Key Aspects:
- A guest aboard Star of the Seas is reported to have died after a medical emergency.
- The incident happened in St. Maarten on Thursday, June 25, 2026 during a snorkeling shore excursion.
- Details about the individual’s age or identity have not been released and the type of medical emergency has not been disclosed.
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.
