‘Passenger overboard’ on cruise ship carrying British tourists

The ship was enroute to Miami

An emergency has been declared on a cruise ship carrying British tourists after a "passenger went overboard", a tourist claims.

Holidaymakers on the Norwegian Jewel - currently enroute from Barcelona to Miami - say they were woken up at 2am with "code Oscar starboard" blaring out of the speakers - a maritime emergency signal for a person overboard.

And this afternoon a passenger claims staff on the cruise confirmed someone had "gone overboard" and the cruise ship is in "search and rescue mode" - currently circling the Atlantic Ocean.

The Norwegian cruise liner set sail from Barcelona on October 15, 2025.

A British passenger, who wanted to remain anonymous, said: "I was asleep in the cabin. The captain put out an announcement ‘code Oscar starboard’.

"As it was transmitted into our rooms also. I thought it might be serious and googled it to find that Oscar means person overboard.

"We have just in the last 10 minutes had an announcement to confirm someone is overboard, and that is why we have been and still are circling."

Norwegian Cruise Line has been contacted for a comment.