Passenger goes overboard on Wonder of the Seas, largest cruise ship in the world

A passenger has gone overboard on Royal Caribbean’s Wonder of the Seas, the largest cruise ship in the world, while it was off the coast of Cuba during a voyage from Florida.

The unidentified guest went off the 230,000-ton vessel late Tuesday, the second day of its seven-day sailing from Port Canaveral, Florida, Royal Caribbean said.

“The ship’s crew immediately launched a search and rescue operation and is working closely with local authorities,” the company said.

The company told Insider it had been working with the US Coast Guard, but an agency spokesperson told the outlet that Cuban authorities are in charge of the effort because the incident occurred in their territorial waters.

Passengers on the mammoth ship said it had already diverted from its original itinerary due to Hurricane Idalia, according to the outlet.

They reported an “Oscar! Oscar! Oscar!” call, signifying an overboard emergency, about 9 p.m. EDT, industry blog ​Cruise Hive reported.

The crew spent about three hours searching the waters using spotlights, small craft and watchers after the ship turned around and retraced its route, according to the site.

The Wonder of the Seas, which is 1,188 feet long and features 18 decks, can accommodate nearly 7,000 passengers and 2,300 crew members. Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas is set to break the Wonder’s record when it begins service next year, Insider reported.

Earlier this month, an Indian woman died after she apparently jumped off the Spectrum of the Seas, another Royal Caribbean cruise ship.

Reeta Sahani, 64, was declared missing after her husband, Jakesh Sahani, 70, woke up in the middle of the night and noticed she was not in their cabin. Her family later confirmed that she had died.

In June, a 42-year-old woman was rescued after she fell off Royal Caribbean’s Mariner of the Seas about 25 miles south of Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic during a trip from Florida.

Other recent incidents occurred on the cruise ships Carnival Magic, Carnival Elation and Emerald Princess. 

On average, 19 people go overboard on cruise ships each year — and of those, only about four are rescued, Insider reported, citing a 2020 study commissioned by the industry trade group Cruise Lines International Association.

The low success rate has sparked discussions about whether all cruise ships should be equipped with detection devices that automatically alert the crew when someone goes overboard.

“All cruise lines use a variety of measures to maintain a safe environment on board cruise ships, including physical barriers around the periphery of external decks and balconies, video surveillance systems in public areas, and trained crew members who can respond quickly to an unsafe situation or emergency,” a spokesperson for Cruise Lines International Association told Insider.