Indian Ocean—Death occurred once again on a cruise ship. This time it was passenger Marion “Vicki” Schaefer, who died on the ms Rotterdam Sunday (February 22). Her final hour came in her aft cabin sitting in her wheelchair watching TV.

The Holland America Line flagship was about 375 miles south of Bali.

Mrs. Schaefer was 87. Her son was by her side.

“Everything was going fine,” said Bob Schaefer, her son and caretaker. “I checked on her about 4 p.m. and I thought she was still napping. I again checked on her at 6 p.m. and screamed in her ear and felt she was cold. So I called the front desk.”

Mrs. Schaefer may have had a “cardiac arrest,” according to HAL records. And after several tests, Dr. Palma Wideman, ship’s doctor, pronounced Mrs. Schaefer “clinically dead” at 7:15 p.m.

“I thought she could enjoy one more, long cruise,” Mr. Schaefer said in a quivering voice. Days before he was speaking to a cruise consultant about a future trip for him and his mother, for whom he cared the last six years.

But that Caribbean cruise was not to be.

A common death

Death at sea is not uncommon on cruise ships, especially on long voyages with an older complement. Death while cruising happens every year for a variety of reasons: natural causes, illness, suicide, accident—even murder.

Last year, on HAL’s grand world voyage three deaths occurred by natural causes, ship officials said.

On this year’s 114-day world cruise one death has already occurred, just 36 days after beginning the voyage in Los Angeles. Sadly, others may follow.

More and more people around the world are cruising as a form of recreation and vacation. And many of these cruisers are seniors—even super seniors.

The range of age groups presently on the Rotterdam is wide: 12 to 95. The majority of the 994 passengers fall into three age groups: 61-70 (355), 71-80 (351) and 81-95 (147), according to ship records.

Death by old age

“Consequences of aging are the most common cause of death on a cruise ship,” said Dr. Jack Berry, a family physician of 27 years, now retired, and a passenger on board. “There’s no doubt about it.”

For some cruising is their love and thus they choose to die at sea, rather than in a nursing home or hospice. “Yes, it happens,” said Cynthia Ducusin, HAL guest relations supervisor.

“It’s like in the movie the Bucket List,” said Dr. Berry. “You choose things before you die—and where to die.”

So for these decided sailors, the old saying is true: What a way to go.

And when someone’s life ends at sea, they often leave behind a loved one. For them, and their fellow passengers, they all face the impending question: What happens when someone dies on board a cruise ship?

Passengers soon discover the answer is complicated. There are international laws and local laws that rule what can be done. And every country has its own cultural customs that must be observed.

Death at sea is final—but it’s not so simple.

What happens?

When someone, like Mrs. Schaefer, dies on a cruise ship a series of company policy and procedures are immediately activated.

“Automatically we have an emergency contact with those we need to notify,” said Ducusin. “We have to notify our medical department…the medical department contacts the next of kin to tell them this is what happened and the same thing goes with the insurance company.”

Most cruise ships, like the Rotterdam, are equipped with a proper facility.

“We do have a morgue on board,” said Ducusin. “When you have a death on board, our engineering department is made aware of it. And they freeze the area to keep the body there.”

In most cases of death the ship will continue to its next scheduled ports-of-call if time permits.

“We will attempt to meet the wishes of the dependents,” said Peter Wallis, HAL ship’s purser. “But the ship is not equipped to keep a body indefinitely. Operationally, this ship’s regulations require that a body be discharged as soon as feasible.”

Ship officials said about 7 days is the maximum length a person may be cared for post mortem.

Cultural peculiarities

When a ship approaches its next port, with someone who’s expired, ship officials contact port officials for assistance. And sometimes the answer they get back is simply: No.

“There are jurisdictions in the world that prohibit a body being discharged and prohibitions of being carried in transit,” said Wallis.

Sometimes a country may allow the deceased in port but not allow certain funeral arrangements.

“In Muslim countries they may not permit cremation,” said Ducusin.

And in Asia, the funeral experience can be beyond expectation.

“You know what happened to us about 4 years ago in Japan?” Ducusin recalled. “They have this rule that they can cremate the skin and everything, but not the bones. It’s sacred.”

So the Asian officials took the body for cremation. “And they came back with a big box—with all the bones still in tact,” she said.

Death at sea is no simple matter. That’s why it’s important to consider it, before you cruise.

Know before you go

Cruise companies want you to know things before you sail. These things are commonly called: Know Before You Go.

In this documentation are guidelines about health and medical issues like certain prohibitions for pregnant women, infant restrictions and warnings for those with chronic-medical conditions.

But on the issue of death at sea, cruise companies like HAL offer no pre-cruise information. The topic of death in “Shipboard Life” is silent. Death is never mentioned.

“I certainly hope not,” said Wallis. “It (death) is an unpredictable event. Holland America is a service provider…the onus of this sort of thing falls upon the travel agent.”

In this matter of dying at sea, the burden is solely on the “passenger knowing” and the travel agent advising, he said.

The topic of death is a “downer,” said Cheryl Kobayashi, program manager with Vantage Deluxe World Travel and a passenger on board. In the 25 years she’s been in the travel business, the word on death and dying at sea is always mum.

“I know of no one who discusses it,” said Kobayashi. “But there’s certainly a need for it.”

HAL’s condolences

Discussions on the obvious aside, Mr. Schaefer said he is very comforted by HAL’s staff in his time of need. He said all his needs are being met.

With kind condolences and lovely flowers, the ship has sent several staff members to assist him with filling out necessary paperwork. With tears in his eyes, he tells of staff members who have come to his cabin to just sit and comfort him.

He said the ship has offered him free communication services to handle related affairs and waived several fees. The only ship cost incurred is the medical exam ($79) and post-mortem care ($255). He said he is grateful he got the “premium insurance” to cover unexpected expenses.

It went “perfect” 

Mrs. Schaefer was taken ashore Friday (February 27) in Semarang, the next ports-of-call. There she underwent an autopsy and was cremated and her remains returned to the ship, said Christel Mensink, guest relations manager.

“It went absolutely perfect,” Mensink said. And this time there was no customary “bribe,” which is expected in some countries. In Semarang “it was just perfect.”  

After careful thought and counseling, Mr. Schaefer has decided to stay aboard and complete the world cruise. “What would your mother want you to do?” is what people are asking me, he said. “I know she would want me to go on.”

And he finds a loving support system on board in his time of grief. “I could never find this degree of support back home,” he said.

In the spring she will be laid to rest with her daughter in New Jersey. But Vicki’s spirit will sail on in the hearts of those she loved, upon the high seas.

(Wayne Anderson, news correspondent and Rotterdam passenger, filed: March 2, 2009)