Key Aspects:
- An overboard incident has been reported from Norwegian Star off the coast of Newfoundland and Labrador in Canada.
- Norwegian Cruise Line has confirmed that a 79-year-old male passenger did go overboard.
- No details on their condition have been released but an investigation is ongoing.
It’s a somber day aboard Norwegian Star as an overboard situation has been reported. The ship is currently at sea for a 14-night, one-way sailing from New York to Reykjavik, Iceland.
The emergency call was made at roughly 5 a.m. Tuesday, August 12, 2025, in the waters of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, as the ship is on its way toward Nuuk, Greenland.
Guests onboard reported being woken up by short blasts from the ship’s horn and the “Code Oscar” announcement early Tuesday morning.
That code or similar announcements, such as “Oscar, Oscar, Oscar” are emergency codes typically used only in overboard situations.
A passenger currently onboard shared, “We were woken this morning by a “Code Oscar” announcement, which means someone has gone overboard. Several people in our sailing’s FB group saw lifeboats being lowered, and one saw the person being recovered. Rumor (unconfirmed) is that they didn’t survive. Given the temperature of the water up here, north of Newfoundland, I would be very surprised if they did.“
Satellite tracking data shows that Norwegian Star did indeed slow and turn back on her course briefly, which would be consistent with an individual overboard.
Rescue boats were immediately launched to search for the individual or to effect their recovery. The boats returned shortly thereafter, and the cruise ship continued on her course.
In a statement provided to Cruise Hive, Norwegian Cruise Line confirmed the incident.
“We are deeply saddened to confirm that one of our guests, a 79-year-old male, was reported to have gone overboard while the ship was sailing to Greenland. The appropriate authorities have been contacted and an investigation is ongoing,” the cruise line said.
“In consideration for the family and their privacy, updates will be shared as appropriate. Our thoughts and prayers are with the guest’s loved ones during this difficult time.”
Norwegian Star left New York on Thursday, August 7, 2025. The ship has already visited Halifax, Sydney, and Corner Brook, and is spending August 12 and 13 at sea before arriving in Nuuk on Thursday, August 14.
Interestingly, the visit to Corner Brook on Monday, August 11 was the ship’s first-ever visit to that port. It is rare for a 24-year-old ship to have an inaugural visit, but that would have been a very special event for this sailing.
Additional port visits are scheduled in both Greenland and Iceland before Norwegian Star arrives in Reykjavik for debarkation on August 21.
This sad incident will have no impact on the ship’s schedule as she continues her itinerary.
The 91,740-gross ton ship can welcome 2,348 guests aboard and is also home to roughly 1,000 international crew members.
Could Someone Survive in Colder Water?
Water temperatures could be of grave concern for this type of situation.
According to Live Radar sea temperature monitoring, the ocean temperature in the region where the overboard occurred is currently about 55 degrees Fahrenheit (13 Celsius).
While this may seem balmy, it can actually be dangerously cold depending on an individual’s physical condition as well as any protective clothing they may be wearing.
Read Also: What Happens During a Cruise Ship Overboard Alarm?
In a cruise ship overboard situation, it is unlikely the individual, whether a crew member or guest, would be wearing heavier clothing or thermal coverings.
In general, numbness would begin to be severe within as little as 10-15 minutes, with exhaustion or unconsciousness occurring in as little as an hour. Of course, if the individual were injured in the fall or were to have other health problems, they could be in grave danger much sooner.
Cruise Hive’s thoughts are with both guests and crew aboard Norwegian Star at this difficult time.
