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A two-month journey circling Australia has been cancelled days after the fatal incident of an older female passenger who was left behind by the vessel on a isolated tropical isle.

The passenger had been hiking on the tropical location with fellow passengers from the cruise ship, but parted ways from the party for a break. The vessel sailed away leaving her and went back after some time after the crew realised the lady was unaccounted for.

An extensive search operation located her body the following day.

Officials are investigating the event, alongside law enforcement and the state coroner.

Chief Executive of the voyage organizer announced that guests and staff on the ship were told that the continuation of the voyage had been called off due to the "sad loss and previous mechanical issues".

In a statement, he further stated that passengers would be given a complete reimbursement, and said the company was working "to coordinate the travel back of the individuals via chartered flights".

Regulatory bodies also published an updated statement, and said they had "provided a directive to the Master" prohibiting any new passengers from entering the liner.

The official said that they would visit the ship in the port city upon its return.

Timeline of Occurrences

The vessel initially left the coastal city on October 24th, and was merely two days into the journey at the moment of the senior passenger's demise. Lizard Island was the initial destination on the itinerary.

Guests on the ship - who usually pay tens of thousands of money to take part in the voyage - were taken there for a day trip with the choice of walking or snorkelling.

Next of Kin Response

The child of the deceased woman said that her family was "shocked and distressed that the liner left Lizard Island after an planned outing without my mum".

Through her comments, she described her mother as an "vigorous 80-year-old" who was a affiliate of a walking club.

"According to scant facts we have been informed, it appears that there was a failure of care and ordinary reasoning," she said.

She further stated that she wished the examination would be able to identify what "the organization should have done that might have preserved Mum's being".

"According to reports from the police that it was a exceptionally warm afternoon, and mother became unwell on the hill climb," she revealed.

"They requested her to go back, alone. Then the ship departed, seemingly without conducting a roll call.

"During some point in that sequence, or not long after, mother succumbed, alone."

Company Position

In a statement, the Chief Executive affirmed that the organization was "cooperating fully with authorities to support their examination".

He stated that the firm was "very regretful that this has occurred" and had provided its complete assistance to the family.

Maritime Business Procedures

The ship caters for up to one hundred twenty passengers with 46 personnel, according to official details. It was purpose-built to reach isolated locations of Australia's coast and is equipped with "auxiliary vessels" - small boats used to ferry individuals on land visits.

Occurrences of this nature are rare, and liners have procedures to record which individuals are getting on or getting off, according to maritime specialists.

"Leaving covertly or [back] on the ship really isn't an choice," one expert stated.

Vessel operators take these procedures very seriously and have "clever tech in place to avoid such occurrences from happening," the expert added.

"This is probably a surprising - and unfortunate - one-off."