Is There a Mortuary on a Cruise Ship?

By Michael Ferguson

Cruise ships are like floating resorts, offering passengers an extensive range of activities and amenities. But one major facility that is typically missing from a cruise ship is a mortuary. So, the question of whether there is a mortuary on a cruise ship has been asked many times over the years.

The fact of the matter is that there isn’t usually a dedicated mortuary on board most cruise ships. This isn’t necessarily because cruise lines don’t take death seriously, but rather because it simply isn’t practical or cost-effective to have a full-fledged mortuary on board each ship. As such, it could be said that the answer to the question ‘Is there a mortuary on a cruise ship?’ is no.

That being said, this doesn’t mean that there are no provisions for dealing with death at sea. Cruise lines do have procedures in place for dealing with deaths aboard their ships and will usually have some kind of medical staff available in case of an emergency. In addition, many ships will also have refrigerated morgues where bodies can be stored until they can be transported to shore for further examination and burial or cremation.

Furthermore, while there may not be dedicated mortuaries on board cruise ships, they do usually have facilities such as chapels or prayer rooms which can be used as makeshift funeral parlors if needed. In some cases, passengers may even be allowed to hold their own private services in these areas if desired.

When it comes down to it, the answer to ‘Is there a mortuary on a cruise ship?’ is no – but this doesn’t mean that cruise lines don’t take death seriously or aren’t prepared for it when it occurs onboard one of their vessels. Cruise lines do have procedures in place for dealing with death at sea and even provide temporary accommodations if needed for funeral services or ceremonies aboard their ships.
Conclusion: In conclusion, while there are no dedicated mortuaries on board most cruise ships, this doesn’t mean that they aren’t prepared to handle death when necessary. Cruise lines understand the seriousness of death and provide appropriate facilities and procedures to deal with it should an incident occur onboard one of their vessels.