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A two-month cruise through the Australian Coast is being halted days after the tragic passing of an older woman who was stranded by the cruise liner on a remote coastal location.

The passenger had been hiking on the remote island with other travelers from the cruise ship, but broke off from the group for a rest. The liner departed without her and came back several hours later after the ship staff realised the woman was not present.

A large-scale rescue mission found her body the following day.

Investigative bodies are examining the incident, alongside investigators and the state coroner.

Chief Executive of the cruise operator said that travelers and crew on the vessel were told that the remainder of the journey had been called off due to the "unfortunate death and earlier engine troubles".

Through an announcement, he mentioned that travelers would be issued a total repayment, and said the company was working "to coordinate the homeward trips of the travelers via chartered flights".

Authorities also published an latest announcement, and said they had "provided a order to the Master" banning any additional guests from entering the ship.

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

Sequence of Occurrences

The ship originally sailed from Cairns on 24 October, and was only 48 hours into the voyage at the point of the 80-year-old's demise. The remote island was the opening port on the journey.

Guests on board - who generally pay tens of thousands of currency to participate in the cruise - were ferried there for a daily excursion with the option of walking or underwater exploration.

Relatives Statement

The offspring of the victim said that her family was "surprised and grieved that the vessel left the location after an organised excursion without my mum".

In her statement, she described her parent as an "active elderly person" who was a participant of a walking organization.

"From the little information we have been told, it seems that there was a breakdown of care and common sense," she stated.

She continued that she wished the examination would be able to determine what "the organization should have undertaken that might have protected Mum's life".

"According to reports from the police that it was a very hot afternoon, and mother became unwell on the uphill trek," she revealed.

"Officials suggested her to head down, unescorted. Then the vessel left, apparently without conducting a roll call.

"At a certain moment in that process, or soon after, mother passed away, without company."

Operator Response

Through an announcement, the CEO affirmed that the operator was "collaborating extensively with officials to support their examination".

He mentioned that the firm was "very regretful that this has happened" and had extended its full support to the relatives.

Shipping Sector Standards

The liner accommodates up to 120 passengers with forty-six crew, according to company data. It was specifically designed to access distant areas of the nation's coast and is outfitted with "auxiliary vessels" - small boats used to ferry passengers on day excursions.

Incidents of this nature are rare, and passenger vessels have protocols to document which passengers are boarding or leaving, according to travel authorities.

"Going ashore secretly or [back] onboard really isn't an possibility," a specialist commented.

Cruise lines consider these methods with great importance and have "clever tech in place to avoid such events from occurring," the authority continued.

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