British woman, 72, missing after 'falling off Tui cruise ship'

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Cruise ship operator Tui has confirmed a hunt is on the way for the pensioner, who was last seen on Monday night - the alarm was raised when staff saw her bad hadn't been slept in

A search is reportedly underway to find a British pensioner who is missing from a cruise ship. The 72-year-old was first reported missing when the Tui cruise ship was in the mid-Atlantic.

Staff first noticed she was missing when they saw her bed had not been slept in on Tuesday, reports the Daily Mail. The voyage has been beset by bad weather, as strong winds have battered the vessel as it makes its way from Malaga to the Caribbean.

That sparked a ship-wide hunt amid fears she fell overboard. Passengers were told to assemble at four muster stations onboard the Marella Voyager.

Crew onboard said the muster check was "the only way we can find out if they're on board or not". Another staff member reassured passengers, saying: "This is just to check who's here. Do not move ahead and think we have to leave the ship."

It's feared the vessel could have travelled 550 miles from when the woman was last seen to when she was reported missing, reportedly making a U-turn impossible. The US Coastguard has instead told ships in the area to keep a look-out for a person in the water.

A Tui spokesperson confirmed a passenger is missing but denied the weather had a part to play in her disappearance. They told the Mail: “A guest has gone missing on board the ship, but nothing suggests weather played a part in the guest's disappearance.

“The cabin steward raised an alarm after noticing the guest's bed hadn't been slept in. A full search of the ship then took place, and it was reported to the authorities.”

The woman has not been identified, but the Foreign Office confirmed she is British. A spokesperson said: “We are supporting the family of a British National reported missing on a cruise ship in the Atlantic Ocean and we are in touch with the relevant authorities.”

Tui first sailed the Marella Voyager in 2023. It has 14 decks, 956 cabins, and weighs more than 77,000 tonnes. Its 2,000 guests can enjoy an indoor cinema, outdoor pools, and mini golf courses onboard.

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