Updated

A 72-year-old British woman was reported missing from Tui's Marella Voyager while the ship was crossing the Atlantic toward the Caribbean, BBC World reported. Staff noticed on Tuesday that her bed had not been slept in, and the ship was then reported to the US Coast Guard, which asked it to keep going rather than turn back to search. Tui said a search was carried out, and passengers were told to abandon dinners, drinks and entertainment for an emergency headcount that evening, the Daily Mail reported. The USCG Rescue Co-ordination Centre in Norfolk, Virginia issued an alert asking nearby ships to keep a lookout for her. The ship, carrying about 2,000 passengers and 800 crew, left Malaga on 4 November and was due in Antigua on Friday before calling at Dominica and ending its voyage in Barbados on Sunday. The 72-year-old was last seen on Monday, and the ship could have travelled hundreds of miles before she was reported missing. Marella Cruises said it was deeply saddened, was supporting the authorities, and would not comment further at this stage. A UK Foreign Office spokesperson said it was supporting the family and was in touch with the relevant authorities. In a separate case, a Royal Caribbean cruise ship pianist was found treading water about 20 miles off the Californian coast on Sunday after falling overboard. Two fishermen found him near Catalina Island, and officials believe he may have been in the Pacific for nine hours, CBS News reported.