What happens if someone is believed to have been murdered on a cruise ship

Although crime on cruise ships is relatively rare, there have been a number of incidents onboard vessels in recent months, leaving people to question what actually happens when a serious crime takes place at sea?

Earlier this year, a man was arrested on suspicion of murder during a mini cruise aboard the MSC Virtuosa and over the weekend, it was announced that a crew member who died after going overboard Royal Caribbean's Icon of the Seas was accused of stabbing another crew member beforehand.

But what actually happens when a murder is believed to have taken place aboard a cruise ship? The truth is, it can be a little bit complicated, depending on where the ship happens to be at the time of the alleged incident.

Crimes on cruises are rare (Gerard Bottino/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

When a ship is in international waters or docked in a foreign country, different laws will apply depending on where it is, but the first port of call will always be the ship's security team, who will, of course, be first on the scene.

If there has been a suspected murder or any kind of physical attack, the onboard security team will be responsible for apprehending the accused and locking them up in the ship's brig, otherwise known as the holding cell.

Meanwhile, the victim will be tended to by the ship's medical team. The area where the incident has taken place will then be shut off to passengers so investigations can take place.

While a cruise is at sea, the captain has authority over the whole boat, so they will be notified of whatever has happened and will coordinate with the cruise liner's headquarters and relevant authorities.

Jurisdiction depends on where the alleged crime has taken place (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Jurisdiction must be determined

In order to coordinate a response, the captain and the cruise liner bosses need to determine whose jurisdiction the alleged crime falls under, and that will depend on a number of factors.

Firstly, it depends on whether the incident has taken place in territorial waters or international waters. For example, if a crime has taken place in US territorial waters, the FBI would likely take the lead on the case, regardless of the flag the ship sails under, meaning the country where it is registered.

However, if the alleged crime has taken place in international waters, the ship's flag state will usually have jurisdiction.

Another factor to be considered is the nationality of the people affected. For example, a British registered ship in international waters, but if the affected passengers were from France, could see authorities from the UK and France taking a joint approach to investigations.

In the meantime, cruise staff have a responsibility to secure the crime scene, isolate witnesses and suspects and locate and preserve evidence such as CCTV footage.

A crew member recently died after going overboard on Royal Caribbean's Icon of the Seas (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Will the cruise ship divert?

There are several points to consider when deciding whether to divert a cruise ship due to a serious incident on board.

In the case of a suspected murder, it would depend on whether there was any port availability and most importantly, if there was any threat of danger towards remaining passengers and crew.

The ship is likely to divert if there are any suspicious circumstances that require immediate investigation and there are relevant authorities ready to investigate.

However, it probably wouldn't divert if there was no immediate danger to others, the ship is already relatively close to its next port, or the cruise line policy or law enforcement advises against it.