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One 60-day journey around the Australian Coast has been cancelled in the wake of the tragic passing of an senior female passenger who was abandoned by the ship on a remote island.

Suzanne Rees had been hiking on Lizard Island with other travelers from the cruise ship, but parted ways from the excursion for a rest. The ship left without her and returned several hours later after the ship staff became aware the woman was not present.

A major rescue mission discovered her body the following day.

Officials are examining the event, in coordination with law enforcement and the medical examiner.

The CEO of the shipping company said that travelers and personnel on the vessel were told that the continuation of the journey had been terminated due to the "tragic passing and previous mechanical issues".

Via official communication, he mentioned that guests would be provided a total repayment, and said the company was working "to coordinate the travel back of the passengers via private aircraft".

Authorities also published an revised announcement, and said they had "provided a directive to the Master" prohibiting any new passengers from entering the liner.

The official said that they would visit the vessel in the port city upon its coming back.

Chronology of Events

The vessel initially left the Australian port on October 24th, and was only 48 hours into the expedition at the time of the elderly woman's demise. The remote island was the first stop on the itinerary.

Guests on the ship - who usually pay large sums of money to join the cruise - were ferried there for a shore visit with the possibility of trekking or snorkeling.

Relatives Reaction

The child of the deceased woman said that her relatives was "shocked and distressed that the ship left the location after an scheduled tour without my parent".

Via her announcement, she described her mum as an "energetic elderly person" who was a affiliate of a bushwalking organization.

"From the little information we have been told, it seems that there was a lapse of attention and basic judgment," she said.

She further stated that she wished the examination would be able to pinpoint what "the operator should have done that might have saved Mum's existence".

"We understand from the police that it was a extremely warm day, and she fell ill on the hill climb," she explained.

"They requested her to go back, alone. Then the boat left, apparently without conducting a roll call.

"During some point in that sequence, or soon after, mother succumbed, without company."

Operator Response

In a statement, the CEO confirmed that the company was "collaborating extensively with authorities to assist their inquiry".

He mentioned that the organization was "extremely apologetic that this has transpired" and had provided its complete assistance to the loved ones.

Cruise Industry Procedures

The ship serves up to one hundred twenty guests with nearly fifty crew, according to corporate information. It was specifically designed to access isolated regions of the nation's coast and is outfitted with "tenders" - compact vessels used to take travelers on land visits.

Incidents such as this are infrequent, and cruise ships have procedures to document which individuals are getting on or getting off, according to maritime specialists.

"Leaving covertly or [back] onboard just isn't an option," a specialist commented.

Vessel operators regard these procedures very seriously and have "clever tech in place to avoid such occurrences from occurring," the specialist continued.

"This appears to be presumably a surprising - and unfortunate - single occurrence."