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An extensive 60-day cruise circling the Australian Coast has been cancelled in the wake of the fatal incident of an older female passenger who was abandoned by the cruise liner on a distant tropical isle.

The elderly woman had been walking on the remote island with fellow passengers from the vessel, but broke off from the excursion for a pause. The liner departed without her and went back after some time after the ship staff realised the passenger was unaccounted for.

A major rescue mission found her remains the next day.

Authorities are investigating the incident, together with law enforcement and the official investigator.

Chief Executive of the shipping company said that travelers and personnel on the ship were informed that the continuation of the voyage had been terminated due to the "tragic passing and previous engine troubles".

In a statement, he added that guests would be provided a full refund, and said the company was working "to organize the travel back of the travelers via specially arranged planes".

Authorities also published an latest communication, and said they had "issued a notice to the Master" prohibiting any new passengers from entering the liner.

The spokesperson said that they would inspect the liner in Cairns upon its coming back.

Sequence of Incidents

The liner first departed the Australian port on October 24th, and was only 48 hours into the journey at the moment of the elderly woman's demise. The tropical location was the opening port on the journey.

Passengers on the ship - who usually pay substantial amounts of currency to join the expedition - were ferried there for a daily excursion with the possibility of hiking or snorkeling.

Family Response

The daughter of the victim said that her family was "shocked and grieved that the liner left Lizard Island after an planned outing without my mum".

Via her announcement, she characterized her mum as an "energetic elderly person" who was a member of a bushwalking group.

"Based on limited facts we have been informed, it appears that there was a failure of care and common sense," she stated.

She continued that she wished the investigation would be able to identify what "the company should have done that might have preserved Mum's existence".

"According to reports from the investigators that it was a very hot period, and she took sick on the mountain ascent," she explained.

"They requested her to go back, alone. Then the ship departed, seemingly without doing a headcount.

"At some stage in that sequence, or soon after, mother succumbed, alone."

Operator Reaction

Through an announcement, the CEO confirmed that the company was "cooperating fully with authorities to support their inquiry".

He said that the firm was "deeply sorry that this has transpired" and had provided its full support to the loved ones.

Cruise Industry Standards

The liner serves up to one hundred twenty passengers with 46 crew, according to official details. It was specially constructed to enter distant areas of Australia's shoreline and is fitted with "auxiliary vessels" - compact vessels used to ferry passengers on shore trips.

Events of this nature are rare, and liners have protocols to record which passengers are getting on or getting off, according to travel authorities.

"Leaving covertly or [back] on the ship really isn't an option," an authority stated.

Vessel operators take these methods extremely carefully and have "advanced technology in place to stop such occurrences from happening," the specialist continued.

"This appears to be probably a surprising - and unfortunate - single occurrence."