Norwegian Cruise Line has confirmed that a crew member went overboard from the Norwegian Viva on April 9, 2026, while the ship was sailing near Costa Maya, Mexico.
The incident occurred during a 7-night Western Caribbean voyage that departed Galveston, Texas on April 4.
Search and rescue operation launched and suspended
Once the incident was confirmed onboard, the vessel immediately notified the Mexican Rescue Coordination Centre. A coordinated search and rescue operation was launched but was ultimately unsuccessful. The search has since been suspended.
A passenger onboard told the Cruise News Today tipline, “Just received message over speaker the ship has turned around and is in a man overboard mission. Believed to be a crew member they are looking for. They are in communication with the Mexican authorities and other ships in the area.”
Norwegian Cruise Line issued the following statement:
On the afternoon of April 9, 2026, a crewmember went overboard near Costa Maya, Mexico. Upon confirming the incident, the vessel immediately informed the Mexican Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) and a coordinated search and rescue operation was initiated with no success.”
It went onto say, “The search and rescue operation has since been suspended. The family of the crewmember have been notified of the incident. The safety, security, and well-being of our crew is our highest priority. Our thoughts are with the crewmember’s family during this difficult time.”
Passengers reported the ship turning around near Cozumel
Marine tracking shows that the ship turned around Thursday evening just before 7:00 p.m. local time and conducted a search operation near Cozumel before continuing its voyage.
The Norwegian Viva resumed its scheduled itinerary and returned to its homeport of Galveston, Texas this morning. The Norwegian Viva carries approximately 1,388 crew members and can accommodate up to 3,215 passengers.
Norwegian Cruise Line has not released the identity or nationality of the crew member. No further details about the man overboard have been disclosed.
The incident comes weeks after a man overboard alarm on a Royal Caribbean ship was found to have been a hoax by a group of teenagers.
