Cruise Line’s At Fault After Passenger Death? Left On Island

The family of Suzanne Rees insists on a coronial inquest following the discovery of the 80-year-old Sydney woman’s body on Lizard Island. Incredibly, the Coral Adventurer, the cruise ship she was on, left the island without her.

An Adventure Expedition 

Adrian The Cruise and Travel Guy, in his October 30 YouTube vlog, analyzed the situation and believes that it wasn’t just a case of a passenger missing the boat. He pointed out an important difference: “This is an expedition cruise.” Consequently, passengers pay a lot more for guided safety in remote, off-the-grid places. Therefore, the idea that someone could be left there is totally absurd.

If you’re a Bravo fan, you might have watched Below Deck Adventure. The type of cruise seems similar to that. Reportedly, the event happened on October 25 during a walk on Lizard island. Feedback indicates that Rees didn’t feel well during the climb and was told to go down alone. Later that day, the Coral Adventurer left without her on board.

Paper Manifest 

Furthermore, the ship allegedly depended on a paper manifest system for counting passengers rather than a digital one. Former passengers recounted a thorough procedure. Adrian cited one of them as saying that the crew were “extremely pedantic” when they checked off the names on the list both off and on the ship.

Additionally, they performed “at least two headcounts” on the tender boats that take the guests to the shore. Even though these protocols were mentioned, something went wrong.

Data revealed that the ship left for hours before it turned back. So, Authorities were informed only later that night. Unfortunately, Rees was found dead the next day.

Is The Passenger At Fault?

Adrian The Cruise and Travel Guy refuted the online comments blaming the passenger. He opined, “for all of those saying that it’s the passenger’s fault for not returning to the ship, you’re off base completely.” In fact, he clarified that the expedition context places the duty of care squarely on the cruise line.

Suzanne Rees’s daughter, Katherine, said her mother was an energetic and healthy woman who liked bushwalking. Unsurprisingly, the family seem convinced that her death could have been avoided, pointing to a “failure of care and common sense.” So now, they look for clear answers.

Currently, the Coral Adventurer is still on its 60-day trip. The Australian Maritime Safety Authority intends to board the ship in Darwin for an investigation. The Rees family and the public await the findings, hoping for clarity, so that such a tragic event will never happen again.

Responses To The News

One person who viewed the vlog expressed an opinion that many others feel across social media. They said, “I really feel for the victim’s family and the staff also.” Nevertheless, they added, “I’m shocked that the ship has continued on with its trip & didn’t return to home base to start the investigation into how this happened, asap.”

Somehow, returning quickly would seem like the thing to do. The commentator added, “still using head counts and clickers to count people on and off the ship in this day and age seems a bit antiquated.”

What are your thoughts? Let us know in the comments below, and come back often for all your news and updates.