Longstaff was rescued from the Adriatic Sea on Sunday, some 10 hours after falling from Norwegian Cruise Line’s Norwegian Star.

Following the event, Clia UK & Ireland director Andy Harmer moved to reassure those taking a cruise that it was “one of the safest forms of travel”.

“Cruise ships today are the safest that ever sailed, thanks to the rules, regulations and technological innovations that govern their design,” he said.

“There are no known cases of someone acting responsibly who has accidentally fallen over the railing of a cruise ship.”

He said safety regulations in place included uniform minimum railing and balcony heights of one metre plus other structural barriers to prevent passengers, “who are acting responsibly”, from simply falling off a cruise ship.

“Cruise lines are highly regulated with robust enforcement," Harmer added. "The average ship undergoes dozens of announced and unannounced safety inspections per year, involving hundreds of man-hours and covering thousands of specific requirements set by the International Maritime Organization."

Longstaff reportedly told Croatian news channel HRT she fell from the back deck.