A shore trip turned tragic for a Carnival cruise passenger who was killed Wednesday evening, November 27, in an automobile accident in the city of Belize. The Carnival Vista guest was one of 5 fatalities.
Carnival Cruise Line confirmed that 7 passengers sailing on Carnival Vista had been "involved in a bus accident while on an independent tour in Belize.”
Along with Carnival passengers, there had been guests from at least one other cruise company on the bus. Local authorities confirmed that the injured had been taken to the local hospital and one traveler had died.
Local reports indicated that the van filled with vacationers had just left Jaguar Paw when the fatal collision occurred. 5 persons, including 3 Belize residents, died as a result of injuries.
The van's driver has been identified, but his name was withheld while the official investigation continues. The tourists' names are known but were withheld until the embassy contacts the families.
At the time of the accident, Carnival Vista was on a 7-day cruise that departed Galveston TX on Saturday, November 23, and is due to return on Saturday, November 30.
According to Carnival, the ship “departed Belize Wednesday evening and will arrive in Cozumel as scheduled.”
It is assumed the other cruise liner referenced the statement was MSC Meraviglia, which was also calling to Belize.
For other Carnival Vista accidents and incidents see at the ship's CruiseMinus page.