Photo: Carnival Cruises
Passengers celebrating the arrival of the New Year onboard cruise ships were most likely not expecting to witness a rescue operation on their way back to the U.S. Unfortunately, this is becoming a common occurrence, as refugees are trying to get to the States using onboard makeshift watercraft that could end up being fatal.
It’s never a good idea to sail away on an improvised, DIY boat that couldn’t survive on a lake, let alone the ocean. Yet, folks keep doing that, sometimes with comical results (remember this guy and his floating hamster wheel?) On the other hand, there’s nothing funny about refugees from Cuba using such vehicles as the only available means of transportation, hoping to arrive safely in the U.S.
One of the latest watercraft of this kind that ended up needing to be rescued, looked as dangerous as can be – not only was it made from Styrofoam and wood, but was obviously way too small for its 19 passengers. Hardly seaworthy, this makeshift vessel left the people onboard stranded in the Caribbean, right at the beginning of the new year.
That’s when Celebrity Beyond came to the rescue. The Royal Caribbean cruise ship was completing an eight-night voyage in the Western Caribbean, after having left Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on December 26, 2022.
The Celebrity Beyond was introduced as the cruise operator’s “most revolutionary ship yet,” and it made headlines for being led by America’s first female cruise ship captain. Captain Kate McCue was also the one who coordinated this recent rescue operation, together with the Celebrity Beyond’s crew. She stayed in charge of the massive vessel, as the crew brought each of the 19 passengers on the styrofoam boat, onboard.
Thankfully, things ended well for everyone. All the 19 refugees were unhurt, and were later picked up by the U.S. Coast Guard, while the cruise ship made its way back to Florida, with no delay. The bad part is that this isn’t a rare event, but something that happens more often that we’d like to think. Carnival Sunrise and Carnival Dream were also faced with similar situations involving refugees, around the same time (from the end of 2022 to the first days of 2023).
Cruise ships have to save the day, whether they like it or not. They’re required by law to provide assistance in this type of cases, and collaborate with the U.S. Coast Guard. Superyachts are also known to provide a much-needed helping hand in case of emergency, due to the ample space onboard, and capacity to carry a rescue boat and one or more tenders.
At the end of last year, the Victorious superyacht carried out an impressive salvage operation, and it was perfectly equipped to do so, as a self-sufficient explorer specifically meant to survive in challenging situations.
One of the latest watercraft of this kind that ended up needing to be rescued, looked as dangerous as can be – not only was it made from Styrofoam and wood, but was obviously way too small for its 19 passengers. Hardly seaworthy, this makeshift vessel left the people onboard stranded in the Caribbean, right at the beginning of the new year.
That’s when Celebrity Beyond came to the rescue. The Royal Caribbean cruise ship was completing an eight-night voyage in the Western Caribbean, after having left Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on December 26, 2022.
The Celebrity Beyond was introduced as the cruise operator’s “most revolutionary ship yet,” and it made headlines for being led by America’s first female cruise ship captain. Captain Kate McCue was also the one who coordinated this recent rescue operation, together with the Celebrity Beyond’s crew. She stayed in charge of the massive vessel, as the crew brought each of the 19 passengers on the styrofoam boat, onboard.
Thankfully, things ended well for everyone. All the 19 refugees were unhurt, and were later picked up by the U.S. Coast Guard, while the cruise ship made its way back to Florida, with no delay. The bad part is that this isn’t a rare event, but something that happens more often that we’d like to think. Carnival Sunrise and Carnival Dream were also faced with similar situations involving refugees, around the same time (from the end of 2022 to the first days of 2023).
Cruise ships have to save the day, whether they like it or not. They’re required by law to provide assistance in this type of cases, and collaborate with the U.S. Coast Guard. Superyachts are also known to provide a much-needed helping hand in case of emergency, due to the ample space onboard, and capacity to carry a rescue boat and one or more tenders.
At the end of last year, the Victorious superyacht carried out an impressive salvage operation, and it was perfectly equipped to do so, as a self-sufficient explorer specifically meant to survive in challenging situations.
Never thought I’d see this on a cruise. Great rescue by Captain Kate here @CelebrityCruise. And yes, that’s a styrofoam and wood boat. #cubanrefugees #America pic.twitter.com/F3cWJCp2Yc
— Dean S (@deanatl) January 3, 2023
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