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An extensive extended cruise around the Australian Coast is being halted following the fatal incident of an senior lady who was stranded by the vessel on a remote coastal location.

Suzanne Rees had been trekking on Lizard Island with fellow passengers from the cruise ship, but separated from the party for a pause. The ship departed without her and went back after some time after the crew realised the passenger was unaccounted for.

An extensive search operation located her person the next day.

Investigative bodies are looking into the tragedy, in coordination with law enforcement and the state coroner.

Chief Executive of the shipping company announced that guests and crew on the vessel were informed that the remainder of the voyage had been called off due to the "unfortunate death and earlier technical problems".

In a statement, he added that passengers would be given a total repayment, and said the company was working "to organize the homeward trips of the travelers via private aircraft".

Authorities also issued an updated statement, and said they had "provided a order to the Captain" banning any further travelers from entering the vessel.

The official said that they would visit the ship in the port city upon its arrival.

Timeline of Events

The ship originally sailed from Cairns on October 24th, and was only 48 hours into the voyage at the moment of the 80-year-old's demise. The remote island was the first stop on the journey.

Passengers on the vessel - who generally pay tens of thousands of money to participate in the cruise - were transported there for a daily excursion with the option of hiking or snorkeling.

Relatives Reaction

The daughter of the deceased woman said that her relatives was "surprised and saddened that the ship left the island after an planned excursion without my mother".

Through her comments, she described her mother as an "vigorous octogenarian" who was a member of a hiking group.

"From the little facts we have been informed, it seems that there was a failure of care and basic judgment," she stated.

She continued that she hoped the examination would be able to identify what "the operator should have undertaken that might have preserved Mother's being".

"We understand from the authorities that it was a exceptionally warm period, and she took sick on the mountain ascent," she revealed.

"They requested her to head down, alone. Then the ship departed, apparently without performing a roll call.

"During some point in that sequence, or not long after, mother succumbed, without company."

Company Position

Through an announcement, the Chief Executive affirmed that the operator was "working closely with officials to support their inquiry".

He mentioned that the company was "very regretful that this has happened" and had provided its full support to the relatives.

Cruise Industry Standards

The ship serves up to 120 guests with nearly fifty crew, according to official details. It was specially constructed to access remote regions of Australia's coastline and is outfitted with "auxiliary vessels" - compact vessels used to take passengers on shore trips.

Events such as this are infrequent, and passenger vessels have protocols to record which individuals are boarding or leaving, according to industry experts.

"Leaving covertly or [back] aboard simply isn't an option," an authority remarked.

Vessel operators consider these procedures extremely carefully and have "clever tech in place to avoid such incidents from taking place," the expert continued.

"This appears to be most likely a shocking - and sad - one-off."