The search for a missing crew member during an around-the-world cruise has been halted. The 120-night voyage departed from Lisbon Portugal bound for Tilbury-London England, at 15:25 local time on Thursday, May 2nd.
The male crew (from India) was reported missing after breakfast when he could not be located at the beginning of the work shift.
Ambassador Cruise Line emphasized its dedication to the safety and well-being of all crew and guests onboard.
The Ambience ship altered course to retrace its route to the last known location of the man before being released by the Spanish Coastguard, according to a spokeswoman for Ambassador Cruise Line. Ship-wide searches were also conducted.
The vessel was on the final leg of a global voyage when the emergency was reported to the coastguard while sailing off Cape Finisterre, Spain.
Ambassador Ambience has now commenced her return journey to the UK and is expected to arrive at Tilbury on Sunday evening, May 5th.
Planned celebrations to mark Ambience's return have been canceled.
The scheduled departure for the "British Isles Discovery" cruise on Sunday night will be affected, with the company planning to reach out to customers directly regarding the impact on their travel plans.
An Ambassador's spokeswoman said:
"Our immediate priority is to provide full support to all crew members closely affected by this incident.
"Guests onboard have been kept informed throughout the day and have been advised of recent developments.
"Many have expressed their well-wishes, and we would like to thank them for their concern and support."
"Ambassador remains committed to the safety and wellbeing of all our crew and guests.
"We are deeply saddened by this incident and our thoughts and prayers are with the friends and family of our colleague at this difficult time.
"Specialist support will be offered to all crew affected by today's events."
For more Ambassador Ambience incidents and accidents see the ship's CruiseMinus page.