Amy Bradley: New Netflix Doc Revisits Mysterious Cruise Ship Disappearance of Virginia Woman
It’s been 27 years since Amy Bradley, a 23-year-old from Chesterfield County, Virginia, vanished without a trace while on a family cruise in the Caribbean.
Now, a gripping new Netflix documentary series titled Amy Bradley Is Missing reopens the haunting case, hoping to shed fresh light on what truly happened on board the Rhapsody of the Seas in March 1998.
Amy’s sudden and unexplained disappearance still gnaws at her loved ones, and despite a long list of theories and supposed sightings, there are no definitive answers.
The three-part docuseries launches on Wednesday, 16 July, featuring exclusive interviews with her family, investigators, and experts—many of whom still hold out hope that Amy may be alive.
Amy had just graduated from Longwood University on a basketball scholarship, earning a degree in physical education. Life was on the up. She had recently come out to her family, secured a new job at a computer consulting firm, and was ready to move forward.
In March 1998, she set off on a Caribbean cruise with her parents, Iva and Ron, and her younger brother, Brad. The trip was a prize Ron had won through work. But what began as a celebration quickly spiralled into one of the most mysterious missing persons cases in recent history.
On the night of 23 March, Amy and Brad partied with other passengers and members of the ship’s band, Blue Orchid. She was seen dancing with one of the band members, Alister “Yellow” Douglas. Video footage confirmed their interaction.
At around 3.40am, Amy and Brad returned to their cabin. They chatted on the balcony before Brad fell asleep. When their father Ron checked at around 5.15am, Amy was still there.
Just 30 minutes later, she was gone. Her cigarettes and lighter were missing too.
Initial searches on board were delayed. The family pleaded with the crew to make an announcement and stop passengers from disembarking. They were told it was too early. By the time any action was taken, it was nearly 8am.
By then, Amy had vanished. A four-day search by the Dutch Caribbean Coast Guard turned up nothing. Royal Caribbean later commissioned its own search, but no trace of Amy was found.
What followed were years of leads, each raising more questions than answers.
- April 1998: A taxi driver in Curaçao claimed he saw Amy on 24 March, frantically looking for a phone.
- August 1998: Canadian tourists reported seeing her at a beach bar with a man resembling Douglas.
- January 1999: A former Navy officer said a woman in a brothel identified herself as Amy and begged for help.
- 2003–2007: Multiple reports placed Amy in Aruba, San Francisco, and Barbados, often with men who allegedly fled once someone recognised her.
- 2010: A human jawbone washed ashore in Aruba. To this day, it remains untested and unidentified.
In 2010, Amy was legally declared dead—though her family continues to believe she may still be alive.
Kidnapping and human trafficking remain the most discussed possibilities, especially given the reported sightings of Amy in distress. Others believe she may have been murdered on board and thrown overboard. But with no physical evidence to support that, it’s speculation.
Another theory points to suicide or accidental drowning. However, Amy was a trained lifeguard and strong swimmer—making this less convincing.
Lastly, some suggest she left voluntarily to start a new life. This theory is partly fuelled by unusual logins from Barbados to a missing persons forum dedicated to Amy, specifically on emotionally significant dates.
Online investigator Anthony Willis, who founded the amybradleyismissing.com site in 2018, believes the forum’s traffic patterns could be critical in solving the mystery. His work, along with new witness accounts and technological advancements, forms part of the new Netflix series.
For the Bradley family, the pain remains as raw as it was in 1998. Their hope? That this renewed media spotlight will bring new tips—or closure.
As viewers around the world tune into Amy Bradley Is Missing, perhaps someone, somewhere, holds the key to one of the Caribbean’s most enduring mysteries.
