Body discovered after man went missing from cruise ship

Police have confirmed that a body has been discovered after a man went missing on a cruise ship earlier today.

A major sea search and rescue operation was triggered in Scotland on Friday 21 August after it was reported that a man had gone overboard on the Ambassador’s Ambition solar eclipse cruise.

The cruise was on its way from Shetland to Dundee when alarms were first raised early this morning when the captain and crew first noticed that a passenger wasn't where they expected him to be.

Now, it appears as if there has been a tragic ending to the story after police confirmed that they had found a body.

A police spokesperson said: "Around 8.55am on Friday, August 21, 2026, we received a report that a man had gone overboard from a cruise ship in the North Sea, 40 nautical miles from Anstruther, Fife.

"A search and rescue operation, carried out by police and partner agencies, has been ongoing, and a body has been recovered.

"Formal identification is yet to take place; however, the family of the man who was reported missing has been informed."

A spokesperson for the company said previously: ‘Ambassador Cruise Line can confirm that the Captain of Ambition reported a missing person incident earlier this morning.

‘The ship, which is now berthed in Dundee, was on passage from Lerwick to Dundee when the alarm was raised after it was found that a guest was not where they were expected to be.

‘Guests on board have been kept informed of developments by the captain, and a thorough ship-wide search was carried out on arrival in Dundee. Having initially been asked to remain on board while the search was carried out, guests have now been cleared to disembark.

‘Ambassador follows stringent search and rescue protocols in line with international maritime safety standards. We continue to work in close collaboration with the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC), the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, HM Coastguard and Police Scotland as the investigation continues.

‘Ambassador remains committed to the safety and wellbeing of all our guests and crew. As a result of this development, today’s turnaround operation in Dundee was slightly delayed. However, guests due to travel on board Ambition should make their way to the port as per their embarkation schedule.

‘We are unable to provide further details at this time due to this incident forming part of an ongoing police investigation.’