Simon Calder : “Tragic Cruise Ship Death in Florida”

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A passenger tragically lost his life after jumping overboard from the world’s largest cruise ship as it departed from Florida.

The unidentified male passenger reportedly leaped from the 20-deck high Icon of the Seas vessel shortly after it set sail from a Florida port on Sunday, commencing a seven-day Caribbean cruise with a stop in Honduras.

Authorities, including the Coast Guard, were involved in the search and rescue operation. The cruise ship’s rescue boat successfully located the man and brought him back on board, but he was later pronounced deceased.

The Icon of the Seas was approximately 300 miles away from PortMiami and around 30 to 40 miles north of Santa Lucia, Cuba, at the time of the incident. The ship, which accommodates over 5,000 guests and made its maiden voyage earlier this year, halted its journey for two hours during the search.

According to CruiseMapper tracking data, the Icon of the Seas is scheduled to reach the port of Costa Maya, Mexico by noon on Tuesday.

This incident follows a similar tragedy involving the Liberty of the Seas cruise ship, where a 20-year-old man went overboard during a Bahamas trip. Despite search efforts, the man was not found.

Royal Caribbean has experienced successful rescues in the past, including the recovery of a passenger who fell overboard from the Symphony of the Seas cruise ship.

The Independent has reached out to Royal Caribbean for comment.