Monday, April 1, 2024

Jail Cells? Morgues? Your Cruise Ship Has Some Surprises for You The New York Times

do cruise ships have morgues

If the cruise has a religious leader such as a priest on board, they may also be involved to offer support. Once an appropriate port is found, the body will usually be disembarked from the ship in the early hours of the morning, one of the first things to happen once the ship has docked. This is to minimise the number of guests that see the body and potentially be upset. Ceremony locations are carefully chosen to ensure that the ashes are scattered in a place that’s significant to the family member being remembered. Any small disruptions are handled sensitively by the well-trained crew. For comparison, the annual death rate in the general US population is about 8 in 1,000 people.

What Can You Expect When Facing A Death Onboard?

From there, that individual will have to make their own way home at their own expense after they have settled accounts with the local authorities. It took the title of the largest cruise ship from another Royal Carribean ship, Harmony of the Seas, which is a formidable 226,963-tons. Terms and conditions apply to all offers and prices displayed on this website. Fares are subject to availability and operator booking conditions. All fares are a guide (not live pricing) and subject to change without notice, please call for latest prices.

Worldwide ocean cruises

So sit back, relax, and let’s set sail on this informative journey together. All oceangoing cruise ships are required to have a morgue onboard along with body bags in which to store the body. Being so close to land they are not required, although provisions would be in place to deal with a body in the event of a death. Yes, cruise ships do indeed have small holding areas often referred to as “brigs”.

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That said, most passengers dont need to worry about ever seeing the inside of ita few too many drinks wont land you there. By the way - he had a heart attack in the pool as he was bragging that he and Mom were having dinner with the captain. They had won a contest for having the most grandchildren of any of the passengers, and their prize was dinner with the captain. Mom was in the laundromat ironing Dad's shirts for dinner and they couldn't find her for several hours after the incident. Also, the grey water area and the black water area; and the separate places for different types of refuse -- some very smelly, some not as bad. Fascinating; the things we don't think about while we're enjoying life on the upper decks.

do cruise ships have morgues

Even though it probably (or hopefully!) won’t cross your mind when you’re gearing up for your next vacation, it is a question of curiosity for some. Whether a body remains on the ship or is repatriated from a foreign port depends on the ships location. Furthermore, some ports demand that dead bodies are off-loaded no matter what. In this case, a death certificate is issued and the body returned back to its home country. In an attempt to shift the focus of the market from passenger travel to cruising with entertainment value, Cunard Line pioneered the luxury cruise transatlantic service on board the Queen Elizabeth 2 ocean liner.

Death is part of life, and it's also part of ocean cruises.

Where the body remains, as mentioned, depends on several factors. With each factor, the family must work with the cruise line to ensure the body arrives home. No matter what the arrangements are, the cruise ship staff will do everything they can to make sure that the process is as smooth as possible for the family during what is undoubtedly a difficult time. In part, it depends on where the cruise ship is traveling; larger port cities are more likely to accept a body and deal with the issue, while a small island location may not.

Celebrity Cruises improperly stored dead body in cruise ship's cooler, instead of morgue, lawsuit claims - CBS News

Celebrity Cruises improperly stored dead body in cruise ship's cooler, instead of morgue, lawsuit claims.

Posted: Sun, 23 Apr 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]

Instead of utilizing the cruise ship morgue, it was claimed the body was inappropriately placed in the ship’s cooler following his passing on the cruise. At this juncture, the body is usually handed over to local authorities or a local medical examiner’s office, as per federal regulations and international agreements. From there, the family of the deceased was able to coordinate with the cruise line's port agent to send the body back to the United States. According to the Cruise Lines International Association, the latter two can have requirements that necessitate the off-loading of anyone who's died, or preclude the line from being able to offload a body.

How Do Cruise Lines Help Family and Friends?

Keep reading to learn more about how death is handled on the high seas. In such cases, alternative arrangements had to be made to store the bodies, as reported by Ross A. Klein, a sociologist and author specializing in the cruise ship industry. Once a person passes away on a cruise ship, the crew will take appropriate measures to handle the body respectfully.

do cruise ships have morgues

What Hotels Are Near Fort Lauderdale Cruise Port

The crew can use the I-95 to access various cruise ship areas, like the engine control room, the laundry facilities, and their cabins. You’ll find everything stored there, from alcohol, food, and shipping equipment. The morgue is in the lowest part of the cruise ship, along the I-95.

They’re hardly something that cruise lines want to show off as part of a behind-the-scenes tour, and it would be unusual for cruise ship workers to film them. Larger ships will have a larger morgue to potentially hold multiple passengers or crew members, especially on longer sailings such as Transatlantic cruises or to destinations where repatriation isn’t possible. 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.

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. Sailing along on a cruise ship is one of the most fulfilling adventures you have on a vacation. The draw of the ocean can be mysterious and intriguing, but remember that it’s not exempt from accidents or crime. Falls from great heights, choking, drowning, suicide, and even murder are all incidents that can occur during your sea voyage. Morgues form an important part of a cruise ship, allowing cruise lines to care for the deceased until the very end.

The cruise ship will assist the deceased’s family as reasonably possible with travel, lodging or other logistics during this difficult time. Inside the morgue, there are cold storage units or refrigerated drawers to preserve bodies until the ship reaches the next port. Access to the morgue is restricted only to authorized medical personnel and officers due to the sensitive nature. Cruise ships are required by maritime law to have basic medical facilities, including a morgue. The most significant concern regarding death at sea is returning the body home.

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. The location of the morgue is not usually shown on the ship’s deck plans. 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. Some of these secrets are places youre not allowed to visit others are policies the cruise lines dont typically share.

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