A medical evacuation was carried out from RCI-Royal Caribbean's Star of the Seas following a serious health emergency involving a 64-year-old British passenger during a Caribbean passage. The incident occurred on March 9th while the vessel was engaged on a 7-night Eastern Caribbean itinerary out of Port Canaveral.
At the time of the emergency, the ship was reported to be approximately 200 nautical miles northwest of Aguadilla, Puerto Rico. The United States Coast Guard was notified and dispatched an MH-60T Jayhawk helicopter from Air Station Borinquen to the vessel’s position. Such operations, conducted well offshore, require coordinated navigation, stable deck conditions, and precise handling by both aircrew and ship’s officers.
Upon arrival, the helicopter crew executed a hoisting procedure to transfer the passenger from the vessel. The evolution was completed without reported complication, and the individual was transported ashore to Centro Médico Hospital in Puerto Rico for further treatment.
A Coast Guard officer later indicated that the operation demonstrated coordinated professionalism among the responding units, the ship’s crew, and attending medical personnel, with the outcome ensuring that the passenger reached a higher level of care.
Medical evacuations of this nature are not uncommon in cruise operations, particularly on extended itineraries where vessels operate far from immediate port access. Helicopter retrieval remains the primary method for urgent cases requiring rapid transfer to shore-based facilities, especially when time and distance preclude diversion.
Following the evacuation, Star of the Seas maintained its scheduled itinerary and completed the voyage, returning to Port Canaveral on March 15th, 2026.
For more Star of the Seas incidents and accidents, see the ship's CruiseMinus page.