A passenger is presumed dead after falling overboard from a Norwegian Cruise Line ship during a transatlantic journey on Monday, October 20, 2025. The incident involved an unidentified person who went overboard from the Norwegian Jewel as it traveled from Ponta Delgada, Portugal, to Miami, Florida. A search and rescue operation was conducted for nearly 10 hours but was ultimately unsuccessful.
Passengers on the ship reported hearing a “code Oscar starboard” announcement at approximately 2:00 a.m., indicating that someone had gone overboard. The Norwegian Jewel, which accommodates over 2,300 passengers, changed its course to search for the missing person off the coast of Portugal.
Data from cruise tracking showed the ship spent close to 10 hours circling the waters near Portugal after leaving Ponta Delgada in the Azores. The search effort involved multiple vessels, including units from the Portuguese navy. Despite these efforts, the passenger was not found, and authorities eventually ended the search, allowing the ship to proceed to Miami.
The Norwegian Jewel embarked on its 12-night transatlantic cruise from Barcelona, Spain, on October 15, 2025. The journey offered various luxury amenities, dining, and entertainment options for passengers traveling from Europe to North America. The vessel had multiple planned stops, with Ponta Delgada being the last port before the incident.
A representative for Norwegian Cruise Line confirmed the occurrence in a statement, expressing regret over the situation. The statement mentioned that relevant authorities were notified as soon as the guest was reported overboard. According to the cruise line, “We are deeply saddened to confirm that on Monday, 20 October, we were notified that a guest was reported to have gone overboard while the ship was sailing from Ponta Delgada, Portugal to Miami.”
The spokesperson added that an extensive search involving multiple vessels was conducted but did not yield results. The cruise line is providing support to the passenger’s family during this time and shared sympathies with them.
This incident is one of several similar events involving cruise ships this year. Earlier in 2025, a five-year-old girl fell from the fourth deck of a Disney cruise ship while taking photos. Her father jumped in to save her, treading water for nine minutes until rescued by the crew. Prosecutors decided not to press charges against the mother, whose actions were described as “arguably negligent and irresponsible,” concluding the incident was accidental and did not warrant criminal charges.
In another case this year, Kimberly Burch, fiancée of Faster Pussycat singer Taime Downe, died after falling overboard from a Royal Caribbean ship during a themed cruise from Miami in March. Other incidents in 2024 included a 72-year-old man who went overboard following a Princess Cruises trip to Mexico, and a 28-year-old Colombian woman, Jessica Andrea Gómez Granda, who died after falling from MSC Virtuosa while sailing from the Channel Islands to Southampton.
Despite reports of these incidents, falling overboard from cruise ships is rare. Data from the Cruise Lines International Association indicate that there were 212 man-overboard incidents on cruise ships between 2009 and 2019, averaging approximately 19 per year. Considering that 32 million people took cruises in 2023, the likelihood of falling overboard is roughly one in 1.4 million.
Andy Harmer, director of the Cruise Lines International Association, stated that cruise vacations are among the safest travel options. He noted that cruise ships have become safer due to regulations and technological advancements. The association’s research revealed that nearly every man-overboard case recorded from 2009 to 2019 was deemed intentional or reckless, with a handful classified as undetermined.
Modern cruise ships have implemented advanced safety protocols to address overboard incidents. When a “code Oscar” alert is received, emergency procedures are activated, notifying crew and passengers. The crew then initiates search and rescue operations, which may involve stopping the ship, deploying lifeboats, and launching search teams. Some cruise ships now use sensors to detect overboard incidents, and ships with more than 250 passengers operating in and out of U.S. ports are required to have detection technology to locate people in the water if that technology is available.
The Norwegian Jewel continued to Miami after the incident. The cruise line has not released the identity of the passenger who went overboard, and the investigation into the incident is ongoing.
