A crew member died after disembarking from the Regal Princess cruise ship off the coast of Cancun on Monday, according to the cruise line.
In a statement sent to Global News on Tuesday, Princess Cruises said it was “with great sadness to confirm the passing of a member of the Princess crew who passed away on Regal Princess.”
“We extend our condolences to the crew's family and friends at this difficult time. Support services are being provided to guests and crew affected by the incident. Princess Cruises is grateful to the local maritime authorities and Carnival Jubilee partners who assisted in the search and rescue,” the statement said.
Cruise ship officials said the Regal Princess resumed her voyage and departed the waters of Cancún, with her arrival in Belize scheduled for July 14.
“Following an itinerary adjustment, Cozumel has been added back to the itinerary and is now scheduled for July 16. Regal Princess remains on her seven-day Caribbean cruise and is expected to return to Fort Lauderdale as scheduled on July 18,” the cruise line said.
Get daily world news
Get daily Canadian news delivered to your inbox so you never miss the top stories of the day.
The statement released by Princess Cruises comes after the cruise line told CBS News that the crew's whereabouts are unknown and that a major search and rescue operation is underway.
A passenger on the ship told the outlet that the search lasted more than eight hours and the crew confirmed that the crew member had died.
“No information has been given. We don't know who he is,” said the passenger.
It is not clear how the group got onto the cruise ship's deck 19.
Princess Cruises made headlines earlier this month after more than 120 passengers and crew members became ill during a norovirus outbreak on the Ruby Princess cruise ship, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The CDC said 102 passengers and 23 crew members reported being sick during the Ruby Princess voyage, which ran from June 12 to July 2 from San Francisco to Canada and Alaska.
In response to the outbreak, Princess Cruises and the crew on board reported increased cleaning and disinfection procedures in line with its prevention and response plan, the agency said.
The Sanitation Program (VSP), which helps the cruise ship industry to prevent and control the introduction and spread of gastroenteritis on ships, was consulted on sanitation procedures and reporting of cases of illness.
Norovirus is highly contagious and thrives in close quarters, making cruise ships vulnerable to outbreaks.
© 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
