A Royal Caribbean passenger died on Thursday during a snorkeling excursion in St. Maarten after suffering a medical emergency, according to a report from The Peoples' Tribune. The guest was traveling on the cruise line's Star of the Seas vessel.
The unidentified passenger was on an excursion with their family when the medical emergency occurred. They were immediately transported back to Port St. Maarten for medical attention but were pronounced dead upon arrival on shore. Following the death, the family opted to have the deceased passenger's body placed in the ship's morgue rather than being flown home from the island.
It remains unclear what specific medical emergency led to the death, and whether the snorkeling tour was booked through Royal Caribbean or an independent operator.
The Star of the Seas, a 1,196-foot-long ship with capacity for 7,514 guests and 2,350 crew, was the sole cruise vessel at the St. Maarten port on Thursday. The ship had departed from Port Canaveral, Florida, on a seven-night sailing that began June 21. Following its stop in St. Maarten, which was the last port of call, the ship was scheduled to return to Port Canaveral on Sunday.
Other ports of call on the itinerary included Coco Cay, a private destination operated by Royal Caribbean in the Bahamas, and St. Thomas and Charlotte Amalie in the US Virgin Islands. The ship arrived in Philipsburg, the capital of St. Maarten, at 8 a.m. on Thursday and departed by 5 p.m. that same day.
St. Maarten's cruise port has an urgent care facility that is equipped to serve passengers and crew but has not yet opened due to what the report describes as 'stalled or insufficient' government support. The closest hospital to the port is approximately 3.5 miles away, but traffic congestion can lead to travel times of about 20 minutes.
Royal Caribbean was contacted for comment on the incident.