Ships have their own morgue

The average age of a British cruise passengers is 57, with 40 per cent aged 65 and over – so it probably shouldn't come as a surprise to learn that cruise lines are well prepared for a death on board. Ocean-going ships are actually legally required to have both body bags and a morgue (they mostly have space for three or four bodies, but it depends on the size of the ship). The latter must be kept away from the food storage areas.

Very occasionally, the morgue might not be big enough – a Columbia News Service report from 2007 quotes Ross A. Klein, a sociologist from Toronto and author of "Cruise Ship Blues: The Underside of the Cruise Ship Industry." On one cruise from Fort Lauderdale to Lisbon "the morgue was filled, and they had to start finding other places to put the bodies," he said.

According to one cruise line, some ports insist bodies are removed as soon as possible – this is done discreetly using an exit away from the passenger gangway. A death certificate is then issued and the body repatriated to its home country. Other ports allow the body to stay on board and return home, which saves a lot of paperwork. It also means the spouse can continue their holiday. And yes, that does happen, according to one cruise line insider.

What happens when someone dies on a cruise?