3 p.m. A Cruise Critic commenter with username "schwabob," who was aboard the ship, said crew members said the missing worker hadn't reported to work that morning. One crew member said Santiago hadn't "been doing well" before going overboard, the commenter said.

Dave Miller, a passenger aboard the Norwegian Getaway, said in an interview that the ship was on the final leg of the journey, heading from Cozumel to Miami, when the captain turned back and started to search for the lost crew member.

"It was very surreal," Miller said. "Some of the crew members were like, 'I don't give him six to eight hours out there' and then others were very hopeful. Our butler on the ship actually knew him and was hoping that he would come out OK."

It's rare for people who go overboard from a cruise ship to be found alive. According to Ross Klein, a professor at the School of Social Work at Memorial University of Newfoundland in Canada, who tracks man overboards on cruise ships , 314 people have gone overboard since 1995.

Of those, only 57 have been rescued, or 18 percent.

Debbie Pujol Mortham, a passenger on the Carnival Glory, said watching the rescue was an "emotional" experience.

"All music and events stopped. Everyone aboard took to the rails to watch and assist in the search and rescue," she wrote on Facebook.

From her binoculars, she watched as the lifeboat approached Santiago, while shouts of "yay!" broke out behind her.

"Grateful that God placed our ship in the right place," she wrote. "Compassion. Hope. Please pray for this man and his family."

This story was originally published July 3, 2018, 12:49 PM.

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A Man Fell From a Cruise Ship. And Survived.

He treaded water for hours in the Gulf of Mexico, withstanding rain, winds and waves before he was rescued. Others have not been so lucky. What happens when a person goes overboard?

By Maria Cramer

The Carnival Valor had been at sea for only a day when calls came over the loudspeaker asking a certain passenger to please report to customer service.

The man, a 28-year-old American citizen, had been reported missing by his family that morning.

It was Thanksgiving, and the Valor, a 3,756-passenger cruise ship that had left New Orleans the day before, was heading toward Cozumel, Mexico.

Crew members soon began searching passengers’ cabins, said Shant’a Miller White, who was traveling with her husband and family. One employee entered her cousin’s cabin and said, “We just need to make sure everything is OK.”

“We didn’t know what was going on,” Ms. White, 48, recalled. Then, at dinner, came another announcement: The ship needed to change course to execute a search and rescue operation.

Ms. White pictured the unknown passenger alone in the water and felt sick to her stomach.

“Did they fall to the bottom? Did the sharks get them?” Ms. White recalled thinking. She began to pray.

The passenger, according to the Coast Guard, turned out to be James Grimes, 28, who had been traveling with his parents and siblings on the five-day cruise. His family had last seen him the night before, around 11 p.m.

But by 10:45 on Thanksgiving morning, when there was no sign of him, the family notified the crew, the Coast Guard said.

At 8:10 p.m., more than nine hours after his family reported him missing, a passing tanker spotted the man near the mouth of the Mississippi River and alerted the Coast Guard.

Rescuers found Mr. Grimes struggling in the water, waving frantically and trying to keep his head above the surface.

When the crew of the MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter lifted him out, he was in shock, had mild hypothermia and was extremely dehydrated, said Lt. Seth Gross, who managed the search and rescue operation for the Coast Guard. But he was alive and in stable condition.

Mr. Grimes, whose family described him as an exceptional swimmer, had treaded in 65- to 70-degree water for hours, withstanding rain, 20-knot winds and three- to five-foot waves in the Gulf of Mexico, where bull sharks and blacktip sharks are common, Coast Guard officials said.

“This case is certainly extraordinary,” Lieutenant Gross said. “The survival instinct, the will to survive is just crazy.”

How often does this happen?

Falling from a ship into a vast sea may be a cruise passenger’s worst nightmare. While the chances of going overboard are exceedingly remote, according to statistics from the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) , the outcome is usually tragic.

In 2019, 25 people fell overboard, and only nine of them were rescued, according to CLIA.

In February, a woman aboard the Carnival Valor jumped off the 10th deck of the ship while fleeing security officers who were trying to detain her after she had scuffled with them. Her body was never found.

In December 2016, a 22-year-old man fell off the 12th deck of a Royal Caribbean cruise ship after a night of heavy drinking. His parents sued the cruise line in federal court in Florida, but a jury decided in favor of Royal Caribbean.

Alcohol is a factor in at least 11 percent of falls from cruise ships, which often offer all-inclusive drink packages that encourage drinking onboard, said Ross Klein, a professor of social work at Memorial University of Newfoundland, who researches cruise safety.

“Cruises are viewed as idyllic, safe and secure, and of course those views are reinforced by advertising and public statements,” he said. But the public should be aware of the risks of going on a cruise, which include being pushed overboard, going overboard and being tempted to jump overboard, he said.

How do ships prevent people from going overboard?

By law, railings have to be 42 inches tall, Professor Klein said. There were efforts to make the railings taller by about another foot, he said, after Congress began considering legislation to tighten security on ships in 2005. But in 2010, when Congress passed the Cruise Vessel Security and Safety Act, the railing height requirements were set at the current standard, he said.

The railing height is designed to keep passengers safe along ship promenades, said Brian Salerno, the senior vice president for Maritime policy at CLIA.

“The vast majority of cases are either reckless behavior or some form of intentional act,” Mr. Salerno said. “People don’t just inadvertently fall over the side of a ship.”

Professor Klein said cruise ships could limit the risks of passengers falling overboard if they limited alcohol consumption, increased railing heights and installed technology that senses when a heavy object has fallen from the ship.

The 2010 law directed cruise ships to begin developing and installing such technology, Mr. Salerno said.

It took years to create a video-surveillance system that would be sensitive enough to detect a person falling overboard and alarm a ship’s crew but that wouldn’t be triggered by other objects, like a sea gull flying by, he said. Some ships have already begun installing such systems, Mr. Salerno said.

Bartenders on cruises are also trained to watch for excessive drinking, said Robert Kritzman, a partner at Clyde & Co., an international law firm in Miami, who advises cruise companies.

“The general policy is the same as anywhere else: Once somebody becomes excessively intoxicated, you stop serving,” he said.

Carnival Corp. said the “only way to go overboard is to purposefully climb up and over the safety barriers.”

“Cruise ships have safety barriers in all public areas that are regulated by U.S. Coast Guard standards that prevent a guest from falling off,” the company said in a statement that thanked the Coast Guard and the mariner who found Mr. Grimes. “Guests should never ever climb up on the rails.”

A spokesman did not respond to follow up questions about the incident or Carnival’s safety protocols.

What happens when the crew learns that a person has gone overboard?

Cruise ships have clear protocols for what to do when a person goes overboard, Mr. Kritzman said.

Once the crew members learn that a person has gone overboard, they immediately inform the Coast Guard, stop the ship and turn around to help find the missing passenger. Often, smaller, fast boats are deployed from the ship to search for the person, Mr. Kritzman said.

The circumstances around the recent fall from the Carnival Valor, including the precise time that Mr. Grimes went overboard, remain unknown. The Coast Guard said it was investigating the incident.

Lieutenant Gross said that after the Coast Guard learned about the missing passenger, it launched a 45-foot patrol boat, a helicopter and a tracker plane to search for him. The Coast Guard set up a search area of more than 7,000 square nautical miles, roughly the size of Massachusetts, he said, and immediately alerted any mariners around the Gulf of Mexico to look for the man.

The Crinis , a bulk carrier, spotted Mr. Grimes about 20 miles south of Southwest Pass, a channel at the mouth of the Mississippi River.

Lt. Gross said he called the man’s mother and stepfather to tell them he had been found.

When he told them their son was stable and being treated at a hospital in New Orleans, he heard them cheer and cry.

Ms. White, who lives in Hampton, Va., and runs an anti-bullying organization , said she was flooded with relief when the ship announced that Mr. Grimes had been found alive.

“That was nothing but God that he survived,” she said.

Follow New York Times Travel on Instagram , Twitter and Facebook . And sign up for our weekly Travel Dispatch newsletter to receive expert tips on traveling smarter and inspiration for your next vacation. Dreaming up a future getaway or just armchair traveling? Check out our 52 Places for a Changed World for 2022.

Maria Cramer is a reporter on the Travel desk. Please send her tips, questions and complaints about traveling, especially on cruises. More about Maria Cramer

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'Headbangers Boat' Returns To Miami After Search For Man Who Went Overboard Was Unsuccessful

LAMB OF GOD 's Headbangers Boat charter cruise made its way back to Miami, Florida earlier today, one day after a man on the ship went overboard.

The incident transpired on the morning of Friday, November 3 as the Norwegian Pearl was sailing near the Bahamas on its way back to Port Miami, a spokesperson for cruise line Norwegian Cruise Line said.

According to Cruise Hive , a search for the missing 41-year-old passenger was quickly initiated. However, after a nine-hour search, the captain of Norwegian Pearl was forced to cancel the search and rescue mission, and the vessel resumed her course to Miami.

The U.S. Coast Guard told WFLA they were conducting a search for the man who was last seen 20 miles east of Cay Say Bahamas around 4 a.m.

The Coast Guard was assisting the Royal Bahamas Defense Force in the search.

A statement released by a spokesperson for Norwegian Cruise Line read: "On the early morning of Friday, Nov. 3, 2023, Norwegian Pearl was notified that a 41-year-old male guest went overboard while the ship was sailing near the Bahamas on its way to Miami. The authorities have been notified and the United States Coast Guard search and rescue operation is underway. The investigation is ongoing, and we will share updates as appropriate. Our thoughts and prayers are with his loved ones during this difficult time."

LAMB OF GOD said in a separate statement: "We're deeply saddened to have learned that a member of our community was involved in a tragic incident. Sending love and light to their family and loved ones."

Earlier today, Headbangers Boat co-host Riki Rachtman , who is best known as the host of MTV 's popular 1980s and 1990s program "Headbangers Ball" , shared a video message on social media in which he addressed the tragic incident that occurred on the ship. He said: "I'm just gonna start by talking about this because it's something that weighs heavy on our heart and all the bands and all the people that were on the cruise. Unfortunately, somebody went over. There was a man overboard. And I know what I've heard and I'm not gonna share anything until it already comes out. But somebody went off the ship at about four o'clock in the morning. Everybody was devastated when we were woken up by the calls, and then they spent nine hours trying to find this person with the Coast Guard. And I get sentimental when I say this, but at about nine o'clock in the morning, they made the announcement that the search was called off. And when that happened, it was devastating and it hurt everybody when you walked around the ship."

He added: "This metal community, and I don't talk about this 'cause you know I love so many different genres of music, but the metal community, especially the people on this boat, is just that — it's a community — and we lost one of our own.

"My thoughts and prayers are for the families and friends and it was just so tragic."

According to Cruise Hive , the Headbangers Boat cruise was a special charter voyage, offering a unique blend of heavy metal music with LAMB OF GOD as the headliner. The charter cruise was organized by Sixthman , which is in partnership with Norwegian Cruise Line .

Cruise Critic says that there are no specific statistics compiled by the U.S. government about how often going overboard happens on cruise ships. In general, there are about 20 incidents reported a year. "Survival rates depend on several factors, including whether the person was injured by impact with the water or part of the ship on the way down and how quickly the person can be rescued by the cruise ship crew or Coast Guard," the web site notes. "Wind and weather factors also play a role in a rescue mission. If the seas are rough, it not only makes it difficult for a person to swim, it's also tough for emergency staff to find them in the water. Other factors include the temperature of the sea; hypothermia can begin to set in when the water is less than 70 degrees Fahrenheit."

Live just off the #headbangersboat Posted by Riki Rachtman on Saturday, November 4, 2023

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8 Norwegian Cruise Passengers Stranded on African Island Catch Up to Ship After Traversing 7 Countries

The group of stranded American and Australian passengers included four elderly people, one with a heart condition and a pregnant woman

Natalia Senanayake is an Editorial Assistant, Lifestyle at PEOPLE. She covers all things travel and home, from celebrities' luxury mansions to breaking travel news.

Sipa via AP

• Nine Norwegian Cruise Line passengers were reportedly left behind on the African island of São Tomé and Príncipe on March 27 
• The group was on a guided excursion that got delayed, leading them to miss the ship’s "all aboard" call 
• A statement from Norwegian Cruise Lines noted that all guests are responsible for returning to the docked ship at the designated call time 
• Eight people were able to catch up to the ship on Tuesday morning after reportedly traversing seven countries.
• One, who had fallen ill before the incident, has safely returned to the U.S.

Multiple passengers were stranded on an island in Africa after their Norwegian Cruise Line ship reportedly left them behind. After several days of uncertainty and a trek across seven countries, they're now back on board the vessel.

On Wednesday, March 27, South Carolina couple Jill and Jay Campbell were enjoying a guided tour on the island of São Tomé and Príncipe located off the continent's western coast, ABC15 News reported at the time. The pair was with six other American and Australian passengers when they realized they wouldn’t make it back to the ship on time due to their tour taking longer than planned.

Though the tour operator contacted the cruise ship’s captain to inform them of the delay, the captain refused to let them back on the still-anchored ship when they arrived at the port because it was after the "all aboard" call, per the outlet. 

The São Tomé and Príncipe Coast Guard allegedly then took them by boat directly to the ship where the captain again did not permit them to board. 

The group later encountered another stranded passenger, an 80-year-old woman, who was hospitalized on the island after a cruise line tour, the outlet stated. The woman reportedly experienced memory and vision loss due to a medical emergency. 

In addition to the ill passenger, the group also includes one person who is pregnant, one with a heart condition and four elderly travelers. 

The majority of the group left their medications and credit cards on the ship except for the Campbells, who have reportedly paid over $5,000 for food, accommodations, and other necessities for their fellow passengers. 

On Sunday, the U.S. Embassy in Angola allegedly arranged for the group to fly to the West African country of Gambia, the ship's next planned port of call, so they could reboard. 

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Unfortunately, the group discovered the cruise ship wasn’t docked at the port in Gambia as planned because it had to spend another day at sea due to low tides. ABC News 4 reports the passengers spent fifteen hours traveling through six countries to make it to the port on Sunday. 

“We have to cross the ferry to get into Senegal,” Campbell told the outlet on Monday, marking their seventh country. “We just learned from the gentleman that the ferry hadn’t been working, but he said no problem, if the ferry is not working we will get another little boat and then pick up a car on the other side. And then once we get on the other side of Senegal, it’s another four-hour drive.” 

In a statement to PEOPLE, Norwegian Cruise Line said, “On the afternoon of March 27, 2024, while the ship was in São Tomé and Príncipe, an African island nation, eight guests who were on the island on a private tour not organized through us missed the last tender back to the vessel, therefore not meeting the all aboard time of 3 p.m. local time."

The statement continued, “While this is a very unfortunate situation, guests are responsible for ensuring they return to the ship at the published time, which is communicated broadly over the ship’s intercom, in the daily print communication and posted just before exiting the vessel.”

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. 

The cruise line added that guests are “responsible for any necessary travel arrangements” to meet the ship at the next port and that they had each of their passports “delivered to the local port agents to retrieve” when they missed their all aboard call.

The group was finally able to catch up to the vessel. They reached Dakar, Senegal, its next port, on Monday night, PEOPLE confirmed.

After what they'd been through, Jill told NBC News in a story published on Tuesday, "We are considering whether or not we are going to board the ship. We believe there was a basic duty of care that they had forgotten about, so it does concern us." While she allowed that Norwegian technically followed protocol, she says, "I believe that they really forgot that they are people working in the hospitality industry and really the safety and well-being of the customers should be their first priority."

On Tuesday morning, the eight passengers, less the person who had fallen ill and later safely returned home to the United States, chose to board the cruise. Norwegian confirmed the news to PEOPLE in a statement.

"Despite the series of unfortunate events outside of our control, we will be reimbursing these eight guests for their travel costs from Banjur, Gambia to Dakar, Senegal. We remain in communication with the guests and are providing additional information as it becomes available,"

The Norwegian Dawn departed from Cape Town, South Africa, on March 20 for a 21-day trip that will end in Barcelona on April 10.

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• CruiseMapper

Norwegian Pearl accidents and incidents

Cabins 1197

Length (LOA) 294 m / 965 ft

  Tracker   Ship Wiki

CruiseMapper's Norwegian Pearl cruise ship accidents, incidents and law news reports relate to a 2873-passenger vessel owned by Norwegian Cruise Line . Our Norwegian Pearl accidents page contains reports made by using official data from renown online news media sources, US Coast Guard and Wikipedia.

Here are also reported latest updates on cruise law news related to ashore and shipboard crimes still investigated by the police. Among those could be arrests, filed lawsuits against the shipowner / cruise line company, charges and fines, grievances, settled / withdrawn legal actions, lost cases, virus outbreaks , etc.

• fire - 2015
• collision - 2022 (with a trawler)
• propulsion/power loss - 2008, 2011, 2019
• pollution in Alaska - 2008 (3), 2009 (2), 2010 (2), 2018 (Juneau)
• deaths - 2007 (drowned in Barbados), overboard (2008, 2015, 2016-crew, 2023), 2014 (crew killed in Roatan)
• injuries/crimes - 2008 (robbery in St Lucia), sexual (2016, 2018)
• Norovirus (passengers/crew) - 2 outbreaks in 2007 (total 427 / 31), 2015 (145 / 13), 2019
• Coronavirus - 2022 (~300 crew)

On July 3, NCL officially canceled the next scheduled cruise (13-day itinerary "Greek Isles and Italy" roundtrip from Civitavecchia-Rome).

For the canceled voyage, NCl refunded all fares and pre-booked shore excursions but didn't reimburse for airfare and pre-/post-cruise hotels.

April 2019 Cruise Illness / Virus Outbreaks

(CruiseMapper emailed illness accident report by Richard A Kelly) NCL Pearl Norovirus - a major breakout occurred on the Arpil 28, 2019 Transatlantic to Amsterdam. The virus first appeared on the 2nd or 3rd day out and within a few days, most of the ships areas were shut down except the Casino and Spa which are moneymakers. MANY folks quarantined. We were for 4 days. Forced us to remain in our cabin while people in full hazmat suits sprayed our cabin. We were then left to breath the substance. Asked for an MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheet) for medical review on returning home but refused. Sent email to Corporate (NCLH) complaining about the lack of candor by all Senior Officers and front desk and was thrown off the ship the next day in Belgium with a sick wife. Requested to remain in our cabin another 24 hours until we reached Amsterdam but all requests were refused. Avid 40-year cruiser and never saw anything like this. We were platinum members but meant nothing. Also banned from all NCL ships for life. Spend a few dollars more and go with Princess. It's very consistent.

The accident allegedly occurred during the 13-day Transatlantic cruise (itinerary April 28 - May 11) from NYC (New York USA) to Amsterdam, with call ports in Ireland (Cobh-Cork, Dublin), France (Le Havre-Paris), England (London-Tilbury), Belgium (Zeebrugge) and Holland (Amsterdam).

11 October 2018 Crew / Passenger Crimes

(sexual) On October 11, 2018, a 31-year-old male passenger was arrested on the ship and charged with sexual assault 3 days later (Oct 14), when the liner docked in San Diego CA. On the cruise ship, the man (Saul Clemente Monago, Utah citizen) raped a female passenger.

He entered the victim's cabin accompanied by several other men. According to the witnesses, she was asleep and everyone but him left the room. The woman soon awoke to him sexually assaulting her. She pushed him away, then ran into the deck's corridor screaming for help. A security crew responded and found the intoxicated man lying on the bed inside her stateroom.

In San Diego, during the FBI-conducted interview, Monago admitted to the crime, saying that he was "drunk and not behaving like himself".

(update) On August 23, 2019, a San Diego federal court sentenced the man to 3 years in jail, followed by 1 year supervised release. He was also registered as a sex offender.

04 September 2018 Sea Pollution

On September 4, 2018, Juneau residents called Alaska state's DEC (Department of Environmental Conservation) complaining about emissions from the liner's exhaust stack during manoeuvring for berthing at ~1:30 pm.

The incident was reported by the local news media  Juneau Empire, which also provided a time-lapse video of the incident. As the media stated, "air quality violations are based on the percentage of opacity" (100% opacity means you can’t see through it). During docking, cruise ships in Alaska are allowed to exceed 20% opacity for only 3 min per hour. When leaving port, anchoring or docking, cruise ship exhausts are allowed to exceed 40% opacity for only 9 min per hour.

The incident occurred on 7-day Alaskan cruise (itinerary Sept 2-9) roundtrip from homeport Seattle WA to Juneau, Skagway, Glacier Bay, Ketchikan, and Victoria (BC Canada).

Note: Compared to 2017, cruise ship fines for violating Alaska's air quality regulations were raised in 2018 - from USD 37,500 to 46,200.

08 September 2016 Crew / Passenger Deaths

(overboard) On September 8, 2016, a 25-year-old female crew was reported fell overboard and missing. The CCTV footage revealed the woman (of Colombian origin, with 2 NCL employment contracts) went overboard in Lynn Canal (southeast mainland Alaska).

The ship's location was between Funter Bay (Admiralty Island) and Point Retreat (Granite Harbour, Victoria Land). It happened at ~1:30 am, while the ship was en-route from Skagway to Glacier Bay. For the search and rescue operation, USCG Sitka launched a helicopter, while USCG Juneau launched the Cutter Liberty. Unfortunately, the body was not found and both searches were suspended on Sept 9.

The accident occurred during a 7-day Alaskan cruise (itinerary Sept 4-11) from Seattle WA to Juneau, Skagway, Glacier Bay, Ketchikan, Victoria BC (Canada).

06 March 2016 Crew / Passenger Crimes

(sexual) On March 26, 2019, Billera Law (South Florida law firm) filed a lawsuit against the shipowner NCLH about rape and battery that occurred onboard Norwegian Pearl on March 6, 2016. A female crew (working on the liner as a waitress) was allegedly drugged, beaten, strangled and raped twice. The woman was sexually assaulted by a male crew (Kevin Paul) in his cabin while his 3 roommates were outside guarding. After the rape, she tried to run out, screaming and crying in the corridor, being naked from the waist down. The 3 roommates forced her back into the cabin where she was raped again by the same man. The woman was refused medical care, restrained and eventually fired.

After berthing in homeport Miami Florida, Kevin Paul was arrested and charged with aggravated sexual battery. He eventually pleaded guilty. The 2019 lawsuit claimed that the company NCLH is strictly liable for woman's violent rape, also that ship's security was negligent.

12 November 2015 Crew / Passenger Deaths

(overboard) On November 12, 2015, a 24-year-old female passenger (Kaylyn Sommer, from Charleston SC, USA) fell overboard and was reported missing. The incident occurred while the ship was approx 25 ml / 40 km off Cuba’s coast (in the Yucatan Channel, aka Straits of Yucatan).

The ship was on a chartered by EDM music-themed cruise out of homeport Miami FL (itinerary Nov 8-19). The 11-day voyage was themed “Mad Decent Boat Party” with only one call port (Cozumel Mexico). The passenger overboard was reported at ~7 pm, after the cruise ship conducted search and rescue operation with 3 of its rescue boats. The USCG deployed an airplane C-130 and 3 patrol boats to assist the search, but the woman’s body was not found.

07 May 2015 Other Incidents

May 7, 2015, the episode “Cruisin’ for a Bruisin'” (part of the “Impractical Jokers” – hidden camera reality series) was filmed on the NCL Pearl ship. The episode was aired on the truTV channel (Time Warner) on May 7, 2015.

April 2015 Cruise Illness / Virus Outbreaks

March-April 2015, CDC reported on voyage Mar 26 to Apr 6, a Norovirus outbreak affected a total of 145 passengers (out of 2472, or 5,9%) and 13 crew (out of 1062, or 1,2%). The ship was on 11-day Eastern-Southern Caribbean cruise from Miami.

06 April 2014 Crew / Passenger Deaths

(murder) On April 6, 2014, a male crew was shot and bled to death ashore in call port Coxen Hole (Roatan Island, Honduras). The man (Jacob Bagan, of Filipino origin) worked on the ship as an assistant cook. He was gunned down for his cell phone. The murderer left his bicycle at the crime scene.

Roatan’s mayor offered ~USD 5,000 reward for capturing the killer. On April 9, the police, assisted by a special force unit, arrested the murder (Guzman Ramirez) and found the revolver involved. After this incident, NCL announced it is cancelling for a week all scheduled stops in Coxen Hole.

In June 2014, the US State Department issued a travel warning stating that Honduras’ murder rate is currently the world's highest.

24 July 2011 Propulsion / Power Loss

On July 24, 2011, the celebrity comedian Bill Cosby performed live on the ship. Both evening shows were held in the onboard theatre on July 24, while the ship was in homeport Seattle WA overnight for propeller repairs. Due to the delayed departure, the next Alaskan itinerary dropped call port Juneau AK.

Passengers received as compensation US$150 per cabin in onboard credit, plus 10% future NCL cruise booking discount. Additionally, to the celebrity comedy shows, passengers also enjoyed free house wine served with dinner, plus a 50% discount on speciality dining cover charges.

2010 Sea Pollution

Twice in 2010 (on May 26 and Sept 15), the ship was reported for water pollution in Alaska. The conducted wastewater tests showed higher than allowed levels of Coliform bacteria.

July 2009 Sea Pollution

Twice in 2009, the ship was reported for Alaska water pollution. The conducted tests of its wastewater showed higher than allowed levels of Coliform bacteria (July 7) and pH (July 28).

26 December 2008 Crew / Passenger Deaths

(overboard) On December 26, 2008, a 36-year-old female passenger jumped overboard. The woman was reported missing by her husband at ~4 am when the ship was approx 15 mi / 25 km east of Cancun Mexico. The ship conducted search and rescue operation, that failed to find the body. Given the woman’s mental health history, the investigation assumed she committed suicide.

27 August 2008 Propulsion / Power Loss

On August 27, 2008, during an Alaskan cruise, the ship experienced an Azipod problem (propulsion system issue) resulting in reduced cruising speed and itinerary changes. The stay in call port Victoria BC was only formal (passengers were not allowed to disembark), while call port Ketchikan was dropped.

As compensation, passengers received US$50 PP in onboard credit. The propulsion problem (thrust bearing failure) affected also the next itineraries. NCL announced the cancellation of the Oct 26 itinerary, allowing the vessel to enter drydock in Freeport Bahamas for repairs.

All booked passengers were fully refunded and additionally received a 25% future NCL cruise booking discount. On the Panama Canal repositioning cruise from Alaska to Caribbean (Sept 21), the US call ports San Francisco and Los Angeles were dropped, while the port stays in Mexico (Puerto Vallarta, Acapulco) and Colombia (Cartagena) was shortened. All passengers were compensated with US$50 PP in onboard credit. The ship returned to service on Nov 2, 2008.

17 January 2008 Crew / Passenger Crimes

On January 17, 2008, 6 cruise ship passengers were robbed on NCL-sponsored shore excursion in St Lucia. On the Botanical Gardens tour (Soufriere) the passengers (2 from the USA, 4 from Canada) and both tour guides were robbed of all their valuables (ID cards, jewellery, money) by 2 masked and armed men.

2008 Sea Pollution

Thrice in 2008 (May, June and July), the vessel was reported for Alaska water pollution. The conducted tests showed higher than allowed pH levels in its wastewater.

December 2007 Cruise Illness / Virus Outbreaks

November-December 2007, CDC reported on voyage Nov 30 to Dec 9, a major Norovirus outbreak affected a total of 335 passengers (out of 2377, or 14,1%) and 24 crew (out of 1097, or 2,2%). The ship was on 8-day Eastern Caribbean cruise from Miami.

17 April 2007 Crew / Passenger Deaths

On April 17, 2007, a 35-year-old passenger drowned in Barbados. The accident occurred on NCL-sponsored snorkelling excursion off the island’s west coast. The man was snorkelling together with his wife and other passengers from the ship docked in Bridgetown.

April 2007 Cruise Illness / Virus Outbreaks

April 2007, CDC reported on the voyage Apr 13 to 22, a Norovirus outbreak (gastrointestinal illness) infected 92 passengers (out of 2490, or 3,7%) and 7 crew (out of 1084, or 0,7%). All sick suffered from Norovirus symptoms (vomiting, diarrhoea) and were quarantined to their cabins for 48 hours. The ship was on 9-day Southern Caribbean cruise from homeport Miami Florida.

04 November 2006 Ship Collision / Allision

On November 4, 2006, after leaving the shipbuilding yard and while attempting to pass under River Ems power line (northwestern Germany), the cruise vessel caused a massive blackout – first in Germany, and then in other European countries.

Officially called “380KV-Ems-Overhead Powerline Crossing”, this power line is mounted on two large pylons – each with clearance/height of 110 m / 361 ft. The span between the pylons has a length of 405 m (1329 ft). While the clearance allows cargo ships to pass beneath the power line, some of the Papenburg-built cruise ships (by Meyer Werft) require the powerline to be switched off. The switching off for the NCL Pearl ship caused the infamous “2006 European blackout” – temporarily leaving over 15 million people without electricity.

Note: This type of marine accidents is called “allision” (striking a fixed object) as opposed to “collision” (striking another vessel).

You can add more details on reported here accident or submit new / your own Norwegian Pearl ship incident ("Cruise Minus" report) via CruiseMapper's contact form .

Cruise Law News

Everything Cruise Lines Don't Want You to Know

Norwegian Sun Passenger Overboard, Rescued

A cruise passenger reportedly went overboard from a Norwegian cruise ship this week as the ship was sailing to NCL’s “private island,” Great Stirrup Cay, in the Bahamas, according to the popular Cruise Hive blog .

The blog states that a woman went overboard on November 12, 2019 as the NCL cruise ship Norwegian Sun was near Freeport, Bahamas (where the ship previously called).

A passenger who tweeted about the incident indicated that the ship quickly launched a rescue boat which located and returned the woman to the ship.

WOMAN OVERBOARD last night! That was absolutely terrifying.The crew of the Norwegian Sun should be praised for deploying life preservers within seconds and finding her using the rescue boat within 20 minutes. Amazing. #cruise #overboard #ncl #norwegian #bahamas @CruiseNorwegian pic.twitter.com/KwcqdWnv57 — Kelli Bredeson (@KelliBredeson) November 13, 2019

There are no “official” accounts indicating how or why the woman went overboard (but see the info from Dr. Klein’s CruiseJunkie below).

A passenger who contacted Dr. Klein’s CruiseJunkie website provided the following information:

“From a passenger :  On the ship and watched the rescue. Happened off the coast of Freeport in very calm waters with the ship going very slowly on its way to Great Stirrup Cay. Crew did great – from my balcony it appeared that the person climbed into the rescue boat on their own.  Very quick rescue.   LATER:  So word in the ship is that it was a young woman. Jumped off her 9th floor balcony to go swimming. Survived relatively uninjured (a bit of a miracle). Rumor has it she’s in the brig. Cabin 9030 is cautioned taped off. Someone did get full video, so eventually that will be out there.”

According to cruise expert Dr. Ross Klein, there have been 357 overboards from cruise ship since 2000.

Have a comment? Please leave one below or join the discussion on our Facebook page .

Photo credit: Norwegian Cruise Line

8 passengers got stuck in port after a late return. What to do if you miss your cruise.

A group of Norwegian Cruise Line passengers was left behind after returning late to their ship in Africa.

Eight guests missed the last tender back to Norwegian Dawn while the ship was visiting the island nation of São Tomé and Príncipe on Wednesday, according to a spokesperson for the line. They were on a tour not organized through Norwegian.

Two guests, Jay and Jill Campbell, told South Carolina’s ABC 15 News their tour went longer than expected. When they returned, the ship was still in port, and the captain declined to let them board despite numerous attempts to reach Norwegian. At one point, they said, the island nation’s coast guard took them to the ship on a boat but told them to return to shore.

“The captain could have made an easy decision to turn one of the tender boats back, pick us up, safely load us, and then go on the way," Jay Campbell told the outlet.

'I just felt so helpless': Carnival Sunrise cruise ship faces flooding

“When the guests did not return to the vessel at the all-aboard time, their passports were delivered to the local port agents to retrieve when they returned to the port, as per the regular protocol,” the Norwegian spokesperson said in an emailed statement. “Our team has been working closely with the local authorities to understand the requirements and necessary visas needed for the guests to rejoin the ship at the next available port of call.”

Since then, the passengers have been scrambling to catch up to the cruise. Here’s what to do if you get stranded during a stop and how to minimize the chance of being left behind:

What happens if I don’t get back to my cruise in time?

Cruise lines warn guests they may get stuck if they don’t return to the ship by the stated all-aboard time.

“While this is a very unfortunate situation, guests are responsible for ensuring they return to the ship at the published time, which is communicated broadly over the ship’s intercom, in the daily print communication and posted just before exiting the vessel,” the Norwegian spokesperson said.

Cruise ships are on tight schedules while in port, said Joanna Kuther, a New York City-based travel agent and owner of Port Side Travel Consultants. “So if they have to leave at a certain time, they have to leave at that time,” she said. “It could be that there's another (ship) coming in. It could be (that) people aren't going to be there to be working on the pier.”

The Campbells told ABC 15 News that they traveled through six countries for 15 hours to reach Gambia, where the ship was due to stop on Monday. However, the vessel was unable to dock due to low tides. Norwegian said it made the change “due to adverse weather conditions, as well as tidal restrictions that require specific timing for safe passage.”

“While we share in our guests’ disappointment, this modification was made with great consideration for their safety and that of our crew, which is our top priority,” the spokesperson added.

The cruise line authorized them to rejoin the ship in Dakar, Senegal, on Tuesday.

Kuther recommended guests who miss their all-aboard time contact the cruise line to let them know and reach out to their travel agent – if they have one – who can help handle the logistics. She said the nearest U.S. embassy may also be able to assist them.

Are travelers responsible for added expenses?

Travelers who do not board their ship in time are generally responsible for getting themselves to the next port of call, according to Kuther.

Travel insurance won't be much good in that scenario, either.

"Typically travel delay coverage/missed connection coverage is due to a delay of a common carrier such as an airline delay or cancellation for a covered reason which causes you to miss your cruise/tour departure," Meghan Walch, director of product at InsureMyTrip, said in an email. "An excursion supplier not getting you back to your cruise in time is typically not covered."

The Norwegian spokesperson said the cruise line is reimbursing the eight guests for their travel expenses from Banjul, Gambia, to Dakar, but Kuther stressed that kind of compensation is “definitely the exception to the rule.”

How to avoid getting stranded

When choosing a shore excursion, Kuther said it’s safest to book through the cruise line or with another vendor that guarantees to get passengers back to the ship on time or to the next port. Travel agents can help guests find those options, or they can ask operators about their policies directly when booking.

Just in case something does go wrong, travelers should bring a credit card or debit card so they have a way to cover any costs they might incur. Kuther typically recommends bringing an ID “because you don’t want to be carrying around your passport,” but if travelers are going on a private excursion without that kind of guarantee, it’s a different story.

“You probably should have your passport with you because you're going to need it to get on a flight to get to the next port, especially if it's in a different country,” she said.

At the very least, it’s a good idea for travelers to have a photo of their passport on hand, and share a copy with someone back home who is easily reachable.

Story continues below.

Cruise insurance: Should you buy it through a cruise line? Maybe not, experts say

She also recommended they make sure their phone or watch is set to ship time rather than the time of the destination, which may be different (the all-aboard time will be on ship time). “So many people get confused with that,” Kuther said.

To be safe, she suggested guests get back to the ship an hour early if they’re exploring on their own or on a self-booked excursion in case they hit traffic or face other issues.

“It's one of those things like, it's not a problem until it's a problem,” Kuther said. She urged travelers not to expect the ship to wait. “If they can, I'm sure they will, but I would never tell someone, ‘Don’t worry about it.’”

Nathan Diller is a consumer travel reporter for USA TODAY based in Nashville. You can reach him at [email protected]

Drunk Man Jumps Off Royal Caribbean Cruise Ship in Front of Horrified Family Members

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A luxurious Caribbean cruise suddenly took a nightmarish turn late Thursday night on the Royal Caribbean ship Liberty of the Seas. Shortly after 4 am on April 4, US Coast Guard teams were summoned to help Liberty of the Seas with an emergency search and rescue after a guest went overboard. According to eyewitnesses, the victim did not fall accidentally, but jumped overboard in a seemingly spur-of-the-moment decision - right in front of his horrified family.

Though the victim's identity has not been publicly shared, New York Post described him as a 20-year-old man, accompanied by his brother and father at the time of the accident. The Royal Caribbean ship was sailing between Cuba and Grand Inagua Island in the Bahamas when the 20-year-old suddenly, inexplicably, jumped overboard.

Related: Family of Passengers Left Behind by Norwegian Cruise Ship Are Outraged

Eyewitness Bryan Sims, who had hung out with the victim moments before, described the incident to The Post as "insane" and "surreal. " 

"I had hung out with him and his brother in the hot tub until 3:30... he was pretty drunk," said Sims. As they departed the hot tub , Sims said the man's brother and dad approached them, his dad "fussing at him for being drunk." 

"When we got to them, he said to his dad, 'I'll fix this right now.' And he jumped out the window in front of us all," Sims told The Post .

There was instant pandemonium as the ship's crew immediately commenced search and rescue efforts. The US Coast Guard also arrived on the scene, and according to Royal Caribbean , they have since taken over the search. 

Though there haven't been any promising updates yet, a spokesperson for the Coast Guard told the Daily Mail this morning that they still consider their mission a rescue operation . For the sake of the man, his horrified family, and the traumatized witnesses that night, we hope that the mission will be a successful one.

Going Overboard on a Cruise Ship

Going overboard on a cruise ship is rare. Modern cruise ships are equipped with preventative features like high railings that make simply "falling" overboard nigh-impossible without standing on furniture or climbing the railings. Sadly, when passengers do go overboard, it's often (though not always) intentional - be it a suicide attempt, a drunken dare, or, as in the case of the incident on Liberty of the Seas, an inexplicable impulse decision. 

Tragically, even when the crew immediately begins search and rescue efforts, the victim's likelihood of survival is not good. According to statistics from Cruise Lines International Association, there were 212 overboard incidents between 2009-2019; an average of about 19 incidents per year. Of these, only 48, or 28.2%, resulted in a successful rescue. Time and tide are literally working against rescuers, and it's incredibly difficult to spot a single person in a vast sea, especially at night, which is often when these incidents happen.

Luckily, there is hope. According to Business Insider , of nine overboard incident victims in 2023, two were rescued - and both were Royal Caribbean passengers. The odds are not good, but that doesn't mean that everyone on the ship (including guests, who will often search from their own balconies as well) doesn't do their utmost to locate them in time. Against the odds, we hold out hope that luck will prevail in this story, too. 

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