One two-month journey around the Australian Coast is being halted in the wake of the death of an elderly female passenger who was abandoned by the vessel on a distant coastal location.
The passenger had been hiking on the remote island with fellow passengers from the cruise ship, but separated from the group for a pause. The liner left without her and came back later that day after the ship staff realised the woman was unaccounted for.
A major hunt discovered her body the following day.
Investigative bodies are examining the incident, alongside law enforcement and the official investigator.
The CEO of the shipping company said that travelers and personnel on the ship were told that the remainder of the voyage had been terminated due to the "sad loss and previous mechanical issues".
Through an announcement, he mentioned that guests would be issued a full refund, and said the company was working "to arrange the travel back of the travelers via chartered flights".
Authorities also issued an latest statement, and said they had "delivered a directive to the Master" preventing any additional guests from entering the liner.
The spokesperson said that they would attend the ship in Cairns upon its coming back.
The vessel first departed the Australian port on 24 October, and was just two days into the journey at the time of the elderly woman's death. Lizard Island was the first stop on the voyage.
Travelers on the ship - who typically pay substantial amounts of money to participate in the expedition - were transported there for a day trip with the choice of hiking or snorkeling.
The child of the victim said that her relatives was "shocked and grieved that the vessel left the location after an organised tour without my parent".
Through her comments, she characterized her parent as an "vigorous elderly person" who was a affiliate of a hiking group.
"From the little information we have been informed, it looks that there was a lapse of attention and common sense," she stated.
She added that she hoped the inquiry would be able to identify what "the operator should have performed that might have protected Her life".
"Based on information from the investigators that it was a extremely warm day, and mum took sick on the uphill trek," she revealed.
"Officials suggested her to return, alone. Then the ship left, seemingly without doing a passenger count.
"During some point in that sequence, or not long after, mother succumbed, without company."
In a statement, the CEO affirmed that the operator was "cooperating fully with officials to assist their inquiry".
He mentioned that the firm was "extremely apologetic that this has occurred" and had extended its full support to the relatives.
The ship serves up to one hundred twenty guests with 46 staff, according to corporate data. It was purpose-built to access isolated locations of the Australian shoreline and is fitted with "auxiliary vessels" - small boats used to take passengers on day excursions.
Incidents such as this are uncommon, and passenger vessels have systems to document which passengers are embarking or leaving, according to travel authorities.
"Leaving covertly or [back] on the ship really isn't an possibility," an authority remarked.
Cruise lines consider these methods with great importance and have "clever tech in place to stop such incidents from taking place," the expert further stated.
"This is most likely a surprising - and unfortunate - isolated incident."
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