A passenger aboard the world’s largest cruise ship, Royal Caribbean’s Wonder of the Seas, was reported missing this week, prompting an immediate search and rescue operation. The incident occurred on Tuesday evening, south of Cuba, as the ship was en route to Mexico. The cruise line has confirmed the incident but has refrained from providing further details out of respect for the family involved.
The Wonder of the Seas, which was completed in 2022, is recognized as the largest cruise ship globally. The passenger who went overboard was part of a seven-day cruise that had departed from Port Canaveral, Florida. The cruise line’s spokesperson confirmed the incident and stated that the ship’s crew had promptly initiated a search and rescue operation in collaboration with local authorities.
Passengers aboard the ship shared videos on TikTok, showing a rescue boat near the cruise ship, presumably searching for the missing passenger. An announcement made over the ship’s public address system confirmed the man overboard report and informed passengers that the ship had slowed down, turned around, and was returning to the position it was in when the incident occurred.
This is not the first time a passenger has gone overboard on a Royal Caribbean cruise. A similar incident occurred on July 31 on a different Royal Caribbean cruise en route to Singapore. The Singapore Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre was informed that a passenger onboard the Spectrum of the Seas ship had gone overboard in the Singapore Strait.
At the time, a Royal Caribbean spokesperson stated that the shipboard team was working with local authorities and that their Care Team was providing assistance and support to the affected family. The cruise line maintained privacy for the guest and their family, refraining from sharing additional details.