Taylor Swift-Themed Cruise Takes A Scary Turn: Passenger Falls Overboard

A 66-year-old woman has reportedly fallen overboard from Royal Caribbean’s Taylor Swift-themed cruise.

According to a spokesperson for the U.S. Coast Guard, the incident occurred around 9:40 p.m. on Tuesday, October 22, when the ship, Allure of the Seas, was approximately 17 miles north of Nassau in the Bahamas.

As of Wednesday morning, search and rescue teams from the Coast Guard and the Royal Bahamas Defense Force continue searching for the missing passenger.

The Coast Guard confirmed that it had redirected an HC-144 airplane crew and an MH-65 Dolphin Helicopter from Air Station Miami to aid in the search efforts.

Meanwhile, a spokesperson for Royal Caribbean stated that the company is collaborating with local authorities to help locate the missing passenger.

"Our crew immediately launched a search and rescue effort and is working with local authorities," said a Royal Caribbean spokesperson. "We are also providing support and assistance to the guest's family during this difficult time. To respect the privacy of our guest's family, we have no additional details to share.

Passengers flooded social media to talk about the experience, as one user claimed, "We slept in because we were up until about 2 o'clock in the morning outside, watching what was going on and the search efforts. Shortly after we went to bed, I did get messages that they did call off the Utopia from searching and they left."

A different passenger aboard the ship informed People that rumors about the incident began to spread on Tuesday night when a "lifeboat" was spotted circling the vessel, which was stationary at the time.

Fans of Taylor Swift, calling themselves the "In My Cruise Era: The Taylor Fan's Cruise Group," officially set sail earlier this week, before scheduling to dock in Nassau on Tuesday, October 22.

The cruise was then set to head to Royal Caribbean's private island, CocoCay, on Wednesday, October 23. According to passengers on board, the cruise had no changes in its itinerary as the Coast Guard continues its search.

"We had no change in itinerary, we're still on track to where we were supposed to be. I'm fairly certain the cruise is going to continue as normally scheduled," a social media user said.

"The reason they just go on as normal after a set time searching is they are not designed to be search and rescued ships," one social media user commented after hearing the story. "So once coast guard arrives it helps them if they ship leaves."

"Can't imagine the family having to just cruise away," another said.

"This would ruin my whole trip, on an empathetic level. I wouldn’t be able to get over it," a third wrote.

After hearing the news, many Swifties took to social media to pray for the passenger and her family.

"Can’t imagine what her fam is going thru. Such a sad situation," one user said.

"Prayers to that woman’s family," another expressed.

"That is horrible. How family must be so distraught," a third wrote. "Imagine having to sail off without here."

The Royal Bahamas Defense Force has been the lead agency in charge of search efforts. The Coast Guard is also providing assistance.

Organized by Jessica Malerman, Nicole Rivera, and Shelby Reyes of Marvelous Mouse Travels, this fan-led cruise had been a highly anticipated experience for Swifties.

“Whether you've got tickets to the tour or not, we invite you to join us for a fan sponsored amazing time!” they said via their website. "Join us as we celebrate all things Taylor, make new friends, dress up in our favorite eras, trade friendship bracelets, and enjoy everything this amazing ship offers.”

The cruise, filled with Swifties on a four-night trip to the Bahamas, is not officially associated with Taylor Swift.

Search and rescue operations are currently in progress, led by the Royal Bahamas Defense Force with assistance from the U.S. Coast Guard. Despite their efforts, the woman remains missing and has yet to be located.