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An extensive two-month cruise circling Australia is being halted following the death of an elderly female passenger who was left behind by the cruise liner on a isolated tropical isle.

The elderly woman had been hiking on Lizard Island with other travelers from the cruise ship, but broke off from the group for a break. The ship left without her and returned after some time after the personnel discovered the woman was unaccounted for.

An extensive rescue mission located her remains the following day.

Officials are looking into the tragedy, together with law enforcement and the state coroner.

Head of the voyage organizer said that passengers and crew on the vessel were informed that the remainder of the cruise had been cancelled due to the "tragic passing and earlier mechanical issues".

Via official communication, he further stated that guests would be issued a total repayment, and said the operator was working "to organize the homeward trips of the individuals via private aircraft".

Regulatory bodies also released an updated announcement, and said they had "delivered a order to the Captain" prohibiting any additional guests from getting on the liner.

The representative said that they would inspect the vessel in the port city upon its arrival.

Sequence of Incidents

The ship first departed Cairns on October 24th, and was just two days into the voyage at the time of the elderly woman's demise. The tropical location was the first stop on the journey.

Passengers on board - who generally pay tens of thousands of dollars to join the cruise - were taken there for a shore visit with the option of walking or snorkeling.

Relatives Response

The offspring of the elderly passenger said that her loved ones was "surprised and saddened that the ship left the island after an planned excursion without my parent".

Via her announcement, she described her mother as an "vigorous octogenarian" who was a member of a walking organization.

"According to scant facts we have been told, it looks that there was a failure of care and ordinary reasoning," she mentioned.

She added that she desired the investigation would be able to identify what "the operator should have done that might have protected Mother's being".

"According to reports from the investigators that it was a very hot day, and she fell ill on the uphill trek," she revealed.

"She was asked her to return, without accompaniment. Then the boat departed, apparently without doing a headcount.

"At some stage in that chain of events, or soon after, mum succumbed, alone."

Operator Response

Through an announcement, the CEO confirmed that the company was "working closely with investigators to support their investigation".

He mentioned that the firm was "very regretful that this has happened" and had offered its full support to the loved ones.

Shipping Sector Practices

The vessel caters for up to 120 guests with forty-six crew, according to corporate information. It was specifically designed to enter remote areas of Australia's shoreline and is equipped with "auxiliary vessels" - minor craft used to ferry travelers on land visits.

Events of this nature are infrequent, and cruise ships have systems to record which travelers are boarding or getting off, according to maritime specialists.

"Leaving covertly or [back] aboard just isn't an possibility," one expert remarked.

Cruise lines take these procedures extremely carefully and have "sophisticated systems in place to avoid such occurrences from happening," the expert continued.

"This appears to be probably a stunning - and sad - isolated incident."