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One dead as Nassau Blue Lagoon shore excursion ferry swamps

One passenger died after a Nassau Blue Lagoon ferry carrying passengers on a Royal Caribbean excursion submerged in rough seas.

Anne Kalosh, Editor, Seatrade Cruise News & Senior Associate Editor, Seatrade Cruise Review

November 18, 2023

1 Min Read
Credit: Seatrade Cruise News

The incident, reported by the Associated Press, the Nassau Guardian and the Royal Caribbean Blog, a knowledgeable fan site not officially affiliated with the cruise line, occurred Nov. 14.

Passengers jump into the water

According to the blog, the double-deck catamaran took on water in rough seas and tipped as it approached Blue Lagoon island. Videos on TikTok and X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, showed the boat slowly listing and passengers in life jackets crowding to one side and jumping into the water.

Police and pleasure boats assisted in the rescue.

Royal Caribbean statement

Royal Caribbean gave this statement to Seatrade Cruise News: 'We are saddened to hear that one of our guests passed away following an accident on a shore excursion in Nassau, The Bahamas. Our hearts are with the families involved and our care team has been activated to support them during this difficult time.'

The company did not answer questions about how many passengers were on the ferry.

Citing Nassau police, the AP said more than 100 passengers were aboard the catamaran, and the person who died was a Colorado woman, 74.

Suspension and investigation

The Nassau Guardian said there were 'roughly 140 passengers' and that the Bahamas Ministry of Transport suspended Blue Lagoon island's ferries pending a multi-agency investigation of the incident. 

About the Author

Anne Kalosh

Editor, Seatrade Cruise News & Senior Associate Editor, Seatrade Cruise Review

Anne Kalosh covers global stories, reporting both breaking and in-depth news on cruising's significant people, places, ships and trends. A sought-after expert on cruising, she has moderated conferences around the world, including the high-profile State of the Industry panel at Seatrade Cruise Global. She created and led the acclaimed itinerary-planning case study for Seatrade's cruise master classes held at Cambridge and Oxford universities. She has been the cruise columnist for AFAR.com, and her freelance stories have appeared in a wide range of publications, from The New York Times to The Miami Herald.

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