An extensive 60-day journey through the Australian Coast was terminated in the wake of the death of an elderly female passenger who was stranded by the cruise liner on a distant tropical isle.
The passenger had been hiking on the tropical location with shipmates from the vessel, but separated from the excursion for a rest. The liner departed without her and returned several hours later after the crew realised the passenger was not present.
A major hunt located her person the next day.
Officials are examining the event, alongside police and the official investigator.
Chief Executive of the shipping company announced that passengers and staff on the vessel were told that the rest of the cruise had been terminated due to the "tragic passing and prior engine troubles".
Via official communication, he added that passengers would be provided a full refund, and said the company was working "to organize the homeward trips of the travelers via private aircraft".
Regulatory bodies also issued an latest statement, and said they had "delivered a order to the Commander" prohibiting any additional guests from getting on the vessel.
The spokesperson said that they would inspect the vessel in the Australian city upon its arrival.
The liner initially left Cairns on the 24th of October, and was merely two days into the expedition at the moment of the senior passenger's demise. The remote island was the first stop on the voyage.
Passengers on board - who generally pay large sums of money to participate in the voyage - were transported there for a shore visit with the choice of hiking or underwater exploration.
The daughter of the elderly passenger said that her family was "surprised and distressed that the vessel left the location after an planned tour without my mum".
In her statement, she portrayed her mum as an "active 80-year-old" who was a member of a hiking group.
"According to scant details we have been provided, it seems that there was a failure of care and ordinary reasoning," she stated.
She continued that she hoped the investigation would be able to identify what "the organization should have done that might have preserved Mum's life".
"We understand from the authorities that it was a exceptionally warm day, and mum took sick on the mountain ascent," she explained.
"She was asked her to return, alone. Then the vessel left, apparently without performing a headcount.
"During some point in that process, or soon after, mum died, without company."
Via official communication, the Chief Executive affirmed that the operator was "collaborating extensively with officials to support their investigation".
He said that the firm was "deeply sorry that this has happened" and had offered its total backing to the family.
The vessel caters for up to one hundred twenty guests with nearly fifty staff, according to company details. It was purpose-built to access distant locations of the Australian coastline and is fitted with "auxiliary vessels" - small boats used to transport travelers on land visits.
Occurrences such as this are uncommon, and passenger vessels have systems to document which passengers are boarding or leaving, according to industry experts.
"Leaving covertly or [back] aboard simply isn't an option," an authority remarked.
Cruise lines take these methods with great importance and have "advanced technology in place to avoid such events from taking place," the authority further stated.
"This seems to be most likely a shocking - and sad - one-off."
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