Passengers watch as man goes overboard on NCL cruise ship

mercedes · April 20, 2009

The U.S. Coast Guard has called off a search for a 39-year-old passenger who went overboard this weekend from Norwegian Cruise Line's Norwegian Sky.

The agency says it searched an area of nearly 590 square miles Saturday using aircraft from bases in Miami and the Bahamas. A Coast Guard spokesman tells industry watcher ###### there is "no reasonable expectation that he would still be alive."

A statement from NCL says fellow passengers witnessed the man go overboard early Saturday as the ship was sailing toward the Bahamas.

"A male guest was reported overboard from Norwegian Sky by occupants of his stateroom who witnessed the incident," the statement says. "The ship immediately began a search and rescue operation and notified relevant authorities."

The Norwegian Sky had departed Miami on Friday on a three-day cruise to the Bahamas and was approaching Nassau when the incident occurred. Due to its participation in the search for the passenger, the vessel arrived a half day late in Nassau on Saturday and was forced to cancel its Sunday port call at NCL's private island. The vessel returned to Miami early today.

mercedes · April 20, 2009

The U.S. Coast Guard has called off a search for a 39-year-old passenger who went overboard this weekend from Norwegian Cruise Line's Norwegian Sky.

The agency says it searched an area of nearly 590 square miles Saturday using aircraft from bases in Miami and the Bahamas. A Coast Guard spokesman tells industry watcher ###### there is "no reasonable expectation that he would still be alive."

A statement from NCL says fellow passengers witnessed the man go overboard early Saturday as the ship was sailing toward the Bahamas.

"A male guest was reported overboard from Norwegian Sky by occupants of his stateroom who witnessed the incident," the statement says. "The ship immediately began a search and rescue operation and notified relevant authorities."

The Norwegian Sky had departed Miami on Friday on a three-day cruise to the Bahamas and was approaching Nassau when the incident occurred. Due to its participation in the search for the passenger, the vessel arrived a half day late in Nassau on Saturday and was forced to cancel its Sunday port call at NCL's private island. The vessel returned to Miami early today.

JoeyandDavid · April 20, 2009

I have a vision of where one day all cruise ships will be "enclosed" with the use of chain link and glass and anything else that will come to mind

JoeyandDavid · April 20, 2009

I have a vision of where one day all cruise ships will be "enclosed" with the use of chain link and glass and anything else that will come to mind

sailingrose · April 20, 2009

I still don't get why people do this.......just the thought of it is horrifying to me!

DebbieandJerry · April 21, 2009

Another horrific tale.

As we walked around the ship at night, we commented on how dark the sky, the ship, the ocean is and that if you are really, really drunk and had no clue, ...

TheSkipper · April 21, 2009

Joey, I think you are correct about being separated by glass from the sea. :sad2:

coloradocruisers · April 21, 2009

Joey, I think you are correct about being separated by glass from the sea.

A very unappealing thought, but it concerns me as well. Here's what I posted from a previous incident:

I only hope that there aren't a rash of copy-cats. Something like that could cause the industry to over-react and enclose the entire ship in plexiglas. I love cruising, but don't want to do it in a bottle...