Tuesday, April 2, 2024

What people don't tell you before booking an Antarctic cruise

do cruise ships have morgues

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. Polar bears inhabit the Arctic, which is in the northern hemisphere. Except for the Galapagos, penguins are the hot-ticket sighting in the Antarctic. In its most recent State of Antarctic Penguins report, the not-for-profit penguin monitoring body Oceanites counted more than six million breeding pairs, across the five species, at 740 sites in Antarctica. The South Shetland Islands has three types of penguin as well as Antarctic terns, giant petrels, leopard seals and whales.

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Bodies can be stored in shipboard morgues as needed, though not for much longer than a week. Each oceangoing cruise ship is required to carry body bags and maintain a morgue. Separate from food storage areas, most morgues are small, with room for three to six bodies.

You should always book insurance

Generally, remains are removed from ships in the next major port of call, where the proper infrastructure exists to handle them. 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. The CDC will hand the cruise to do a pile of paperwork after these deaths, and the headaches may not stop there for cruises. What I found talking to maritime lawyers and others around the industry is that it’s simply not as regulated as air travel. So for the nearly 10 million annual passengers who sail out of Florida, Americas flagship state for multi-day cruise embarkations, the incidence of death aboard any given voyage is low.

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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]

A body must always be stored until it can be disembarked at a suitable port for this service to be carried out. Cruise ships have morgues to be able to safely store the bodies of any persons who pass away while onboard. The stainless steel refrigerated morgue allows for the proper storage and management of the deceased until they can be returned to their families or transported to a port where local authorities can take over. Don't know about the use of the meat locker but, yes, the cruise lines frequently have to handle the remains of passengers who have died. (I would think that health regulations wouldn't allow the passenger's body to be stored in the kitchens).

What happens when someone dies on a cruise ship?

One intriguing aspect is the presence of morgues on cruise ships. Yes, you read that correctly – cruise ships do indeed have morgues, and the reasons behind this morbid necessity might surprise you. In 2013, a grievance arose against Celebrity Cruises involving their vessel, the Celebrity Equinox. A woman from Florida, along with her family, pursued legal action against the cruise line, alleging the improper handling and storage of her late husband’s body.

How do cruise lines handle the death of crew members onboard?

do cruise ships have morgues

There’s a whole other world you can’t see.Yep, you’re really only seeing half of your cruise ship. Many of the things that you have access to on a cruise ship — a cabin, dining hall, bars, sun decks, gyms — have separate versions on a lower deck for the crew to use. We have been on quite a few cruises when a passenger or 2 died. It is much easier to bring the body back to the port of embarkation rather than fill out all the paper work and then making expensive transportation for body and anyone else accompany it.

Handling Passenger Death

All cruise ships are required to have morgue facilities where a body can be stored for up to a week. Staff are required to be trained in how to handle a passenger passing away, including the appropriate storage methods for a dead body to ensure it is kept secure. If you are curious if cruise ships have morgues, the answer is yes. Each vessel is required to carry body bags in addition to maintaining a morgue. While it is morbid to consider someone dying on a cruise ship, the crew is well-prepared to deal with such an event. They will also aid the family or friends of the deceased cruise passenger in returning the body home.

The deceased’s family will be notified, usually via the emergency contact info provided when booking. The lighting is bright fluorescent to allow clear visibility when working. Powerful ventilation and cooling systems preserve bodies and prevent odors. They can drive the travel companions to a nearby hotel if they want to disembark and remain with them until they return home.

What Happens to The Body When Someone Dies on a Cruise Ship?

Cruise ship morgues are located on a lower deck in an area inaccessible to passengers. And, of course, this isn’t like a land holiday where the body can be taken to a local morgue. Sometimes, passengers will die in the middle of the ocean, far away from any funeral home. While nobody wants to think about dying on vacation, it is the unfortunate truth that sometimes it happens.

Most deaths on cruises are caused by cardiac-related issues, such as heart attacks. This is particularly common among older passengers, who make up a large populace among cruise ship travelers. The presence of morgue facilities on cruise ships demonstrates the industry’s commitment to ensuring a safe and respectful environment for all those onboard. Whether you die on a ship or on land, cruise lines don’t offer a burial at sea.

do cruise ships have morgues

As you may wonder, “do cruise ships have morgues,” one of the common questions that arise is about the size of these morgue facilities. Cruise ships are legally required to have morgues onboard to handle deaths that may occur during a voyage. The size of the morgues can vary depending on the size of the ship. Part of the preparations that cruise ships have for such an event is having a guest care team member assigned to help the bereaved family of a person who dies on board. This member received training in giving logistical and emotional support to the family that the dead person left behind. The vast majority of deaths on cruise ships are natural, with most the result of heart attacks.

Some cruise lines have volunteer clergy onboard who may assist in supporting the family of and friends of the deceased. Certain employees from the cruise line care team will have received training in providing emotional and active support in sorting out the next steps for grieving passengers of the deceased. It’s rare for people to die from accidents, jumping overboard, or crime on cruise ships.

Travel insurance data suggests about three-quarters of cruise ship deaths are from expected natural causes. Though large numbers of passengers cruise every year, deaths during cruises are actually quite rare events statistically. Counseling services may be offered to those traveling with the deceased or any crew/passengers deeply affected by the event. Prior to arriving at the next port, the ship’s staff will contact relevant authorities such as customs officials and the local morgue to arrange for body disembarkation. The morgue allows a ship to properly store a deceased person until the ship can reach a port and the remains can be removed. When a guest dies on a ship, a person from the Guest Care Team is assigned immediately to assist the deceased person’s friends and family.

And repatriation, with all its necessary paperwork and hassle, is not inexpensive. When the cruise ship departs, it will continue on without that person and he or she will be abandoned in what is most likely to be an unfamiliar city. Here they will be forcibly removed from the ship and handed over to the local authorities. Some ships will administer minor treatment and/or medication for free — if you become seasick, for example. However, the cost for most onboard medical treatment isn’t cheap, and the charges will show up as part of your passenger account bill. Back in the mid-90's, I was the on-board florist aboard several Holland America ships during lengthy deployments--World Cruise, Europe season (6+ months).

Passenger dies on Royal Caribbean's 9-month world cruise - Royal Caribbean Blog

Passenger dies on Royal Caribbean's 9-month world cruise.

Posted: Tue, 13 Feb 2024 08:00:00 GMT [source]

When someone dies at sea, a trained crisis team will help the deceased’s companions make decisions regarding the logistics of returning the person’s body to the home country so it can be buried. Therefore, it is essential to purchase travel insurance that covers repatriation. It’s typically estimated that 200 people a year die on cruise ships every year. However, the real figure is likely to be higher, especially if including deaths that occur at ports of call.

The guest services team typically carries out the ceremony, but the captain provides the coordinates of the designated location. The lower deck location of the morgue facilities allows for easy access for the crew while maintaining privacy for the passengers. 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.

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