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One 60-day voyage around Australia has been cancelled following the fatal incident of an elderly woman who was left behind by the cruise liner on a remote island.

The elderly woman had been hiking on the remote island with shipmates from the vessel, but broke off from the party for a break. The liner departed without her and returned after some time after the ship staff realised the woman was not present.

An extensive hunt discovered her body the subsequent day.

Authorities are investigating the tragedy, together with law enforcement and the official investigator.

Chief Executive of the shipping company stated that travelers and staff on the vessel were notified that the continuation of the cruise had been called off due to the "tragic passing and prior mechanical issues".

Through an announcement, he mentioned that passengers would be given a complete reimbursement, and said the organization was working "to organize the homeward trips of the passengers via chartered flights".

Authorities also released an revised communication, and said they had "issued a directive to the Commander" preventing any additional guests from getting on the liner.

The spokesperson said that they would visit the liner in the port city upon its coming back.

Timeline of Occurrences

The liner originally sailed from the Australian port on October 24th, and was merely two days into the voyage at the moment of the senior passenger's demise. The remote island was the first stop on the voyage.

Passengers on the vessel - who typically pay tens of thousands of currency to participate in the voyage - were taken there for a daily excursion with the option of trekking or snorkeling.

Relatives Statement

The daughter of the elderly passenger said that her family was "shocked and saddened that the vessel left the island after an organised excursion without my parent".

Via her announcement, she portrayed her parent as an "vigorous octogenarian" who was a participant of a hiking organization.

"According to scant facts we have been provided, it seems that there was a lapse of responsibility and basic judgment," she said.

She continued that she wished the inquiry would be able to determine what "the company should have done that might have protected Mum's being".

"We understand from the investigators that it was a exceptionally warm day, and mum became unwell on the mountain ascent," she explained.

"She was asked her to head down, unescorted. Then the boat left, reportedly without conducting a roll call.

"At some stage in that chain of events, or shortly after, mother passed away, by herself."

Organization Position

Through an announcement, the CEO verified that the organization was "collaborating extensively with officials to support their investigation".

He stated that the organization was "deeply sorry that this has transpired" and had offered its full support to the relatives.

Shipping Sector Procedures

The ship serves up to one hundred twenty passengers with forty-six staff, according to corporate information. It was purpose-built to reach distant areas of Australia's coastline and is fitted with "tenders" - small boats used to ferry travelers on shore trips.

Occurrences like this are infrequent, and passenger vessels have procedures to track which individuals are boarding or disembarking, according to industry experts.

"Leaving covertly or [back] onboard really isn't an possibility," a specialist stated.

Shipping companies take these procedures extremely carefully and have "sophisticated systems in place to prevent such incidents from taking place," the specialist continued.

"This appears to be most likely a stunning - and sad - isolated incident."