April 24, 2026, 2:04 p.m. ET
During its journey to Spain, a Princess Cruises vessel retrieved five deceased individuals from the sea.
On April 21, while en route to Cartagena, the crew of the Sapphire Princess spotted an “orange inflatable lifejacket in the water,” as confirmed by the cruise line to USA TODAY. The ship had commenced a two-week voyage from Civitavecchia, Italy, to Copenhagen on April 19, as reported by CruiseMapper.
To investigate, the ship altered its trajectory and launched its Fast Rescue Boat.
In an emailed statement, the company confirmed that “Five deceased individuals were recovered by the Sapphire Princess crew members and coordinated efforts with the Maritime Rescue Coordination Center (MRCC).” The cruise line stated that these individuals were neither passengers nor staff members of the ship, though their identities were not disclosed.
The cruise line further expressed, “We extend our sincere condolences for this loss and are grateful to our crew for their swift response and efforts to render assistance.” The Maritime Rescue Coordination Center (MRCC) was unavailable for immediate comment.
This incident follows a previous event in February when another Princess ship, the Regal Princess, successfully rescued four individuals from a distressed small vessel during a Caribbean voyage.
Nathan Diller, a consumer travel reporter for USA TODAY, is based in Nashville. He can be contacted at [email protected].