Passenger Falls on Valiant Lady!?

[3Sisters]

I just found out that a cruise guest fell onto a lower deck onboard Valiant Lady. Unfortunately, this horrifying incident ended up with the passenger tragically passing away onboard the ship. The poor passenger fell from her Deck 14 balcony. Did anyone hear about this? The itinerary for Valiant Lady had to shift back to PortMiami due to the incident. 

[Missie4753]

From my experience it's hard to "fall" from a balcony on a ship. You either do it on purpose, are "helped" over, or you are doing something very stupid. I suspect there's more to the story. 

[3Sisters]

@Missie4753 I agree that this isn't a very plausible accident. Although there is likely more to the story, it's still very tragic. Balconies are designed to be safe enough that this sort of "fluke" doesn't occur often. I wonder if more details will unravel over time. Maybe there was any sort of substance abuse or foul play in the mix. What a shift of events for this entire cruise itinerary. Virgin Voyages did offer cruise credit for those affected by this event onboard. Hopefully, those cruise guests can rebook and enjoy another Virgin Voyages cruise at a later date. 

[PaulB]

Such a sad story. You always think of cruises as fun holidays, you don't tend to think of the other side of the suicidal or accidental deaths aboard. I read somewhere, that the average suicidal overboard is 25 per year. Now that is a high number I believe for someone to find the only way is to do this.

[Cruising Caribbean]

I completely agree that this number is sadly too high. I wish that these risks weren't there but when someone is inclined to take such risks, it will happen anywhere. Thankfully the woman who was on the seven-night Celebrity Solstice cruise was found. The woman failed to return to her ship during her overnight call in San Francisco, and a missing person alert was sent out. There is truly never a dull moment in the cruise news world! 

[PaulB]

I guess it's that last sensation feeling before going out on your own terms. We would never know what's going through people's minds unfortunately until it's too late 

[Cruising Caribbean]

This sort of occurrence sometimes happens accidentally as well! A few years ago, two crew members fell off of a Royal Caribbean lifeboat while doing maintenance on the ship. The ship heard the code "Oscar," meaning man overboard, or in this case "men overboard." Thankfully the crew members were fine and were wearing proper lifejackets during this event. 

For anyone who feels cruising is unsafe, take a look at this article which is really helpful for feeling secure and safe while onboard. https://www.cruisehive.com/stay-safe-enjoy-cruise-time/10584

[PaulB]

Anything can be unsafe I guess. There is nothing that has perfect safety. But the percentage is good with the cruises, so hopefully that shouldn't put people off.

[Cruising Caribbean]

Another factor to consider here is following the rules! If you follow the cruise line's rules you will be perfectly safe but some guests like to push the envelope. If you are leaning on a balcony or sitting on the edge of it, you aren't properly following the safety protocols onboard. Also, if you are utilizing your drink package to its maximum capacity and your awareness is skewed you probably should remain indoors or away from an area that could be potentially dangerous if you aren't in the right frame of mind. Self-control is pretty important, even on vacation. 

[Cruising Caribbean]

@Missie4753 Did you see the search was suspended for the missing person onboard Quantum of the Seas? An Australian male was noted as overboard the ship on April 25 south of the Big Island of Hawaii. I can't imagine being stuck on that ship as everyone from the U.S. Coast Guard frantically searches to find the missing person. What a shame the body was never recovered. I send my condolences to his friends and family; this truly was a tragic incident. 

[Marilyn G]

I never had a desire to cruise as "people were falling overboard all the time".  My son and daughter-in-law were going to take my 2 year old grandson (first grandchild!) on a cruise AND it was NOT going to happen without me there to make sure he didn't fall overboard!  My husband and I accompanied them and within minutes of boarding I realized there was NO WAY of someone accidentally falling overboard.  This was 6 years ago and have taken 8 cruises since!! I love it!

[Kendall James-Vargas]

@Marilyn G I love this story! As a parent who enjoys cruising with my family, it can be daunting to think of all of the potential dangers, anywhere for that matter. I also love that you chose to accompany your son and daughter-in-law, and then come to find out cruising is so much more than you expected it to be! My father-in-law happens to be very cautious and fearful of many things, especially things off-land. We finally convinced him to join us on a family cruise, and he loved it! It's really a safe and secure experience if you follow the rules and don't do anything that would intentionally place you in any sort of imminent danger, such as sitting/climbing on a ledge. Thank you for sharing your experience here. It may inspire someone else who is hesitant to try this type of vacation experience. It's by far my favorite way to vacation. Nothing else compares in my book!