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A extended voyage circling Australia has been cancelled days after the fatal incident of an senior woman who was stranded by the cruise liner on a remote island.

The elderly woman had been hiking on Lizard Island with fellow passengers from the cruise ship, but parted ways from the group for a break. The liner left without her and returned after some time after the ship staff realised the passenger was not present.

A major rescue mission located her body the following day.

Officials are looking into the event, in coordination with investigators and the official investigator.

Head of the voyage organizer announced that guests and staff on the ship were informed that the rest of the voyage had been called off due to the "tragic passing and prior technical problems".

Via official communication, he added that guests would be provided a complete reimbursement, and said the organization was working "to coordinate the homeward trips of the passengers via private aircraft".

Authorities also published an latest announcement, and said they had "issued a order to the Commander" preventing any new passengers from getting on the vessel.

The official said that they would visit the vessel in Cairns upon its arrival.

Sequence of Incidents

The vessel originally sailed from Cairns on 24 October, and was only 48 hours into the journey at the point of the 80-year-old's demise. The tropical location was the initial destination on the itinerary.

Passengers on the vessel - who usually pay substantial amounts of currency to take part in the cruise - were taken there for a shore visit with the choice of walking or snorkeling.

Next of Kin Response

The child of the elderly passenger said that her loved ones was "stunned and saddened that the vessel left Lizard Island after an planned outing without my mother".

Via her announcement, she described her mother as an "vigorous 80-year-old" who was a participant of a bushwalking group.

"Based on limited facts we have been informed, it appears that there was a lapse of care and common sense," she said.

She continued that she desired the examination would be able to identify what "the organization should have undertaken that might have preserved Her existence".

"Based on information from the investigators that it was a exceptionally warm period, and mother fell ill on the mountain ascent," she revealed.

"They requested her to return, unescorted. Then the boat departed, reportedly without doing a headcount.

"During some point in that chain of events, or shortly after, mum passed away, without company."

Operator Reaction

Through an announcement, the CEO affirmed that the organization was "working closely with officials to support their examination".

He said that the organization was "very regretful that this has transpired" and had extended its full support to the loved ones.

Shipping Sector Standards

The ship caters for up to one hundred twenty guests with nearly fifty crew, according to official data. It was specifically designed to reach isolated regions of the Australian coast and is fitted with "tenders" - compact vessels used to ferry travelers on shore trips.

Occurrences of this nature are infrequent, and liners have procedures to document which travelers are embarking or getting off, according to industry experts.

"Sneaking ashore or [back] aboard just isn't an option," a specialist stated.

Shipping companies take these processes extremely carefully and have "advanced technology in place to stop such occurrences from occurring," the specialist further stated.

"This appears to be presumably a stunning - and unfortunate - isolated incident."