A 57-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of murder following the death of a 60-year-old man on a cruise ship in British waters.
The death occurred after an altercation on the MSC Virtuosa at 18:00 on Saturday, May 3, said the police, as reported by the BBC.
The ship had departed from Southampton at 18:00 that evening on a scheduled two-night excursion to Bruges, Belgium.
The police detained a 57-year-old man from Exeter when the MSC Virtuosa returned to Southampton and he remains in custody.
"We want to assure you that this appears to be an isolated incident on board and we appreciate the crew's cooperation and assistance in our investigations," said Chief Inspector Matt Gillooly of Hampshire and Isle of Wight Police.
The detective requested information from the crew and passengers.
Lynda Hardiman-Pearce, a passenger on the ship, told The Guardian that she saw five police officers at the Southampton docks when disembarking. She added that the cruise was "full of stag parties" and that she was told that an army doctor on board tried to help the deceased man.
"The ship sailed from Southampton at 18:00 on Saturday, May 3. It was reported that around 20:30, a 60-year-old man died after an altercation. His relatives have been informed and are receiving support from specialist officers," the police added.
The ship returned from Bruges at 06:00 on Monday and remains in Southampton.
"Following an incident on board our ship, the relevant authorities were contacted and we are fully cooperating with their investigations," said MSC Cruises in a statement.
"We are providing full support to those affected," they added.
The MSC Virtuosa is considered by the company as a "masterpiece at sea," with a capacity for 6,334 passengers and 1,704 crew members. It has 2,421 cabins. Its cruises include trips around Europe and the Caribbean.
The company states that its name comes from the word virtuoso, which means "someone highly skilled in any kind of activity."