Woman found dead inside cruise cabin, state issues travel advisory

Thursday, March 14, 2024

A Florida man was arrested Monday after a 27-year-old woman was found dead inside her cabin on a cruise en route to the Bahamas.

The incident happened on the Margaritaville at Sea Paradise that departed Palm Beach on Sunday for a two-night sailing to Freeport, cruise officials said.

According to the Royal Bahamas Police, officers responded to the cruise at around 5:30 p.m. after cruise employees contacted them about an unresponsive female passenger.

Medical staff performed CPR, but she was declared dead, police said.

“Our medical staff immediately provided support and assistance to the traveling companion of the deceased guest. The traveling companion reported the death, which reportedly occurred overnight,”

Margaritaville at Sea officials said in a statement. “All appropriate authorities were notified, including the FBI, as is standard procedure regarding such events within the cruise industry. We are fully cooperating with the FBI and its investigation.”

During the investigation, officers confiscated suspected cocaine and arrested a 32-year-old man.

Officials did not disclose what charges he would face.

Police have not released the identities of any of the people involved. The deceased woman was also from Florida.

The U.S. State Department issued a travel advisory because of the violence.

In response, the Bahamian government said the killings did not reflect the country’s safety and announced new initiatives to reduce crime.

“The safety and security of everyone is of paramount importance to us and we are confident that The Bahamas will remain safe and welcoming for millions of visitors to continue to enjoy the magic and beauty of our beautiful islands,” the prime minister’s office said in a statement.

According to figures released by the country’s tourism ministry, over 9.6 million people visited the country last year, an increase from 2022.

Most of those tourists over 7.9 million people arrived in the country by sea, an increase from over 5.5 million in 2022, the tourism ministry said.

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