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An extensive 60-day voyage through the Australian Coast has been cancelled following the fatal incident of an senior female passenger who was left behind by the ship on a remote coastal location.

Suzanne Rees had been walking on Lizard Island with shipmates from the vessel, but broke off from the group for a rest. The liner left without her and returned later that day after the crew realised the passenger was missing.

A large-scale search operation located her remains the next day.

Officials are investigating the incident, together with police and the state coroner.

Head of the cruise operator said that passengers and personnel on the ship were told that the continuation of the voyage had been cancelled due to the "unfortunate death and prior mechanical issues".

In a statement, he added that guests would be given a total repayment, and said the operator was working "to arrange the return journeys of the passengers via private aircraft".

Officials also issued an revised statement, and said they had "delivered a directive to the Master" prohibiting any new passengers from getting on the vessel.

The representative said that they would visit the vessel in Cairns upon its coming back.

Sequence of Incidents

The liner originally sailed from the Australian port on the 24th of October, and was only 48 hours into the expedition at the moment of the 80-year-old's passing. Lizard Island was the first stop on the itinerary.

Passengers on board - who typically pay substantial amounts of money to participate in the voyage - were ferried there for a daily excursion with the choice of walking or snorkelling.

Relatives Reaction

The child of the deceased woman said that her relatives was "stunned and grieved that the vessel left Lizard Island after an scheduled excursion without my parent".

Via her announcement, she portrayed her mother as an "vigorous 80-year-old" who was a affiliate of a hiking club.

"According to scant information we have been provided, it seems that there was a breakdown of responsibility and basic judgment," she stated.

She continued that she desired the investigation would be able to identify what "the company should have performed that might have protected Her life".

"According to reports from the investigators that it was a very hot afternoon, and mum took sick on the mountain ascent," she explained.

"She was asked her to return, unescorted. Then the boat sailed away, reportedly without conducting a passenger count.

"At some stage in that process, or soon after, mum succumbed, by herself."

Organization Position

Through an announcement, the CEO affirmed that the company was "working closely with investigators to aid their examination".

He stated that the firm was "extremely apologetic that this has transpired" and had offered its full support to the relatives.

Maritime Business Procedures

The ship caters for up to 120 travelers with nearly fifty crew, according to corporate details. It was specially constructed to access distant locations of the nation's shoreline and is fitted with "small boats" - minor craft used to take passengers on shore trips.

Incidents of this nature are infrequent, and cruise ships have protocols to track which passengers are embarking or getting off, according to industry experts.

"Going ashore secretly or [back] onboard really isn't an option," an authority stated.

Cruise lines consider these procedures very seriously and have "sophisticated systems in place to prevent such events from happening," the specialist further stated.

"This is presumably a surprising - and tragic - single occurrence."