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A 60-day voyage circling the Land Down Under has been cancelled days after the tragic passing of an elderly female passenger who was stranded by the cruise liner on a remote coastal location.

The elderly woman had been hiking on the tropical location with shipmates from the vessel, but parted ways from the group for a rest. The liner departed without her and returned later that day after the personnel discovered the woman was unaccounted for.

An extensive rescue mission located her body the next day.

Officials are investigating the incident, alongside law enforcement and the official investigator.

Head of the cruise operator stated that travelers and crew on the Coral Adventurer were informed that the remainder of the cruise had been terminated due to the "sad loss and prior technical problems".

Through an announcement, he added that travelers would be provided a full refund, and said the company was working "to organize the travel back of the travelers via private aircraft".

Officials also issued an latest communication, and said they had "issued a notice to the Master" banning any additional guests from entering the ship.

The official said that they would inspect the vessel in Cairns upon its coming back.

Timeline of Events

The ship first departed Cairns on October 24th, and was just two days into the expedition at the moment of the 80-year-old's death. The tropical location was the opening port on the journey.

Guests on board - who typically pay substantial amounts of dollars to take part in the cruise - were taken there for a daily excursion with the choice of hiking or snorkelling.

Relatives Statement

The child of the elderly passenger said that her relatives was "shocked and saddened that the vessel left the island after an planned outing without my mother".

Through her comments, she described her parent as an "active 80-year-old" who was a affiliate of a bushwalking group.

"Based on limited details we have been informed, it looks that there was a breakdown of care and common sense," she mentioned.

She added that she wished the investigation would be able to pinpoint what "the operator should have undertaken that might have saved Her life".

"According to reports from the investigators that it was a extremely warm day, and mum took sick on the mountain ascent," she revealed.

"They requested her to head down, unescorted. Then the ship sailed away, apparently without conducting a roll call.

"At some stage in that chain of events, or not long after, she passed away, without company."

Organization Response

In a statement, the Chief Executive confirmed that the operator was "cooperating fully with investigators to support their examination".

He said that the company was "extremely apologetic that this has occurred" and had provided its full support to the relatives.

Cruise Industry Practices

The ship serves up to 120 guests with 46 crew, according to company details. It was purpose-built to access distant locations of the Australian coastline and is fitted with "tenders" - compact vessels used to take individuals on day excursions.

Incidents such as this are rare, and passenger vessels have procedures to track which travelers are embarking or disembarking, according to travel authorities.

"Going ashore secretly or [back] onboard just isn't an choice," an authority commented.

Cruise lines consider these procedures extremely carefully and have "advanced technology in place to prevent such incidents from happening," the specialist further stated.

"This is presumably a shocking - and unfortunate - isolated incident."