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An extensive 60-day cruise around Australia has been cancelled following the tragic passing of an elderly female passenger who was abandoned by the cruise liner on a isolated island.

Suzanne Rees had been walking on the remote island with fellow passengers from the cruise ship, but broke off from the group for a rest. The ship sailed away leaving her and returned later that day after the personnel realised the lady was unaccounted for.

An extensive rescue mission discovered her remains the subsequent day.

Investigative bodies are looking into the event, in coordination with law enforcement and the medical examiner.

Head of the shipping company announced that travelers and crew on the vessel were informed that the rest of the cruise had been called off due to the "tragic passing and earlier mechanical issues".

In a statement, he added that travelers would be provided a full refund, and said the operator was working "to organize the homeward trips of the travelers via chartered flights".

Regulatory bodies also published an latest statement, and said they had "delivered a notice to the Captain" preventing any additional guests from getting on the liner.

The official said that they would attend the ship in the port city upon its return.

Timeline of Incidents

The ship originally sailed from the coastal city on October 24th, and was only 48 hours into the expedition at the moment of the senior passenger's passing. The remote island was the opening port on the voyage.

Guests on the ship - who usually pay large sums of money to participate in the cruise - were transported there for a daily excursion with the choice of hiking or snorkeling.

Relatives Response

The child of the victim said that her family was "stunned and distressed that the vessel left the location after an scheduled tour without my mum".

Through her comments, she described her mum as an "energetic octogenarian" who was a member of a hiking organization.

"From the little information we have been told, it looks that there was a breakdown of attention and common sense," she said.

She further stated that she wished the examination would be able to pinpoint what "the operator should have undertaken that might have saved Mum's being".

"Based on information from the investigators that it was a exceptionally warm period, and mum took sick on the uphill trek," she explained.

"They requested her to return, without accompaniment. Then the ship sailed away, seemingly without performing a roll call.

"At some stage in that sequence, or soon after, mother passed away, alone."

Company Response

In a statement, the Chief Executive affirmed that the company was "collaborating extensively with investigators to aid their examination".

He mentioned that the organization was "deeply sorry that this has transpired" and had extended its complete assistance to the relatives.

Shipping Sector Practices

The liner caters for up to one hundred twenty passengers with 46 crew, according to corporate data. It was specifically designed to access remote areas of the nation's shoreline and is outfitted with "tenders" - minor craft used to ferry passengers on shore trips.

Occurrences such as this are rare, and liners have protocols to document which travelers are embarking or disembarking, according to industry experts.

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

Vessel operators take these methods with great importance and have "clever tech in place to stop such incidents from happening," the expert continued.

"This is most likely a surprising - and sad - one-off."