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A two-month journey around the Land Down Under has been cancelled in the wake of the death of an senior lady who was left behind by the ship on a remote island.

Suzanne Rees had been hiking on Lizard Island with other travelers from the cruise ship, but parted ways from the party for a pause. The liner departed without her and returned several hours later after the ship staff became aware the woman was not present.

A large-scale search operation discovered her body the following day.

Officials are looking into the incident, in coordination with investigators and the official investigator.

The CEO of the shipping company announced that passengers and staff on the ship were notified that the rest of the voyage had been called off due to the "sad loss and previous mechanical issues".

Through an announcement, he added that travelers would be provided a full refund, and said the company was working "to coordinate the return journeys of the individuals via private aircraft".

Authorities also published an latest statement, and said they had "issued a order to the Captain" prohibiting any further travelers from entering the liner.

The representative said that they would attend the ship in Cairns upon its coming back.

Chronology of Occurrences

The liner originally sailed from Cairns on 24 October, and was only 48 hours into the expedition at the moment of the senior passenger's demise. Lizard Island was the initial destination on the voyage.

Guests on the vessel - who typically pay tens of thousands of money to participate in the voyage - were ferried there for a day trip with the choice of walking or underwater exploration.

Family Statement

The offspring of the victim said that her family was "surprised and distressed that the liner left Lizard Island after an organised outing without my mum".

Through her comments, she portrayed her mum as an "vigorous 80-year-old" who was a member of a bushwalking organization.

"Based on limited information we have been provided, it appears that there was a lapse of responsibility and common sense," she said.

She continued that she wished the examination would be able to pinpoint what "the organization should have undertaken that might have protected Mother's existence".

"We understand from the police that it was a very hot afternoon, and mother fell ill on the hill climb," she explained.

"They requested her to return, unescorted. Then the boat left, apparently without doing a passenger count.

"At a certain moment in that process, or not long after, mum died, without company."

Company Reaction

Through an announcement, the Chief Executive affirmed that the organization was "collaborating extensively with authorities to assist their investigation".

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

Cruise Industry Standards

The ship caters for up to 120 passengers with forty-six staff, according to company data. It was specially constructed to access remote locations of the nation's coast and is outfitted with "small boats" - minor craft used to transport travelers on shore trips.

Events of this nature are uncommon, and cruise ships have protocols to document which individuals are embarking or getting off, according to industry experts.

"Sneaking ashore or [back] aboard simply isn't an choice," an authority remarked.

Shipping companies regard these procedures very seriously and have "advanced technology in place to stop such incidents from occurring," the expert added.

"This appears to be presumably a stunning - and unfortunate - isolated incident."