Key Aspects:
- Authorities are searching for a cruise guest who disappeared in the Mount Liamuiga mountains on May 27.
- The passenger was hiking alone during a port call and became lost, before losing contact with first responders after calling for help.
- While it’s not officially confirmed, the guest was most likely sailing onboard Royal Caribbean’s Rhapsody of the Seas.
Caribbean authorities are desperately searching for a cruise passenger who went missing while visiting Basseterre, Saint Kitts and Nevis, on Wednesday, May 27, 2026.
Wang Zyuan, a 33-year-old Chinese man, was last seen on a hiking trail in the Mount Liamuiga mountains at approximately 10 a.m. local time on May 27.
The peak of Mount Liamuiga is the highest point on the island of Saint Kitts and offers stunning views, but getting there can require navigating steep, rugged, and slippery terrain.
Zyuan is believed to have been hiking alone and without a guide, which increased the risk of becoming lost in the mountain range. It also means no one would know the cruiser’s exact location if he became incapacitated due to an injury.
And indeed, the cruiser called emergency services at around 2 p.m. to report that he was lost, although contact was lost soon after.
“The Royal St. Christopher and Nevis Police Force (RSCNPF), in collaboration with the St. Kitts-Nevis Defence Force, the Fire and Rescue Department, and the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), is actively conducting a search and rescue operation for a missing hiker in the Mt. Liamuiga mountain range,” The Royal St. Christopher and Nevis Police Force (RSCNPF) posted on social media on May 28.
“The missing individual has been identified as Wang Zyuan, a Chinese male national born on August 29th, 1992. Mr Wang was last seen on the hike trail at approximately 10 AM on Wednesday, May 27th, 2026. He was travelling alone and without a guide at the time of his disappearance,” the post continued.
While authorities did not officially confirm which cruise ship Zyuan was sailing on, Cruise Hive confirmed that only Royal Caribbean’s Rhapsody of the Seas was in Basseterre that day. It’s possible that the man could even be a crew member from the vessel.
The 78,878-gross ton ship is currently in the middle of a 7-night Southern Caribbean cruise, which embarked in San Juan, Puerto Rico, on May 23, 2026.
The Search Continues
As of the time of this writing on the night of May 28, the missing cruiser has not been located despite rescuers thoroughly searching the hillside up to the stratovolcano’s crater.
The search will resume again on the morning of May 29, with first responders hoping to utilize cell phone data to more accurately pinpoint Zyuan’s location.
“A joint search and rescue team was immediately mobilised and conducted operations through the evening of May 27th. The team resumed the search on the morning of May 28th, combing the hillside up to the crater,” RSCNPF noted in its update.
“The search has been suspended for the evening and will resume tomorrow, May 29th, 2026. Cell tower data obtained from the relevant network operator will be utilised to assist in directing tomorrow’s operation,” authorities added.
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Any cruise guests who happen to be in the area are encouraged to look out for the missing passenger, who was last seen wearing black clothing and red shoes.
This is still a developing situation, and Cruise Hive will share updates if and when more information becomes available.
Royal Caribbean Leaves Without Missing Guest
With local authorities handling the search and rescue operation and potentially up to 2,415 other guests onboard, Rhapsody of the Seas did not wait around to aid in the search.
Generally, cruise ships also won’t wait for tardy passengers due to the need to stay on schedule and avoid excess port fees. The only exception to this is if guests are delayed by a shore excursion that was booked through the cruise line.
Per cruise tracking data, the Vision-class ship continued on to St. Croix, US Virgin Islands, for its planned visit on May 28.
The Royal Caribbean ship is now making her way back to San Juan, where she is due to disembark on the morning of May 30 and begin a new 7-night Southern Caribbean voyage.
