An elderly British man has died on a cruise ship travelling through a Greek holiday hotspot.
The 67-year-old man passed away while on board the vessel which was ‘flying the Maltese flag’ in the port of Corfu.
The Port Authority said in a statement on Tuesday: ‘In the morning hours today, the Corfu Port Authority was informed of the death of a 67-year-old foreign passenger (British citizen) on a cruise ship (C/Z) flying the Maltese flag in the port of Corfu.
‘The body was transferred to the Corfu General Hospital for an autopsy.
‘A preliminary investigation is being conducted by the Corfu Central Port Authority.’
MailOnline has approached the Foreign Office for comment.
The tragedy comes just two months after cruise ship passengers were stunned to learn their captain had tragically died in the middle of their 19-day voyage in Asia.
Devastation ensued upon Princess Cruises’ Diamond Princess ship in May when guests received a letter breaking the news of Captain Michele Bartolomei’s sudden death.
A67-year-old man passed away while on board the vessel which was ‘flying the Maltese flag’ in the port of Corfu (pictured)
The 52-year-old, who lived in Canada, died from a medical emergency and was discovered Monday morning while the ship was docked in Keelung, Taiwan.
Before passengers where officially notified, an announcement blared over the boat’s loud speaker, urging the medical team to respond to an emergency, according to Crew Center.
Vacationers were unnerved by the message, but the real shock came when they learned it was about the man leading the voyage.
‘We are deeply saddened by the passing of Captain Michele Bartolomei, a beloved member of the Princess Cruises family whose career at sea spanned more than 30 years,’ Princess Cruises shared in a heartfelt message.
In an attempt to ease concerns, the cruise company said in its letter to passengers ‘that our commitment to your safety and the smooth operation of this voyage remains our utmost priority.’
Cruise ships have onboard morgues for dead bodied to be stored if someone dies at sea, The New York Times reported.
The area is typically a stainless steel chilled room on a cruise ship’s lowest deck. They generally are designed to fit two to 10 corpses.
This is a breaking news story. More to follow.
