A one-year-old girl reportedly slipped from her grandfather's hands and fell to her death from the 11th storey of a cruise ship docked in Puerto Rico.

Key points: The ship was docked in Puerto Rico, having completed a week-long cruise through the Caribbean when the incident occurred

The ship was docked in Puerto Rico, having completed a week-long cruise through the Caribbean when the incident occurred The one-year-old girl was reportedly with her grandfather near a window before the fall

The one-year-old girl was reportedly with her grandfather near a window before the fall Police officers are yet to interview the child's relatives

Police sergeant Nelson Sotelo said the family of the child would remain in the US territory until the investigation is complete.

He said officers had not been able to interview any relatives yet.

"They're in shock," he said.

Authorities said the girl was travelling with her parents, two siblings and two sets of grandparents aboard the Freedom of the Seas, which docked in Puerto Rico on Sunday (local time) after a week-long trip through the Caribbean.

The death occurred on Sunday afternoon at the Panamerican dock in the capital of San Juan.

Mr Sotelo said the toddler's maternal grandfather, Salvatore Anello of Valparaiso, Indiana, was under investigation.

The South Bend Police Department said in a statement that the girl was the daughter of officer Alan Wiegand and asked: "the community to pray for the entire Wiegand family as they grieve and to respect their privacy".

Scott Ruszkowski, the police chief of South Bend, disputed the statement issued by Puerto Rico police that the girl was being held out of a window in an interview with WSBT television.

Puerto Rico Ports Authority spokesman Jose Carmona said the family was gathered in or near a dining hall on the 11th floor and that the grandfather had sat the toddler on the edge of a window.

He said officials were investigating whether the window was already opened or if someone had opened it.

Royal Caribbean Cruises called it a tragic incident and said it was helping the family.

A spokeswoman said the ship departed Puerto Rico on Monday for St Maarten on a new itinerary and declined further comment.

AP