A cruise around the coast of Spain turned into a tragedy when a passenger was simply trying to enjoy their lunch.
On April 10, 2025, an 83-year-old passenger onboard an unspecified luxury cruise line became unresponsive while eating.
The vessel was only a few miles off the Port of Cadiz Bay when the incident occurred, prompting a quick diversion of the planned itinerary to get the guest better medical attention.
The medical staff available stepped in immediately to help the passenger, who was clearly in distress.
“Doctors on board the cruise ship assisted, and he was disembarked in Cadiz, Spain, the next morning and then admitted to the hospital,” shared coroner’s officer Pip Morgan.
The guest has now been identified as Kenneth Edward Cooper, who was tragically pronounced dead on April 11, 2025, just one day later.
This accident has prompted the Spanish authorities to open an investigation into Cooper’s tragic passing, but limited information has been shared about the cruise line where it took place.
On May 6, an additional examination was conducted by Dr. Albadry at Holly Tree Lodge in Bournemouth. This further confirmed that the cause of death was a brain injury caused by Cooper choking on his food.
Through the use of his passport, Cooper was formally identified by a funeral director. Originally from Stow Bardolph, Norfolk, this passenger is survived by his wife, Janis.
The body has since been repatriated to the United Kingdom, and the investigation is on pause for now per the request of the coroner, Richard Middleton.
There will be a preliminary meeting on November 6, 2025, where it will be discussed how to best proceed with the investigation of the incident.
Why It Is Crucial to Cruise with Your Passport
To bring your passport or not to bring your passport — there is no question here, you should always bring your passport with you.
This may seem a bit harsh, and some might get nervous about bringing something so important with them when it might not be required, but you never know when you might need it.
In November of 2024, there was a medical emergency on the 130,818 gross-ton Celebrity Edge, which prompted an airlift evacuation when the ship was in Australia.
While there was a crew member involved in this incident, it took two rescue teams to carry out the operation at sea. This is a situation where, regardless of whether you are crew or passenger, you want your passport.
More recently, a passenger on Holland America Line’s Koningsdam was airlifted off the ship by the United States Coast Guard just off the coast of Hawaii.
Why would a passport be important in this situation? Well, the United States has just issued its requirement for Real IDs, so citizens without them need a valid form of identification, along with a passport or birth certificate, to travel domestically.
Read Also: Do I Need a Passport to Go on a Cruise? – Full Guide
On the more rare and tragic side of things, a passport was used to verify the identity of Kenneth Edward Cooper, ensuring that the correct family was notified of their loved one’s passing.
Again, this is an extreme and rare situation, but one situation where having a passport on you is a good thing.
It is also important to make sure that your passport is not damaged, as one couple recently learned the hard way that cruise lines may reject them if they are.
Back in April, David Hornsby and his wife were denied boarding for Cunard’s Queen Elizabeth after loose stitching was discovered at the center of his UK passport.
The cruise line responded to the situation, saying that the ports the vessel was calling on in Indonesia would not have accepted the form of identification if it were damaged at all.
TL;DR — bring your passport, even if you do not think you need it. Our team sends our deepest condolences to the Cooper family.
