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ms Nieuw Statendam passenger overboard incident on January 1, 2026, triggered an approximately eight-hour search near Cuba after a 77-year-old female passenger went overboard.
The ship was navigating approximately 40 nautical miles northeast of Sabana, Cuba, when the report was made. The vessel changed course and began a search and rescue operation in coordination with the United States Coast Guard. A Coast Guard cutter and rescue helicopter were deployed to the area.
Search efforts covered approximately 690 square miles and involved both shipboard personnel and Coast Guard assets. The search was discontinued after about eight hours, and the passenger’s body was not found.
The scheduled visit to Key West, Florida, was canceled as a result of the search operation. The incident occurred during a seven-day Eastern Caribbean holiday cruise operating roundtrip from Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale.
This log records one reported passenger overboard incident and associated search operation. The available account does not confirm the passenger’s fate.