A young Kenyan, aged 27 and serving as Galley Steward aboard the Sun Princess, was reported to have gone overboard in the Dardanelles Strait on August 20th, 2025.
The fall was detected through later review of CCTV footage, which prompted the vessel’s captain and officers to activate emergency response protocols immediately. The ship, in coordination with local maritime rescue authorities, deployed multiple search boats that scoured the waters for many hours. Despite these efforts, the crew member has not been found.
The vessel was instructed to remain near Tekirdag, Turkey, allowing local officials to board and initiate their investigation. This pause led to a delayed arrival in Istanbul—pushed back to the afternoon of August 21st—and necessitated the cancellation of the scheduled visit to Mykonos on August 22nd. All pre-booked excursions were refunded.
In a message to those aboard, the captain conveyed that they were profoundly saddened to confirm the overboard incident and emphasized that the safety and welfare of both passengers and crew remained their foremost concern. Princess Cruises’ Family Assistance team had begun offering support to the steward’s family, and specially trained counselors were made available on board to assist guests and crew during this trying time.
For more Sun Princess incidents and accidents see the ship's CruiseMinus page.