Though cruises are typically for relaxing and exploring new destinations, they’re not exempt from tragedies like death. What exactly happens when a passenger dies onboard a ship? Cruise Director Anette Taylor (inset) has worked on cruise ships for nearly 40 years, on both river and sea voyages. She explained that it depends on where you are. If you’re at high sea, you have a hospital onboard and medical personnel would step in and take care of it. The authorities would be notified, and they would be pier-side when the ship arrives. The situation differs for river cruises, which are a bit different because the ship is always close to land. The captain would be notified and would, in turn, notify authorities. Taylor said they use the words “code alpha” to notify crew members that there’s been a death onboard. All ships have a morgue, which is usually behind the medical center. “People passing away onboard does, unfortunately, happen a lot,” said Taylor. The crew is tasked with speaking to the family members, calming them down, letting them know what’s going on, and providing any assistance they may need.
