A search is underway after a crew member went overboard from Viking Star while the ship was sailing in the southern Aegean Sea on Monday, 27th October 2025.
The incident occurred at 11:31 am local time, when the crew member was seen entering the water as the 47,800-gross-ton ship travelled between Crete and Sicily during a seven-night Mediterranean voyage.
“The ship’s emergency response was immediately activated, and an extensive search operation was launched, in coordination with the Italian Coast Guard,” Viking Cruises said in a statement.
Photos taken from nearby show a smoke flare deployed into the sea to mark the location of the incident, alongside several life rings tossed overboard to aid in the search.
Ship Released from Search
Marine tracking data indicates that Viking Star circled the search area for several hours before being released from the operation at approximately 6:00 pm local time.
“The Italian Coast Guard has jurisdiction over the operation and is continuing the search. At 6:00 pm local time, the Italian Coast Guard released the ship from the search efforts; it will now proceed on its journey,” the cruise line confirmed.
It is standard protocol for a cruise ship to assist in an initial overboard search until local rescue authorities take over. Specially equipped vessels and aircraft are typically better suited to prolonged search operations.
Viking Star’s next port of call was Messina, Sicily, where she arrived on Tuesday, 28th October. The itinerary will then continue to Naples on 29th October and Civitavecchia (Rome) on 30th October for disembarkation.
According to the ship’s manifest, Viking Star is carrying 925 guests and 471 crew members. She can accommodate up to 930 passengers depending on occupancy.
“We are deeply saddened by what has occurred. Our thoughts are with the family of our crew member, and we will continue to support them during this difficult time,” Viking added.
A Difficult Week for the Cruise Industry
This latest tragedy follows a series of distressing incidents across multiple cruise lines in recent days.
On Sunday, 26th October, a crew member aboard P&O Cruises’ Arvia died following an onboard accident while the ship was en route from Southampton to Tenerife. The line has not released further details but confirmed that the individual’s family and colleagues are being supported.
Less than a week earlier, on 21st October, Norwegian Cruise Line’s Norwegian Jewel conducted a 10-hour search near the Azores after a person went overboard during a repositioning voyage from Barcelona to Miami. The search was ultimately unsuccessful.
Overboard and onboard fatalities are extremely rare, but each case prompts detailed investigations to ensure safety procedures are properly followed.
Viking Star continues to operate in the Mediterranean year-round, visiting ports in Greece, Italy, Spain, and Croatia as part of her regular itineraries.
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