Key facts
- Tui said the 72-year-old was last seen on Monday while the ship was en route to the Caribbean.
- Tui said staff realised the passenger was missing on Tuesday when they noticed her bed had not been slept in.
- The US Coast Guard asked the ship to continue its crossing rather than reverse course, per Tui.
- The Marella Voyager was due to reach Antigua on Friday, then Dominica, and finish in Barbados on Sunday.
- Marella Cruises said it was deeply saddened and was supporting the authorities with their enquiries.
- A UK Foreign Office spokesperson said it was supporting the family and in touch with the relevant authorities.
A 72-year-old British woman has gone missing from a Tui cruise ship while it was crossing the Atlantic, the travel operator said. Tui said the woman was last seen aboard the Marella Voyager on Monday, November 9, while the vessel was en route to the Caribbean. The ship could have travelled hundreds of miles between when she was last seen and when she was reported missing.
Tui said staff realised the passenger was missing on Tuesday, November 10, when they noticed her bed had not been slept in. The alarm was raised and a search carried out. It is understood the missing guest was then reported to the US Coast Guard, which asked the ship to continue its crossing rather than reverse course and search for the woman.
Holidaymakers were told to abandon dinners, drinks and entertainment as the crew carried out an emergency headcount on the evening of November 10, the Daily Mail reported. Passengers stood in lines of four while staff scanned boarding cards to verify the identity of every person on the ship, according to the newspaper. The US Coast Guard's Rescue Co-ordination Centre in Norfolk, Virginia, issued an alert calling on any ships nearby to keep a sharp lookout for the woman, the Mail reported. The BBC said it had contacted the US Coast Guard for comment.
The Marella Voyager, carrying around 2,000 passengers and 800 crew, left Malaga on November 4 and was due to arrive in Antigua on Friday, November 13, before calling at Dominica and finishing its voyage in Barbados on Sunday, November 15.
A spokeswoman for Marella Cruises said it was "deeply saddened" by the disappearance, adding: "Our thoughts are with the guest's loved ones at this very difficult time." She said the company was supporting the authorities with their enquiries and would not comment further out of respect for the guest and their family.