The search for the pensioner has been called off after she fell from the cruise ship.
Holland America cruise ship (Image: Getty)
A pensioner fell from the side of a cruise-liner off the coast of Cuba and is feared dead, according to the United States Coast Guard.
The woman was travelling aboard a Holland America Line vessel, Nieuw Statendam, when it departed Fort Lauderdale in Florida, before the tragic incident occurred.
Crews searched over an area of 690 square miles for around eight hours, before making the decision to call off the search, it was reported.
Holland America Line said: “The captain and crew initiated search and rescue procedures and are searching the area working closely with the US Coast Guard which has deployed a cutter and helicopter to assist.”
The vessel departed Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on December 27, 2025, for a seven-day cruise around the Caribbean. It later cancelled its planned stop off at Key West, Florida, after the incident on Thursday led to the large search response.
The United States Coast Guard issued an update late on Thursday, announcing they had taken the decision to suspend their search “pending the development of new information”.
Nieuw Statendam is a large 975 foot long ship, with a width of 115 feet. It can accommodate some 2,700 guests. The company offers a range of cruise options, including a seven-day excursion in the Caribbean.
Incidents aboard ocean-going liners such as the Nieuw Statendam are rare, but not unheard of. Last year, in November, a British tourist went missing after they fell from a vessel near Tenerife.
The 76-year-old pensioner went overboard on a TUI-run ship, the Marella Explorer-2. In New Zealand, a 74-year-old went missing after they fell over the side of the Disney Wonder cruise voyage to Auckland. He was not found, and later presumed dead.
