Two Cruise Passengers Reported Missing in the British Virgin Islands

Two cruise guests who arrived in Tortola in the British Virgin Islands aboard Norwegian Sky on Friday, April 19 have been reported missing, as neither man returned to the cruise ship for departure.

Local authorities are asking for the public’s help in locating the missing men, and have noted that neither one has departed the territory in any legal means that would involve their paperwork being officially documented.

More Cruise Guests Missing in Tortola

Two men, Pascal Bosman of the Netherlands and Martire Cabrera of the Dominican Republic, have been reported missing in Tortola after they failed to return to Norwegian Sky when the ship visited on Friday, April 19.

The Government of the Virgin Islands Immigration Department has asked the public for assistance in locating the men. Anyone with information about either man should contact the Department of Immigration or the Royal Virgin Islands Police Force.

No details about the men or the circumstances by which they are now missing have been released, other than the fact that Cabrera is carrying a St. Kitts & Nevis passport.

Norwegian Sky was in Tortola from approximately 6:30 a.m. until 2:15 p.m. on Friday, April 19. The British Virgin Islands was the last port of call before the ship returned to La Romana in the Dominican Republic, where the vessel had set sail from on Wednesday, April 10, for the 10-day Caribbean cruise.

The ship had previously visited a variety of destinations on the port-intensive itinerary, including Aruba, Curacao, Barbados, St. Lucia, Antigua, and more.

There have been no reports from family members or other concerned individuals about either of the missing men, and it is not known whether or not they were traveling together or had some other connection to one another.

Read Also: What Happens If You Miss Your Cruise Ship?

The men did debark the ship in Tortola and this is not a situation where they may be presumed overboard, but rather they failed to return to the vessel before its scheduled departure. In the days since, they have not been seen nor have they been recorded leaving the island by any other legal means, such as via air travel.

The 77,104-gross-ton, Sun-class Norwegian Sky is homeported from La Romana in the Dominican Republic just through the end of April. At that time, the ship will reposition to Miami to offer a selection of Caribbean and Bahamas itineraries from 3-9 nights, visiting ports such as Nassau, Great Stirrup Cay, Key West, Puerto Plata, San Juan, and more, depending on the itinerary length and departure date.

Not the First Missing Passengers

While all cruise travelers are familiar with the concept of “pier runners” – individuals who return to the ship at the very last minute, and sometimes may miss departure to be left behind in the port – Bosman and Cabrera are the most recent case of travelers who do not return at all.

Just a month ago, also in Tortola and also from Norwegian Sky, three passengers – two women and one man – failed to return to the ship and were reported missing in the same manner. While all three were from Colombia, it is not known whether they were traveling together or involved with one another.

Recently in Cozumel, Mexico, a man with dementia who had been traveling with family aboard Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas failed to return to the ship, and exhaustive search efforts were coordinated to locate him. Unfortunately, those efforts have not proven successful.

It can be confusing in busy ports of call, and families or groups occasionally get separated. In one incident in December 2023, a 15-year-old girl went missing from Norwegian Spirit during a visit to Dunedin, New Zealand, but social media posts helped safely locate her before the ship’s departure and she was reunited with her anxious family.

At this time, foul play is not yet being noted for the missing men, and it is hoped they can be safely located.