More than two years after the death of Gessica Disertore, a 27-year-old pastry chef from Italy working onboard Disney Cruise Line’s Disney Fantasy, Italian authorities are moving toward closing the case with a suicide conclusion, a decision her family continues to contest. Gessica was found dead in her cabin by her roommate in the early morning hours of September 27, 2023, while the ship was sailing near Puerto Rico.
Investigators have reconstructed the final hours leading up to Gessica’s death using ship surveillance footage, digital access logs from her cabin, and phone messages.
According to Corriere della Sera, Gessica was at a crew party earlier that night. Authorities believe what followed was a severe emotional crisis connected to a romantic relationship, described in reports as being shaken by an alleged betrayal. This remains one of the disputed and unclear aspects of the case, including the exact nature of the relationship and what was known to investigators at the time.
To support their reconstruction, authorities point to footage from the ship’s CCTV system. The account says she spent time at a bar with female colleagues, and that a young officer, who Gessica was reportedly in a relationship with was also present. The report adds that the officer later left with another woman and went to his cabin.
Surveillance footage and messaging records allegedly show Gessica going to that cabin door, knocking repeatedly and waiting, and then contacting the occupants on WhatsApp multiple times, without getting a response. After this, she returned to her own cabin and later was discovered dead by her cabin mate. La Repubblica reported that prosecutors believe the situation may have triggered a severe emotional crisis.
Italian reporting says the electronic lock data shows Disertore returned to her cabin at 2:21 a.m.. Investigators reportedly found no additional cabin entries recorded between that time and when she was discovered several hours later at 5:35 a.m.
In addition, Italian investigators later examined the cabin window during the ship’s stop in Civitavecchia and concluded that an outside entry through the porthole could not have taken place.The surveillance timeline, the lock data, and the window assessment — prosecutors say they see no clear indication that another person entered the cabin in the period leading up to her death.
While investigators describe a sequence that they believe points away from criminal involvement, Disertore’s relatives say the picture is incomplete and that critical issues require deeper review before the case is closed.
Italian authorities are expected to decide whether to formally close the case or order further investigative steps. A hearing is scheduled for February 17, when an investigating judge will consider whether the dismissal request should be granted or whether additional work is required.
Why this matters to the crew
Life at sea can be intense, and relationships onboard often move fast, and just as fast they can fall apart. It’s widely known in ship life that many onboard relationships are short-lived, and betrayal are unfortunately common.
That doesn’t make the outcome in this case any less heartbreaking, but it does make the lesson painfully real for crew: protect your peace and be cautious with your heart. Take things slowly, keep your support system close, and don’t let a personal situation pull you into isolation.
At the same time, crew also know something else: when a tragedy happens onboard, investigations have to be thorough and transparent, because families deserve clear answers not more doubt, confusion, or years of unanswered questions.
