A MAJOR search has been launched after a 72-year-old British woman is said to have fallen overboard from a cruise ship.
The OAP was last seen on the Marella Voyager on Monday afternoon as the liner sailed from Malaga, heading towards the Caribbean.
The alarm was first raised on Tuesday evening after a steward noticed the pensioner’s bed had not been slept in overnight.
The ship’s crew started an urgent headcount and search of the ship, forcing holidaymakers to abandon dinners, drinks and entertainment.
Although an entire search of the vessel was carried out, the woman is still missing.
Tui, the tour operator who runs the vessel, said security was continuing to review CCTV footage in the hope it reveals new information on what happened.
The 866ft cruise liner has already sailed around 550 miles from where the passenger may have fallen into the sea and will not be turning back.
An alert has been issued by the US Coast Guard Rescue Coordination Centre in Norfolk, Virginia, requesting any ships in the area to “keep a sharp look out” for the woman.
The Coast Guard decided the ship should not turn back and should continue its journey.
The cruise ship had previously been battered by a storm in the Atlantic which left some passengers seasick and others terrified, but this is thought to have no bearing on the missing woman.
A Tui spokesperson said: “We’re deeply saddened to confirm that a guest was reported missing on board Marella Voyager while the ship was crossing the Atlantic.
“As soon as the alarm was raised, the crew carried out a full search of the ship and we contacted the relevant authorities straight away. Our thoughts are with the guest’s loved ones at this very difficult time.
“We’re supporting the authorities with their enquiries, and out of respect for the guest and their family, we won’t be commenting further at this stage.
The cruise ship with around 2,000 passengers and 800 crew left Malaga on November 4 and was expected to arrive in Antigua on Friday before going on to Dominica and ending its voyage in Barbados on Sunday.
Concern was initially triggered at 7.30pm on Tuesday after a female passenger was asked to report to reception.
The request was then repeated 10 minutes later.
Fears grew at around 9pm when guests were urgently told to gather at one of four muster stations around the ship as the crew scrambled to work out if the missing woman was still aboard.
One crew member reportedly told assembled passengers: “Unfortunately, we do have a missing person.
“This is the only way we can find out if they’re on board or not.”
Another is quoted as saying: “This is just to check who’s here. Do not move ahead and think we have to leave the ship.”
The ship’s captain Silviu Mitrea broke the news to passengers that the woman was still “missing” in broadcast to the entire ship.
He thanked passengers for their help.
Captain Mitrea said: “I want to explain why. I’m sorry to tell you that one of our guests has been reported missing.”
He added the crew had “conducted the relevant searches straight away”.
Mitrea said passengers should contact guest services if they had any information.
As yet, the missing passenger has not been identified.
It is understood efforts are still being made to notify her next of kin.
The 77,302-ton cruise ship was rocked previously by strong winds and waves, causing items to crash to the floor.
One person on board wrote on social media: “[I’ve] never experienced rough seas like this in all the 20 years of cruising. It’s bad.
“We were on deck 11 sitting inside as it was pouring down. We heard this huge bang as if we had hit something.
“The ship started to go onto its side and we could see the water through the windows.”
Holidaymakers also claimed there had been two medical helicopter evacuations during the Malaga to Caribbean cruise and one land-based ambulance before it even left the Spanish city.
One holidaymaker said: “This cruise is cursed.”
A Foreign Office spokesperson said: “We are supporting the family of a British National reported missing on a cruise ship in the Atlantic Ocean and we are in touch with the relevant authorities.”