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A 60-day voyage circling Australia has been cancelled following the fatal incident of an older lady who was abandoned by the vessel on a isolated island.

Suzanne Rees had been hiking on the remote island with shipmates from the cruise ship, but separated from the excursion for a rest. The ship departed without her and went back after some time after the personnel discovered the woman was not present.

A large-scale hunt located her remains the following day.

Officials are examining the tragedy, alongside police and the official investigator.

Chief Executive of the voyage organizer announced that passengers and crew on the vessel were told that the continuation of the cruise had been cancelled due to the "sad loss and earlier engine troubles".

Via official communication, he added that passengers would be issued a complete reimbursement, and said the operator was working "to arrange the homeward trips of the travelers via specially arranged planes".

Officials also released an revised communication, and said they had "provided a notice to the Commander" banning any additional guests from entering the liner.

The spokesperson said that they would visit the liner in the port city upon its coming back.

Timeline of Incidents

The ship first departed Cairns on October 24th, and was just two days into the journey at the time of the 80-year-old's demise. The remote island was the first stop on the itinerary.

Passengers on the vessel - who usually pay large sums of currency to take part in the expedition - were taken there for a shore visit with the choice of hiking or snorkeling.

Relatives Response

The daughter of the deceased woman said that her loved ones was "surprised and grieved that the vessel left Lizard Island after an planned outing without my parent".

Through her comments, she described her mother as an "energetic 80-year-old" who was a member of a bushwalking club.

"From the little facts we have been told, it seems that there was a lapse of attention and basic judgment," she stated.

She continued that she hoped the investigation would be able to pinpoint what "the organization should have done that might have saved Mum's being".

"According to reports from the investigators that it was a exceptionally warm afternoon, and mum became unwell on the hill climb," she revealed.

"Officials suggested her to return, without accompaniment. Then the ship left, apparently without conducting a passenger count.

"At some stage in that process, or soon after, mother succumbed, alone."

Company Position

Via official communication, the CEO confirmed that the company was "cooperating fully with officials to aid their investigation".

He said that the company was "very regretful that this has happened" and had provided its full support to the loved ones.

Cruise Industry Procedures

The liner accommodates up to a hundred twenty travelers with 46 staff, according to corporate details. It was purpose-built to access remote areas of the Australian shoreline and is equipped with "auxiliary vessels" - small boats used to ferry travelers on shore trips.

Occurrences such as this are rare, and liners have protocols to record which travelers are getting on or getting off, according to travel authorities.

"Sneaking ashore or [back] onboard just isn't an option," an authority remarked.

Vessel operators take these methods extremely carefully and have "sophisticated systems in place to avoid such events from taking place," the specialist added.

"This is probably a shocking - and unfortunate - single occurrence."