A crew member aboard a cruise ship has tragically died due to an unidentified accident, leading to an unplanned stop in Spain just two days into a two-week journey from the UK to the Caribbean.
The incident occurred on October 26 involving a male staff member on P&O Cruises’ MS Arvia.
This individual was pronounced dead after what the cruise line described as “yesterday’s accident aboard the Alvia.”
“Our thoughts are with their family and friends, both aboard the ship and at home, and we are committed to offering them support,” the statement affirmed.
The ship made an unscheduled stop in A Coruña, a port in northwestern Spain, on Sunday.
A Coruña Port officials noted, “The Alvia arrived at port following a workplace incident involving the deceased crew member. The ship was anchored from around 3 PM until nightfall before proceeding to Tenerife.”
No further details regarding the accident were released.
So, the cause of death remains unconfirmed.
Efforts to obtain additional comments from the cruise line are underway.
Having departed from Southampton, England, on October 24, the Bermuda-flagged vessel was en route to Santa Cruz de Tenerife, located in Spain’s Canary Islands off Africa’s western coast.
P&O Cruises, part of Carnival UK, indicated it would extend all possible assistance to affected family and friends.
The British Maritime Investigation Agency plans to board the ship at its next port for an initial assessment of the situation and to determine subsequent actions.
Following the unscheduled stop, MS Alvia is expected to continue its Atlantic crossing before reaching various Caribbean islands, ultimately arriving in Bridgetown, Barbados, on November 7.
The cruise ship can host up to 5,200 guests along with 1,800 crew members.
Dubbed the Sunshine Ship, this is the latest addition to the P&O Cruises fleet and embarked on its inaugural journey on December 23, 2022.
Interestingly, another incident was reported involving crew fatalities aboard the Viking Star in the Mediterranean just hours before this event.
An emergency response was initiated to search for the unidentified individuals involved.
This particular cruise included stops between Athens, Greece, Turkey, and Crete, Greece.
