Police open murder probe after man dies on Southampton cruise ship

Tuesday, 06 May, 2025 0

Hampshire police opened a murder investigation on Monday after a man was pronounced dead on a cruise ship just a couple of hours after departing Southampton.

The 60 year-old man died after an altercation on the MSC Virtuosa during the early stages of a short cruise to Bruges, Belgium.

The Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary said a 57-year-old male from Exeter was arrested on the ship’s return to Southampton.

The altercation happened while the ship was still in British waters.

Few details have been released about the incident and police are seeking witnesses.

“We want to reassure you that this appears to be an isolated incident on board, and we want to thank the crew for their cooperation and assistance with our inquiries,” said Detective Chief Inspector Matt Gillooly, of Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary.

UK media reported the victim and the suspect are known to each other and were travelling together in a group of about 20 guests.

The victim was pronounced dead just a short time after the alleged altercation.

“Following an incident on board our ship, the relevant authorities were contacted and we are cooperating fully with their investigations. We are providing full support to those impacted,” a MSC Cruises spokesperson said.

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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.

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