More than 2,000 cruise passengers disrupted after Coast Guard orders ship back to port
Travelers aboard a Caribbean cruise saw their plans interrupted after the U.S. Coast Guard directed their ship to return to PortMiami. Maritime attorney Alex Perez said passengers could have a stronger legal claim against the cruise line if evidence shows the company knew about problems with the vessel before it departed.
The FBI is investigating a suspected homicide aboard a cruise ship that was ordered back to Texas only a day after beginning a weeklong voyage to Mexico and Honduras.
FBI Houston said agents went to the MSC Seascape on Monday after the vessel docked in Galveston, Texas.
Authorities have released few details about the incident, including the identity of the person who died and the circumstances of the suspected homicide.
“FBI Texas City is responding to a suspected homicide onboard the MSC Seascape cruise ship that docked in Galveston on November 9, 2026,” FBI Houston said in a statement.
The MSC Seascape is pictured at the Port of Galveston in Texas. The ship later departed and resumed its scheduled route while the FBI investigated a suspected homicide aboard the vessel. (2025 Kirk Sides / Houston Chronicle)
The agency said a Maritime Liaison Agent with its Texas City Resident Agency is working alongside the U.S. Coast Guard, the Port of Galveston Police Department, Customs and Border Protection and MSC Cruises.
The FBI is the primary federal agency responsible for investigating suspected crimes on the high seas and typically coordinates with local and federal authorities when an alleged offense occurs aboard a cruise ship.
MSC Cruises told News Outlet that officials ordered the Seascape back to Galveston after the company reported an incident involving a guest.
“We are cooperating fully with the investigation and providing support to those impacted. The ship has left the port and resumed its planned itinerary,” an MSC Cruises spokesperson said.
The MSC Seascape is docked in Galveston, Texas. The FBI is investigating a suspected homicide aboard the ship after authorities instructed it to return to port on Nov. 9, 2026. (2025 Kirk Sides / Houston Chronicle)
“As this is an active investigation, we cannot provide more details,” the spokesperson said. “Our thoughts are with the guest’s family and friends at this difficult time.”
According to CruiseMapper, the Seascape left Galveston at 4 p.m. Sunday and was originally scheduled to return on Nov. 15.
The seven-night itinerary was set to include stops at Costa Maya and Cozumel in Mexico and Roatan in Honduras. The ship’s first scheduled port call was Costa Maya on Wednesday.
An aerial view of the Port of Galveston in Texas, where the MSC Seascape returned after the cruise line reported an incident involving a guest. (Getty Images)
MSC Cruises calls the Seascape a state-of-the-art vessel that operates seven-night Western Caribbean sailings from Galveston to destinations in Mexico and Honduras.
The ship can accommodate more than 5,800 passengers and roughly 1,600 crew members. It has 2,270 cabins spread across 19 decks, entered service in 2022 and sails under the Maltese flag.
Investigators have not disclosed when or where on the ship the suspected homicide took place, how the person died or whether anyone has been detained or named as a suspect.
The FBI has also withheld the person’s name, age and nationality.
