A passenger describes a “miserable” sailor icon after a man “jumped” overboard

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by David Propper

A passenger has described the “miserable” scene on board the world’s largest cruise ship after a man went overboard on Sunday and died – including an early celebration that erupted when passengers heard he had been pulled from the water.

About 300 passengers dining on Royal Caribbean’s new Icon of the Seas ship cheered when the captain informed the ship that the missing passenger had been found, Zachary Normandin, 31, told The Washington Post.

“Everyone in the dining room clapped and said, ‘Yes,'” the Connecticut resident said. “We assumed the guy was okay.”

However, the passenger – who has not been identified – was later found to have died, and the 1,200-foot-long cruise ship continued its journey.

Normandin said he heard from several other passengers that the man jumped overboard, although the Coast Guard only said he fell overboard.

The result was an almost surreal atmosphere as most travelers continued to celebrate as if nothing had happened.

“I don’t think everyone knew about the man’s death. I think it was intentionally kept quiet,” Normandin said, adding that he didn’t think Royal Caribbean wanted to scare anyone.

The Icon of the Seas ship, which can carry up to 7,000 passengers and 2,000 crew members, was on the first day of a seven-day voyage around the Gulf of Mexico when the tragedy struck. He won’t return to Miami until June 1.

It has established two ports of call, including in Honduras and Costa Maya, Mexico.

The cruise ship deployed rescue boats, found the man and brought him back on board, the Coast Guard told The Post on Monday night.

“He was declared dead,” the Coast Guard said.

Normandin, a married father of one, said the captain of the Icon of the Seas initially detected a man over the edge of the ship and the ship was forced to turn around in hopes of finding the missing traveler.

“I thought we were going straight back to Miami, I thought that was it. But, not everything went well,” said Normandin, who deployed part of the rescue mission. Social media over the weekend.

Normandin said he was amazed at how many passengers went about their business during and in the aftermath of the search, even as news spread of the passenger’s death.

“I think people we just try not to think about it, maybe, I don’t know,” he said.

“It’s like more people were saying, ‘Oh my God, what’s going on,’ but no, people were just going about their day. It’s just kind of a dystopia.”

Week-long trips on the massive ship generally cost around $1,500 to $2,000.

Normandin said passengers he spoke to believe the man jumped off the ship, because the area where he was last seen has high glass barriers that make it impossible to accidentally fall off.

Royal Caribbean did not say much about the incident, citing the need to give the grieving family privacy.

“My prayers go out to the family, I just hope they get through this,” Normandin said. “I just wish I knew who they were so I could reach out and hug them or something.”