Editor of RoyalCaribbeanBlog.com Matt Hochberg previews the worlds largest cruise ship as it is scheduled to set sail Saturday.
A crew member on the world’s largest cruise liner has died after going overboard on Thursday, the ship’s operator told Fox Business.
The victim, who has not been identified, went into the water while aboard the 1,200-foot-long Icon of the Seas as it was sailing near San Salvador Island in the Bahamas, about 200 miles east of Nassau, according to reports.
It is unclear how or why the crew member went overboard.
A crew member on Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas, the world’s largest cruise liner, has died after going overboard near San Salvador Island in the Bahamas. The ship docked at the Port of Miami on Jan. 11, 2024. (Mike Stocker/South Florida Sun Sentinel/Tribune News Service via Getty Images / Getty Images)
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“Our crew immediately initiated a search and rescue operation, but unfortunately the crew member passed away,” a spokesperson for Royal Caribbean said.
“We extend our condolences to the crew member’s family and loved ones. To respect their privacy, we have no additional details to share.”
The 250,000-ton vessel was reportedly en route to Coco Cay at the time of the incident. Coco Cay is Royal Caribbean’s private island resort located in the Berry Islands of the Bahamas
An overboard alarm was triggered at around 7 p.m., activating the deployment of the ship’s rescue craft, which recovered the crew member, the cruise website Cruise Hive reported.
The victim, who has not been identified, went into the water while aboard the 1,200-foot-long Icon of the Seas as it was sailing near San Salvador Island in the Bahamas, about 200 miles east of Nassau, according to reports. The Icon of the Seas arriv (Royal Caribbean)
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The Icon of the Seas is currently sailing a seven-night Eastern Caribbean itinerary and should not be delayed, the outlet reported.
The incident comes after a male passenger went overboard on the same vessel in May 2024. The man was brought back aboard alive but was later pronounced dead by the onboard medical staff.
Last month, a dramatic scene unfolded on a Disney cruise ship when a child went overboard and her father leaped into the water to save her. Both of them were picked up by the crew’s rescue team and survived.
A view of the back of the Icon of the Seas recently delivered to Royal Caribbean. (Royal Caribbean International)
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The Icon of the Seas first entered service in January 2024.
It features 20 decks, 18 of which are open to 7,600 guests it can host at a time, according to a fact sheet. It can hold a crew of up to 2,350.
The ship was built with slightly more than 2,800 guest cabins spanning 28 formats.
The vessel has 40 dining and entertainment venues along with eight distinct “neighborhoods,” a massive water park, multiple pools and innovative entertainment spaces.
Fox Business’ Aislinn Murphy contributed to this report.
