A passenger on Royal Caribbean International's nine-month Ultimate World Cruise has died.
“At this time, we are actively providing support and assistance to our guests' loved ones,” a spokesperson for the line told USA TODAY in an email. “Due to the privacy of our guests and their families, we have nothing further to share at this time.”
Adita Larson, a passenger on the ship, said in a TikTok video that the passenger was an elderly woman. She said Ms. Larson said that when she returned to the cabin, she saw the body being removed.
The original video was deleted but reposted by another user on Sunday, although it is unclear when the passenger died. Larson was not immediately available for an interview, and a Royal Caribbean spokeswoman did not provide details about the passenger's identity.
Cruise lines have policies in place in case a passenger dies during a cruise, and most of the largest ships have morgues where bodies can be stored if necessary, The Points Guy reported. The ship must also carry body bags.
Bodies are usually removed from the ship at the next major port on the itinerary. Royal Caribbean declined to answer further questions about its arrangements.
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The cruise line's Serenade of the Seas currently operates 274-night cruises visiting more than 60 countries, marking Royal Caribbean's first world cruise. After it left Miami in December, videos about the voyage proliferated on TikTok, with guests sharing clips of the trip and other users recapping the apparent “drama” like a reality show.
Nathan Diller is a consumer travel reporter for USA TODAY based in Nashville. Please contact us at ndiller@usatoday.com.