Cruise ships are known for their many amenities aimed at helping passengers make the most of their vacations. But cruise lines also have to be prepared for the worst.
In addition to onboard security and medical care, the vessels have facilities and protocols in case someone dies during a sailing.
“Given that there is such a high frequency of elderly passengers and the fact that cruise ships are basically floating cities it should come as little surprise that there are in fact morgues aboard most cruise ships,” said Michael Winkleman, a maritime attorney with Lipcon, Margulies & Winkleman, P.A. But with the vessels spending much of their time at sea and traveling from country to country, the logistics are different than on land.
Safety at sea:What happens if you get sick or injured (or bitten by a monkey) on a cruise ship
What happens when someone dies on a cruise ship?
Onboard morgues allow a ship’s crew to store bodies in the event of a death during a cruise, according to Winkleman. The facilities are refrigerated, stainless steel rooms accommodating between two and 10 bodies on the lowest deck of the vessels, The New York Times reported.
Cruise ships bound for a U.S. port must immediately report deaths to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention port health stations – previously called quarantine stations – in accordance with the health agency’s regulations, a spokesperson for Cruise Lines International Association told USA TODAY. The association is the industry’s leading trade organization.
The U.S. Cruise Vessel Security and Safety Act of 2010 also requires that missing persons, suspicious deaths and homicides be reported to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, along with other kinds of criminal activity. The cruise lines association policy extends that reporting mandate to “appropriate law enforcement” for member lines no matter where they operate.
“Additional requirements may apply depending on the country and location of the ship when the death occurs,” the cruise lines association's spokesperson added.
In Winkleman’s experience, bodies are often offloaded at the end of the cruise at the ship’s homeport. However, he noted the cruise line could disembark remains at other ports if local rules permit. Ship personnel offer various kinds of assistance to family members or other companions, depending on how they want to handle arrangements, requirements from local authorities and other factors, the cruise lines association spokesperson said. “Crew members are trained to support travel companions on board through the process of disembarkation,” the spokesperson added.
Who is responsible for the costs?
Cruise lines have no legal obligation to pay expenses associated with death at sea (assuming there is no allegation of negligence by the operator), Winkleman said. Passengers, their family members, or other travel companions are responsible for the cost of transporting the body, The Points Guy reported.
Does travel insurance cover death?
Travel insurance plans may have coverage for costs associated with repatriation of remains if needed, according to Meghan Walch, director of product at InsureMyTrip.
“This would typically be something that would need to be arranged through the emergency assistance provider associated with the insurance policy,” she said in an email. “Each policy will have the necessary contact information included.”
She emphasized the importance of reading the policy’s inclusions and any necessary steps. If you don’t contact or make arrangements with the assistance provider soon enough, coverage could be limited.
Plans may also cover expenses for creating and sending documents needed to move a body, like an autopsy or police report. “Some plans may also cover equivalent costs if traveling outside of the U.S. and the decision is made to bury the traveler in the country where death occurred,” Walch said.
Accidental Death and Dismemberment benefits can provide some protection if a traveler is hurt or dies because of an accidental cause, as well, with payments usually going to the policyholder’s estate, spouse, or dependents, depending on the wording. Some plans may also offer coverage for temporary storage, embalming or cremation and other costs.
Walch suggested keeping a copy of the emergency assistance contact information on hand during a trip and designating a point person who can speak on your behalf in case something happens.
That doesn’t mean travelers should worry, however. “A cruise holiday is one of the safest forms of travel, and the safety of passengers and crew is the top priority of cruise lines,” the cruise lines association spokesperson said.
Nathan Diller is a consumer travel reporter for USA TODAY based in Nashville. You can reach him at ndiller@usatoday.com.
