Alaskan officials are calling for Royal Caribbean to make a major policy change in the wake of a recent incident in Alaska.

Cruise Hive recently reported that the 168,666 gross ton Ovation of the Seas arrived in Seward, Alaska on June 19, 2026 with a deceased fin whale on her bow.

In response to this event, Alaska’s Center for Biological Diversity is calling for accountability and change.

“I’m infuriated that this supersized cruise ship hit an endangered whale in such a horrific way,” said Cooper Freeman, Alaska director at the Center for Biological Diversity. “Royal Caribbean must be held accountable for this gruesome death and take immediate action to avoid this happening again.”

In a letter addressed to Royal Caribbean Group Executives, including President and CEO of Royal Caribbean International, Michael Bayley, as well as Chairman and CEO of Royal Caribbean Group, Jason T. Liberty, the organization urged the cruise industry giant to adopt a policy of reducing its ships’ speed to 10 knots in known whale habitat areas.

“The best available science establishes that vessel speed is the single most important factor affecting both the probability of a whale strike and the lethality of that strike.” the letter reads. “Adopting 10 knots as a mandatory speed limit for your cruise ships will therefore better protect large whales from suffering deadly ship strikes…”

The organization has long fought for legally mandated speed reductions in such regions, and currently has a pending lawsuit against the U.S. Coast Guard for failing to protect whales in shipping lanes.

No official response from Royal Caribbean has been issued.

The Aftermath of the Incident

The incident occurred on the final day of Ovation of the Seas’ one-way, 7-day Alaskan cruise that departed from Vancouver, British Columbia on June 12, 2026.

Once the ship was docked, the carcass was initially covered by a tarp until proper measures could be taken to safely relocate the remains.

In the immediate aftermath, many speculated on how such an incident could have happened and whether the whale was killed by the Quantum Class ship, or by natural causes, making contact with the ship post-mortem.

Preliminary necropsy findings by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, working with Alaska SeaLife Center revealed that the whale in question was pregnant, and had suffered blunt force trauma to the spine, ribs and jaw, consistent with a ship strike.

As an endangered species, it is illegal, under the Marine Mammal Protection Act and the Endangered Species Act to kill a fin whale, even accidentally. 

That being said, according to the Center for Biological Diversity, ship strikes are the leading cause of death for endangered whales, which their letter to Royal Caribbean also highlights.

Federal investigations are currently underway for the June 19 incident. It is unknown what consequences, if any, Royal Caribbean may face as a result.

What should have been a fun snorkeling excursion turned tragic in St. Maarten on Thursday, June 25 when one guest suffered a medical emergency and passed away.

According to The Peoples’ Tribune, the incident happened after a guest from Royal Caribbean’s Star of the Seas joined a snorkeling activity but experienced a medical emergency while the tour was out at sea. It is not known if the tour was purchased through the cruise line or if it had been arranged independently.

The guest was rushed back to Port St. Maarten to seek emergency assistance, but was pronounced dead once arriving on shore.

No official announcements have been made from the cruise port, local authorities, or Royal Caribbean. The guest has not been identified, but this is common in order to safeguard the privacy of the individual, their family members, and their traveling party.

Star of the Seas was the only ship in port at St. Maarten on Thursday. The 248,663-gross-ton, Icon-class ship can host 5,610 guests at double occupancy or up to 7,600 guests when fully booked with all berths filled.

The ship offers 7-night sailings from Port Canaveral. St. Maarten was the last port visit on the current cruise, which departed Florida on Sunday, June 21.

There was no reported delay for Star of the Seas to depart St. Maarten. Satellite tracking confirms the ship is enjoying time at sea as she heads back to the Sunshine State for Sunday’s debarkation as planned.

Local media notes that in accordance with the family’s wishes, the deceased guest was placed in the ship’s morgue for transport back to the US rather than being flown back from the island.

It is unknown if a full investigation will be made into the cause of death or the nature of the medical emergency. Because Royal Caribbean approved the transportation of the body, the cruise line is likely cooperating fully with any such investigation.

Could the Guest Have Been Helped?

There is an urgent care clinic at the cruise port in St. Maarten, but it is not open. The clinic is reported to have been built by a local doctor in late 2025 to serve cruise passengers and crew members and has authorization from the harbor, but lacks governmental support at this time.

Rapid emergency care can be critical in life-threatening situations. The closest hospital to the cruise port is Sint Maarten Medical Center, which is roughly 3.5 miles away. The distance may be short, but traffic in the downtown area is notorious and it could take 20 minutes or more for a vehicle to travel between the cruise port and the hospital.

Without details on the nature of the medical emergency, there is no telling if a closer medical facility could have assisted the guest and saved their life.

Accidental Deaths Do Happen

Cruise Hive has reported on other accidental deaths that unfortunately happen on shore excursions. In fact, three separate drowning incidents have been recorded in 2026 already.

In mid-April, a guest from Carnival Splendor drowned while snorkeling at Moreton Island, Australia. The 67-year-old female guest was on a snorkeling excursion and was found unresponsive in the water.

Two snorkeling deaths occurred in early May. The first was at Norwegian Cruise Line’s private island in the Bahamas, Great Stirrup Cay, when an 83-year-old man perished, though he was not on an excursion.

The second incident later in May happened in Grand Turk, when a 39-year-old man drowned while snorkeling near the cruise port.

Cruise Hive’s thoughts are with the family members and friends of the Star of the Seas‘ guest as well as all travelers impacted by such tragedies.