Man overboard on Carnival cruise; cruise ships escape Persian Gulf
Man overboard incidents are rare on cruise ships, but sadly they do happen occasionally. It's important to note though that most man overboard situations are determined to be intentional acts where a passenger or crew member decides to jump overboard, rather than someone accidentally falling off the ship into the sea.
Despite major search-and-rescue operations, the passenger or crew member who went overboard is typically never found. Less than 30% of man-overboard incidents on cruise ships result in a successful rescue, according to a study conducted by the Cruise Lines International Association.
The latest man overboard incident on a cruise ship occurred on April 18 on board a Carnival ship, just hours after a passenger died in a separate tragedy during a port stop.
As one cruise was rocked by tragedy, cruise ships that were stuck in the Persian Gulf for weeks were finally able to pass through the Strait of Hormuz to leave the Middle East and restart their cruise operations as Iran briefly opened the waterway.
Doug Parker shared more details on the Carnival cruise deaths and the cruise ships that cleared the Strait of Hormuz, as well as news from Royal Caribbean, on the April 20 edition of Cruise News Today.
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Carnival cruise rocked by two passenger deaths in one day
Cruise News Today Transcript:
Cruise News Today with Doug Parker.
Good morning, here's your cruise news for Monday 4/20.
Two passengers passed away in separate incidents just hours apart aboard Carnival Splendor off the coast of Australia.
Onboard announcement recording: "We have confirmed that, and sadly, one of our guests jumped overboard."
Related: What your travel agent needs to know to book your cruise
A search has since been called off for a man who went overboard early April 18th. Authorities say he is now presumed dead after a 16-hour air and sea operation failed to locate him. The cruise line says CCTV footage shows the guest climbing up on the rail and jumping overboard.
Now, just hours earlier a 67-year-old woman died while snorkeling at a port stop on Moreton Island off Queensland. Neither guest has been publicly identified and the incidents are not believed to be related. The ship has since returned to Sydney where an investigation is underway.
Cruise ships pass through Strait of Hormuz after weeks stuck in Persian Gulf
And five cruise ships have successfully passed through the Strait of Hormuz after being stranded in the Arabian Gulf for weeks. The Celestyal Discovery was the first to transit, followed by the Celestyal Journey, MSC Euribia, and then the Mein Schiff 4 and 5.
The ships moved during a brief window before Iran re-imposed sanctions on the waterway. The last ship, Aroya Manara, departed the Strait early Monday morning local time. Most of the ships now are repositioning to Europe to start their Med season.
Royal Caribbean adds earlier first U.S. sailing on Legend of the Seas
And Royal Caribbean is adding an earlier sailing for its newest ship, Legend of the Seas. The line has added a new three-night pre-inaugural sailing from Port Everglades departing on November 8th.
The voyage will include a stop at Perfect Day at CocoCay before returning on the 11th, which will be the official inaugural sailing from Florida. Passengers already booked are being offered the option to switch to an earlier cruise if they like.
Related: Royal Caribbean adds more choice with Legend of the Seas itineraries
And cruise stocks were up Friday. Carnival Corporation: up 7%, 29.22, Royal Caribbean: up 7.3%, 285.48, Norwegian: up 5%, 20.99, and Viking: up 7%, 85.80.
If you have a lead on a story, let us know: tips@cruiseradio.net, and have yourself a great Monday. I'm Doug Parker with Cruise News Today.
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This story was originally published April 20, 2026 at 8:46 AM.