Cruise Ship Alters Course After Orange Life Jackets Lead Crew To Five Bodies Off Spain

Cruise ship Sapphire Princess diverted in the western Mediterranean Sea after crew members spotted orange life jackets in the water and recovered five bodies during a search operation off the coast of Spain on April 21.

The 115,875-gross ton cruise ship was sailing from Civitavecchia, Rome, on April 19 for a 14-night voyage to Copenhagen.

At the time of the incident, it had already stopped at Sardinia and was heading towards Cartagena, Spain.

Around 6 p.m. local time, a crew member noticed an orange life jacket in the water about 140 miles off Cabo de Palos in southeastern Spain.

The ship slowed down and changed course to investigate. A Fast Rescue Boat was launched, and one body was recovered from the sea. The person was already dead.

After the ship resumed its journey, another orange life jacket was seen about an hour later.

A second body was recovered, and search operations continued in the area for around three hours. In total, five bodies were found and brought onboard the ship.

Princess Cruises confirmed the incident and said the individuals recovered were not passengers or crew members of Sapphire Princess.

The cruise line said the ship immediately responded after spotting the life jacket, deployed its rescue boat, and worked with the Maritime Rescue Coordination Center (MRCC) during the operation.

ÚLTIMA HORA | El crucero Sapphire Princess ha encontrado a cinco personas fallecidas cuando llegaba al Puerto de Cartagena. Se investiga si estas personas iban en la patera que recaló el lunes en Cartagena
Jimmy Mendoza, pasajero del crucero, nos ha cedido estas imágenes pic.twitter.com/V5otgooxEf

— Telecartagena (@Telecartagena_) April 22, 2026

The company also expressed condolences and said it appreciated the crew’s response.

The identities of the deceased are not known. Authorities have not confirmed how they died. However, reports suggest they may have been migrants, which is not uncommon in that region.

No nearby small boats were found during the search, though officials said it is possible a vessel may have sunk or drifted away before the search began.

Local police also reported that an empty small boat had been found earlier in the week about 25 miles off Cartagena, which may be linked to this case.

Passengers on board said the situation was upsetting to witness. One passenger said they were “shaking inside” while watching the recovery and added that the crew handled the situation calmly and respectfully.

Some passengers said they were offered counselling after the incident. Others expressed concern for the crew members involved in recovering the bodies.

After the operation ended, Sapphire Princess continued its voyage and reached Cartagena without delay on April 22.

The recovered bodies were taken ashore, where autopsies will be conducted at the Institute of Legal Medicine.

The ship, carrying more than 3,000 passengers, left Italy on April 19 and is scheduled to complete its voyage in Copenhagen on May 3.

References: Cruisehive, dailymail