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One two-month cruise circling the Land Down Under has been cancelled days after the tragic passing of an elderly woman who was stranded by the ship on a remote island.

The passenger had been walking on the tropical location with other travelers from the cruise ship, but separated from the excursion for a pause. The ship departed without her and returned several hours later after the crew discovered the passenger was not present.

An extensive hunt found her remains the next day.

Officials are investigating the event, alongside police and the official investigator.

Head of the voyage organizer announced that guests and crew on the ship were notified that the remainder of the voyage had been called off due to the "sad loss and previous technical problems".

In a statement, he added that travelers would be provided a complete reimbursement, and said the operator was working "to coordinate the return journeys of the passengers via private aircraft".

Authorities also issued an revised communication, and said they had "delivered a notice to the Master" prohibiting any further travelers from entering the ship.

The official said that they would inspect the vessel in the port city upon its arrival.

Chronology of Events

The vessel initially left the Australian port on October 24th, and was merely two days into the expedition at the point of the elderly woman's death. The tropical location was the opening port on the itinerary.

Passengers on the vessel - who generally pay substantial amounts of money to participate in the cruise - were taken there for a daily excursion with the choice of trekking or snorkelling.

Family Statement

The child of the elderly passenger said that her relatives was "shocked and saddened that the vessel left Lizard Island after an planned tour without my mother".

In her statement, she portrayed her parent as an "vigorous elderly person" who was a participant of a hiking organization.

"From the little information we have been informed, it looks that there was a failure of responsibility and ordinary reasoning," she stated.

She added that she desired the inquiry would be able to identify what "the company should have performed that might have preserved Mum's life".

"Based on information from the investigators that it was a extremely warm afternoon, and mum fell ill on the hill climb," she revealed.

"They requested her to head down, without accompaniment. Then the vessel departed, apparently without conducting a headcount.

"At a certain moment in that sequence, or shortly after, mother succumbed, alone."

Operator Reaction

Via official communication, the Chief Executive verified that the company was "working closely with officials to aid their examination".

He said that the organization was "very regretful that this has occurred" and had provided its full support to the family.

Shipping Sector Procedures

The ship caters for up to a hundred twenty guests with 46 crew, according to corporate data. It was specially constructed to access distant areas of the Australian coastline and is equipped with "small boats" - minor craft used to transport individuals on land visits.

Incidents of this nature are infrequent, and passenger vessels have systems to record which passengers are getting on or getting off, according to travel authorities.

"Going ashore secretly or [back] on the ship simply isn't an choice," a specialist commented.

Vessel operators take these procedures very seriously and have "sophisticated systems in place to prevent such events from happening," the specialist added.

"This seems to be most likely a stunning - and sad - single occurrence."