Crew Member Missing From Liberty of the Seas

A bartender from Royal Caribbean’s Liberty of the Seas has gone missing in the Gulf of Mexico, several media outlets are reporting.

The Coast Guard suspended its search for the missing crew member shortly before 1 p.m. on Tuesday, Chron reports, after covering an area of more than 5,000 square nautical miles. 

“A complete search of the ship was immediately initiated,” Royal Caribbean said in a statement provided to Travel Agent. “We notified the U.S. Coast Guard who are assisting us with the search efforts. At this time, unfortunately, our missing crew member has not yet been found.”

According to ABC12, the man was last seen on the ship’s closed-circuit TV system at around 1:30 a.m. Monday morning. He was reported missing at 4:30 a.m. following a complete search of the ship.

ABC13 reports that the Liberty of the Seas is sailing a seven-night itinerary that left Galveston Sunday. Port calls include Cozumel, Mexico; George Town, Gran Cayman; and Falmouth, Jamaica.

“Our Care Team is providing support to our crew member’s family, as well as his friends and colleagues onboard, and our thoughts and prayers are with them,” Royal Caribbean said. 

The Freedom-class Liberty of the Seas sails Caribbean cruises out of Galveston. Notable onboard features include a FlowRider surf simulator, rock climbing wall, ice skating rink, mini golf course and full-sized basketball court. For families, the ship has the line’s DreamWorks Experience, Adventure Ocean Youth Program, and Royal Babies and Royal Tots programs. The ship has 10 dining options, including Sabor Mdoern Mexican, Giovanni’s Table and R Bar, as well as the Broadway musical Saturday Night Fever: The Musical in the Main Theater for entertainment. The ship also has a Vitality Spa, four pools, and six whirlpools, two of which are cantilevered to look out over the ocean.

Keep visiting www.travelagentcentral.com for further updates on this developing story.