Cruise cancelled following death of abandoned guest
A 60-day expedition cruise circumnavigating Australia has now been cancelled just a few days after the death of a passenger left behind by the ship on a remote island.
Coral Expeditions has decided to cancel the two-month sailing. It has led to intense media coverage over the 80-year old guest being abandoned on Lizard Island.
Suzanne Rees had been hiking in a group of guests from the Coral Adventurer.
She then took a rest for some time and wasn’t seen again.
The ship then left without her.
A led to a major air and sea search several hours later.
Her body was discovered on the island the next day.
The Australian Maritime Safety Authority is investigating the incident.
Coral Expeditions CEO, Mark Fifield said passengers will receive a full refund.
It decided to halt the sailing due to the ‘tragic passing of Suzanne Rees and previous mechanical issues.’
The incident happened just two days into the cruise on its first scheduled stop on Lizard Island.
Coral Expeditions is ‘working closely with Queensland Police and other authorities to support their investigation,’
TravelMole Editorial Team
Editor for TravelMole North America and Asia pacific regions. Ray is a highly experienced (15+ years) skilled journalist and editor predominantly in travel, hospitality and lifestyle working with a huge number of major market-leading brands. He has also cover in-depth news, interviews and features in general business, finance, tech and geopolitical issues for a select few major news outlets and publishers.
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
France prepares for a massive strike across all transports on September 18
Turkish tourism stalls due to soaring prices for accommodation and food
CCS Insight: eSIMs ready to take the travel world by storm
Strikes set to upend travel at Bournemouth Airport
Germany new European Entry/Exit System limited to a single airport on October 12, 2025