The incident occurred in the late afternoon while the 115,875-ton cruise ship was en route from Civitavecchia (Rome), Italy, to Cartagena, Spain, as part of a 14-night one-way voyage ultimately bound for Copenhagen, Denmark.
A crew member on watch noticed the orange object adrift approximately 80 nautical miles northwest of Algiers (or about 140 miles off Spain’s southeastern coast, near Cabo de Palos).
The ship immediately changed course and launched its Fast Rescue Boat.
Over the next three hours, the crew carefully recovered the five bodies and brought them aboard. Princess Cruises confirmed that the individuals were neither passengers nor crew members on the vessel.
The deceased are believed to have been migrants attempting the dangerous crossing from North Africa to Europe.
The Sapphire Princess coordinated with Spain’s Maritime Rescue Coordination Center (MRCC).
Upon arrival in Cartagena early on April 22, the bodies were respectfully transferred to Spanish authorities before any passengers were allowed to disembark.
The ship then continued its scheduled itinerary without delay.
In an official statement, a Princess Cruises spokesperson said:
“The vessel immediately altered course to investigate and, upon arrival on scene, deployed its Fast Rescue Boat. The Sapphire Princess crew members recovered five deceased individuals. The individuals involved are not guests or crew of Sapphire Princess. We extend our sincere condolences for this loss and are grateful to our crew for their swift response and efforts to render assistance.”
Some passengers described the event as deeply affecting, with a few witnessing parts of the recovery from the upper decks.
The cruise line offered counseling and support to any guests who were shaken by the discovery.
The Mediterranean remains one of the world’s deadliest migration routes, with hundreds of lives lost each year in small-boat crossings.
Commercial vessels, such as cruise ships, are legally and morally obligated under international maritime law to assist in such situations.
As of today (April 26), the Sapphire Princess is docked in Bilbao, Spain, and is expected to reach Copenhagen on May 3.
The cruise line has not released further details about the identities of the deceased.
This is the latest in a series of similar recovery operations involving passenger ships in the region.
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