Woman falls overboard on Taylor Swift-themed Royal Caribbean cruise ship, search under way

A search is underway for a 66-year-old woman who fell from a Royal Caribbean cruise ship. Photo / Royal Caribbean International

A search and rescue operation is under way for a woman who fell overboard from a Taylor Swift-themed Royal Caribbean cruise ship in the Bahamas.

The US Coast Guard said the missing 66-year-old woman fell from the Allure of the Seas around 9.40pm on Tuesday, local time.

The incident happened around 27km north of Nassau, Bahamas, officials said.

The Royal Bahamas Defence Force is leading the search with assistance from the US Coast Guard.

In a statement, a Royal Caribbean spokesperson said they had launched an immediate search and rescue operation for the passenger and are working with local authorities.

“We are also providing support and assistance to the guest’s family during this difficult time,” the statement read.

“To respect the privacy of our guest’s family, we have no additional details to share.”

On Monday, the Swiftie-themed cruise named “In My Cruise Era” departed Miami and headed for the Bahamas. The voyage is not officially affiliated with Swift.

According to ABC News, approximately 400 people signed up for the trip which involved karaoke, a dance party and friendship bracelet trading.

In May, a man jumped off Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas, the world’s largest cruise ship.

Following a search and rescue operation carried out by the US Coast Guard, the man was located and “pronounced deceased”,the New York Post reported.

Following the incident, the ship’s journey was halted for two hours during the search, then continued to the port of Costa Maya, Mexico, according to tracking data from CruiseMapper.

In December, a 41-year-old man went overboard on a Royal Caribbean cruise ship to the Bahamas.

New York Post reported that his estimated location was 160km off the coast of Charleston, South Carolina. A rescue plane carried out an aerial search but after eight hours covering more than 4200sq km, it was suspended.