Medical Emergency Forces Cruise Ship to Return to Ponce

Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas made an unscheduled stop at the Port of Ponce on Wednesday after an elderly passenger experienced a health crisis. The 80-year-old woman, a citizen of Trinidad & Tobago, suffered a medical emergency while on board the world’s largest cruise ship.

In a statement from the Municipality of Ponce, Mayor Marlese Sifre explained that the cruise line followed its established medical procedures. Coordination took place between the ship’s crew and the Municipal Office for Emergency Management (OMME), the Ponce Port Authority, and local police to ensure the passenger was safely transferred to a hospital.

The woman is currently in stable condition, and some of her family members remained ashore to be with her.

After completing the emergency disembarkation on June 25th, the Icon of the Seas resumed its 7-night Eastern Caribbean cruise, which had departed roundtrip from Miami. Local officials confirmed that Royal Caribbean’s medical protocols were effectively implemented during the incident.