The wildly popular and nostalgic 80s Cruise aboard Royal Caribbean’s Explorer of the Seas has had a sad and unfortunate beginning with an overboard alert just hours after setting sail for a week of energetic and colorful parties.
The ship departed Miami, Florida on Sunday, March 2, 2025 for a 7-night trip to the past, but it was just a few hours later that the present cruelly intruded on the fun.
The “Oscar! Oscar! Oscar!” code was announced onboard around 11 p.m. on Sunday evening, alerting the crew to a potential overboard. The ship immediately slowed and turned to begin search operations.
Also nearby was Norwegian Pearl, and that ship briefly joined the search as well. Whenever such an incident happens, any nearby vessel – whether another cruise ship, a cargo ship, or other craft – will offer assistance.
While no details of the identity of the individual overboard have been released, guests onboard have noted that a couple was arguing just before the emergency call was made. The overboard guest is believed to be a female passenger.
The response to the overboard appears to have been immediate, rather than a delayed reaction that would indicate a person was noted as missing first.
Searchlights and the ship’s pilot boat were used to attempt to locate the individual, as is a standard search and rescue response. Due to the late hour, it is unlikely that any follow-up shipboard announcement may have been made about the situation.
Satellite tracking data confirms that Explorer of the Seas executed several sharp turns in the search region, moving to better facilitate searching in the most probable area for the individual to be found and recovered.
The incident happened roughly 30 miles south of Freeport, Bahamas and 75 miles east of Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
The ship resumed course for her first port of call – Nassau – shortly after 1 a.m. The original arrival time in the capital of the Bahamas was to have been 7 a.m., and any delay was relatively insignificant. The port of call has not been impacted, nor are there any changes anticipated to the rest of the weeklong itinerary.
After her visit to Nassau, Explorer of the Seas will spend Tuesday at sea, will enjoy a day in San Juan on Wednesday, March 5, will have another day at sea Thursday, and will visit her last port of call – Labadee, Haiti – on Friday, March 7. After another day at sea, the ship will return to Miami on Sunday, March 9.
The 138,194-gross-ton, Voyager class ship can welcome 3,286 guests aboard at double occupancy, or up to 4,290 passengers when fully booked with all berths filled. Also onboard are approximately 1,200 international crew members to help everyone have an amazing cruise filled with 80s vibes.
Explorer of the Seas is Sailing a Themed Cruise
Because this is a themed sailing as “The 80s Cruise” each day will be filled with retro fun and nostalgic activities.
While the sad start to the cruise might cause some minor changes to the daily schedule on Monday, it is unlikely to have a significant impact to the ship’s activities.
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Advertised as “The Ultimate 80s Party” the themed cruise includes live music, theme parties, costume contests, 80s trivia competitions, karaoke to the top 80s hits, screenings of top movies of the decade, music videos on the big screen, and much more.
Sadly, this is not the first time an overboard incident has occurred from Explorer of the Seas. In August 2024, a passenger went overboard while the ship was sailing in the Adriatic Sea near Croatia.
Cruise Hive’s thoughts are with the passengers and crew aboard Explorer of the Seas during what is undoubtedly a sad time on what was to have been a very fun and worry-free sailing.
