Def Leppard Cruise from Hell: Host Announces Famed Rocker's Death

Here's video of the moment Def Leppard had to think their cruise was cursed -- when the host broke the news one of the rockers on board had died.

The deceased was Jimmy Bain, the famed bassist for classic metal groups Dio and Rainbow. He was on the cruise to perform with his new group, Last in Line ... but they never took the stage.

Bain's rumored to have died from pneumonia, but his official cause of death has not been determined.

The whole cruise was filled with mishaps -- including Def Leppard singer Joe Elliott losing his voice! We got Brian Forsythe from the band Kix, also on the cruise, and he explained how the rock show turned into a memorial at sea.