A potentially alarming situation on Carnival Celebration was resolved after a 17-year-old passenger who went missing on the first night of the cruise was found safe.

The teen had reportedly fallen asleep in another cabin, prompting an early morning search on 23rd December 2024.
The Excel-class cruise ship, currently on a 7-night Christmas-themed Western Caribbean sailing from Miami, Florida, was midway through its first night when announcements were made alerting guests and crew of the missing teen.
Crew members swiftly enacted emergency protocols, including an exhaustive search of the ship and interviews with the missing teen’s travel companions.
Fortunately, the youth was located within the vessel, and an announcement confirmed their safe reunion with family later that day.
Missing persons on cruise ships remain rare
Modern cruise ships are equipped with advanced security measures, including extensive surveillance systems and trained security teams, making missing persons cases onboard exceptionally rare.
Over the past 20 years, it is estimated that approximately 10-20 passengers per year go missing from cruise ships – a very small number compared to the millions who cruise annually.
However the fact that announcements had to be made over the ship’s systems show that this wasn’t just a brief case of a teen wandering off for a few minutes, and there was enough concern that something seriously bad could’ve happened.
Carnival Celebration’s quick resolution reflects the efficacy of such safety protocols.
Following the incident, the teen and their family were able to continue enjoying their cruise, which features stops in Cozumel, Costa Maya, and Roatan.
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Jenni Fielding is the founder of Cruise Mummy. She has worked in the cruise industry since 2015 and has taken over 30 cruises. Now, she helps over 1 million people per month to plan their perfect cruise holidays.
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