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Alcohol ban for crew of Queen Mary 2 after Chilean chef jumps overboard
Crew members on-board the Queen Mary 2, the flagship liner of Cunard cruises, were banned from drinking alcohol after a Chilean chef threw himself overboard in the early hours of Saturday.
Favio Onate Ordenes, 26, had been a member of staff for at least four crossings on the luxurious ship, which sails regularly between Southampton and New York. Described by friends as “friendly and happy,” he had reportedly been drinking before climbing up to the seventh deck.
“He was crying and screaming that he wanted to throw himself off,” said one crew member. “None of his friends believed him or took him seriously.
“He was put to bed and everybody left. Apparently he woke up again and went from his room on deck B all the way to deck seven.
“They all feel very guilty now.”
The crew was startled to wake on Saturday morning to at least four tannoy announcements asking for the chef to report for his shift. When he didn’t, the CCTV footage was checked and at around 10.40am the ship turned around for a search to begin. Passengers on the liner – which has a capacity for 2,620 people, paying up to £4,849 each – were asked to join the search.
“Every pair of eyes helps,” announced Captain Kevin Oprey.
But the search was called off on Sunday night, given the freezing temperatures of the seas and the thick fog. The ship continued towards New York, anchoring on Monday in Halifax, the capital of the Canadian province of Nova Scotia.
The crew member said staff believed there had been a drunken fight between Mr Onate and a colleague. The decision was taken to forbid alcohol on the ship for 24 hours.
“Alcohol has been banned for crew members and all ‘deck privileges’ have been taken away,” said another crew member – referring to the system whereby staff are allowed to make use of the passenger facilities.
“It’s just so sad. Everyone is incredibly sombre on board.”
A “spontaneous gathering” was held in one of the lounges on Sunday night, for crew members wanting to mourn him. Four people from the 1,200-strong crew have resigned, the crew member said, and told Cunard they do not wish to reboard the ship once it docks in New York on Wednesday.
A spokesman for Cunard said they could not comment on the alcohol ban or circumstances surrounding Mr Onate’s death, as the investigation was ongoing. On Monday Chilean newspaper El Mercurio reported that Mr Onate’s family were meeting with foreign ministry officials in the capital, Santiago.
“He was always such a happy guy,” his former cabin mate Santiago Gutiérrez, who was not on board, told the paper. “The only thing we know is that his shoes, phone and ID were found in the lift, and he was wandering around barefoot for a while before disappearing.”
Cruise ships have long been known for the wild behaviour of off-duty staff, under the motto: “What happens in the Crew Bar, stays in the Crew Bar,” said Danielle Gauer, a former cruise ship dancer.
She wrote on a blog in 2013: “The crew bar is alive with music and cheap booze, allowing crew members to party and get ‘tanked’ till the early hours of the morning.
“The bartender working in the crew bar typically works on the ship in another capacity during the regular work day, but takes on the responsibility to get his/her fellow crew members liquored up so that they can actually enjoy their time on board the ship.”
