SEYCHELLES Police found one of the dead Maersk security contractors slumped on the bed and the other lying face up on the deck of his cabin, a syringe in his left hand and brown heroin powder nearby, reported the New York Times.
Witnesses say the two former US Navy SEALs had a big night out before they closed the casino at 3am in the company of two women, before returning to the ill-fated 1,092-TEU Maersk Alabama alone at 6am.
The night before Jeffrey Reynolds and Mark Kennedy, both 44, played blackjack and drank vodka and tequila with sailors from New Zealand at Le Rendez Vous and the Pirates Arms pubs.
The evening began when Mr Kennedy and Mr Reynolds headed to for the jungle-themed Rendez Vous in downtown Port Victoria with a view of the silver clock tower in honour of Queen Victoria.
They then went to the first of two casinos, when at 11pm two of their companions left to return to the ship. Partying on, Mr Kennedy and Mr Reynolds headed to the Victoria International Casino, where staff members recalled that Mr Reynolds played blackjack while Mr Kennedy flirted with the female staff.
Casino staff recalled the men as jovial and that they went out to an ATM to get more money as "rounds of drinks mounted", according to the Times report.
Casino security man Robert Nanty recalled that Mr Kennedy "was telling us he speaks a bit of Creole," though not the local variety, and tried it out. "He was talking with everyone," Mr Nanty said.
They were told to leave at 3am when the casino closed. "I told them, 'Hey look, we need to close,'" Mr. Nanty said. "'You have to leave.'"
Autopsies showed the cause of death for both men was respiratory failure and possible heart attacks. "The police report includes suspicion of drug use, as indicated by the presence of a syringe and traces of heroin, which were found in the cabin," said police spokesman Jean Toussaint.
It was in Mr Kennedy's cabin, more than 12 hours later, that a ship security officer discovered the bodies.