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Heroic High Seas: Carnival Cruise Ship Rescues 27 Refugees Near Cuba

In an act of extraordinary heroism, the Carnival Paradise cruise ship rescued 27 Cuban nationals from a perilous situation at sea on April 21, 2024. The rescue operation took place west of Cuba during a 5-night Western Caribbean cruise, as the ship was en route to Roatan, Honduras.

The ship’s vigilant bridge crew noticed a small boat in distress around 2:30 p.m. The vessel, a makeshift wooden boat equipped with a non-functional sail, was alarmingly overcrowded and lacked sufficient supplies for its passengers.

The Carnival Paradise quickly altered course to aid the struggling individuals, who were found roughly 20 miles southeast of Los Cajuelos, Cuba’s westernmost point.

Upon successful rescue, all individuals were brought onboard the Carnival Paradise and were provided with essential care, including food, water, and medical attention.

The U.S. Coast Guard Sector Key West and authorities in Roatan were promptly notified to coordinate further assistance and ensure the refugees were handled according to standard procedures.

Despite the unexpected diversion, the ship’s schedule remains unaffected. Given that the day of the rescue was a planned day at sea, the ship can adjust its speed to make up for any lost time, thereby ensuring a timely arrival in Roatan.

This incident marks another commendable rescue by the Carnival Paradise, which has a notable history of lifesaving efforts.

Previously, the ship has been involved in several other rescues, including the aid of a sailor in 2019 and two refugee rescues in 2022, all near Cuban waters.

These actions underscore the ship’s ongoing commitment to maritime safety and its readiness to respond to emergencies at sea.

The Carnival Paradise, one of the older ships in the Carnival fleet, continues to operate out of Tampa, Florida. It offers various Caribbean itineraries, including future visits to the soon-to-open Celebration Key in the Bahamas, demonstrating its enduring appeal and operational excellence.

As the Carnival Paradise continues its journey, passengers not only enjoy a serene voyage but also a sense of pride in the ship’s steadfast dedication to upholding the safety and dignity of human life at sea.

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Carnival cruise passengers said other cruisers cheered — and jeered —when their ship rescued 24 migrants adrift at sea

• A Carnival cruise ship rescued 24 migrants lost at sea last week, two passengers told Insider.
• A spokesperson for the company said cruise ships often come to the aid of boats in distress.
• "It was amazing to watch people cheer and clap once the last person stepped onto the ship," one passenger said. 

Carnival cruise passengers watched on as crew members rescued 24 migrants from a small boat adrift in the Caribbean earlier this month, according to news reports and two passengers on board the ship, who spoke to Insider about the unexpected mission.

The Carnival Spirit , a 2,100-passenger capacity cruise ship, was en route to Aruba on April 11 when it came upon a small motorized boat floating in the open seas between the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico, the cruise line and passengers said.

"I saw them on the starboard side and they were taking on water," said Carol Sutton, 63, who was leaving brunch with her granddaughter when she and other passengers first noticed the boat in the distance.

The cruise ship's captain soon came over the loudspeaker informing passengers that the ship would be slowing down to assist with an emergency rescue, Sutton and another passenger told Insider.

"I could see in the distance a boat loaded with people," said Tonja Senn, 60, an Oklahoman cruising with her husband. "They had some motor capability, a couple of outboard engines, but you could tell they were starting to fail or run out of gas."

Photos of the rescue shared with Insider show the cruise ship maneuvering toward the smaller raft and deploying a side hatch in order to allow the migrants access to the larger boat.

For more than an hour, passengers watched as Carnival crew members helped the migrants board the ship, where they were screened for safety measures and treated by medical staff. A spokesperson for Carnival Cruises told Insider that all 24 people were found to be in good condition, and passengers said the cruise staff provided migrants with food and water. 

"The refugees were happy and jubilant to be found," Senn said.

Passengers said they later heard from crew members and other cruisers that the migrants were Dominican and had been trying to reach Puerto Rico; the group of adults had apparently been adrift for three days by the time Carnival found them, one passenger said, citing conversations with crew members.

A Carnival spokesperson said the crew coordinates with the US Coast Guard during rescue missions

Approximately two hours after the migrants first boarded the cruise ship, the captain announced the Carnival Spirit would once again change direction, this time to meet up with a Coast Guard vessel which took charge of the migrants upon transfer, passengers said.

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Coast Guard officials confirmed to WSVN-TV, a local Miami news station , that the migrants had been trying to reach Puerto Rico, though the agency did not confirm their nationality. The Coast Guard did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.

WSVN-TV reported that the Coast Guard coordinated with the Dominican Republic liaison, as well as the country's navy, which took care of the migrants as they were presumably returned to their country. 

"It makes your heart sad when you know these people are so desperate," Senn told Insider. "They're feeling the need to escape their country that they would go to such an extent."

But not everyone was apparently as moved by the migrants' plight. Sutton said she was standing near several people who expressed concerns about allowing the refugees on board while observing the rescue.

"People were not being very humanitarian toward them," she told Insider.

Sutton said she heard some passengers complaining about possibly missing or being late to their next port stop scheduled for the following day. The ship's itinerary was not ultimately impacted since the rescue occurred during a sea travel day.

Others seemed to be afraid the refugees could be dangerous, Sutton said.

But Senn, who agreed that some passengers were "grumbling" about the unplanned rescue, also said the naysayers were very much in the minority. Most of the passengers, she said, were happy to have played a role in the rescue.

"It was amazing to watch the people cheer and clap once the last person stepped onto the ship," she said. 

Though primarily designed as vacation vessels, large cruise ships often come to the aid of those in peril on the sea. Carnival's April rescue was its fifth of 2023, according to The Washington Post, and several other cruise lines have already performed similar assistance missions this year, the majority of which concerned migrants at sea.

Senn, who described herself as an "avid cruiser" of more than 50 cruises in her lifetime, said she has witnessed at least five such rescues.

"We've been on ships where we've rescued rafts in between Cuba and Florida before," she said. "We've even seen one where the raft was empty."

"It just breaks your heart," she added.

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Carnival Celebration crew pull 20 migrants to safety after spotting small vessel north of Cuba

MIAMI (WSVN) - A cruise ship crossed paths with a group of migrants on a dangerous open-water journey. Then the crew came to their rescue.

Hundreds of passengers aboard the Carnival Celebration clapped and cheered as crew members rescued a group of migrants on Saturday.

The ship’s crew had spotted the migrants’ tattered vessel about 20 miles north of Cuba as they were heading back to PortMiami.

Passengers gathered along the deck as the ship made a turn to help the 20 people crammed into the tiny boat.

“We were sitting out on the open deck, and it flew past us, but we were going in the other direction, so we were like, ‘Wow, what was that?'” said passenger Dawn LeGrand.

“It was alarming because you see a small boat with, like, 19 people in there and dumping water off the boat,” said passenger Jay Vellon. “I mean, it’s not even considered a boat. It’s a little, small boat over capacity.”

Vellon described what happened next.

“Our cruise ship did a turn and approached the guys safely, and then they threw out a life jacket with a rope and just reeled the guys in and secured the small boat to the cruise ship,” he said.

Once the ship alerted the U.S. Coast Guard, one of their cutters was able to rescue those 20 people, who officials say are Cuban.

The migrants will be repatriated back to Cuba, according to USCG officials.

“They were packed in there. It was scary ’cause, if we didn’t go by, they could – would they have made it?” said LeGrand.

No injuries were reported.

Passengers said the whole ordeal took a couple of hours, and then the Celebration sailed into PortMiami.

Carnival Cruise released the following statement:

Carnival Celebration’s team helped a group of 20 people in distress on a boat in the Florida Straits on Saturday. The ship’s team gave them food and water and called the U.S. Coast Guard Sector Key West, which deployed a cutter and rescued the stranded group. The ship then resumed sailing toward PortMiami. Matt Lupoli, Senior Manager of Public Relations Carnival Cruise Line

Copyright 2024 Sunbeam Television Corp. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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Video shows carnival cruise ship rescuing migrants at sea.

Video shows the moment a Carnival cruise ship came to aid a group of migrants at sea near Cuba. The USCG said no injuries were reported and that the migrants will be repatriated back to Cuba. Feb. 27, 2024

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Carnival, Celebrity cruise crews rescue dozens of migrants drifting in small boats off Florida, videos show

Carnival celebration and celebrity beyond cruise ships rescued migrants adrift at sea in small boats.

Celebrity Beyond cruise ship rescues 19 migrants floating at sea in small boat off Florida

Crew members aboard Celebrity Beyond rescued 19 migrants from a crowded boat Monday off the coast of Florida. (Captain Kate McCue)

Crews aboard two Carnival and Celebrity cruise ships rescued about two dozen migrants drifting at sea in small boats off the coast of Florida just days after hundreds of other migrants arrived at boat landings in the Florida Keys.

Videos posted to social media show crew members aboard the Celebrity Beyond and Carnival Celebration cruise ships spot people in distress aboard small vessels in two separate instances on Monday.

The Celebrity Beyond rescued 19 migrants from a crowded boat. Capt. Kate McCue said in a video she posted to social media that she turned the ship around after her chief officer noticed a glimmer on the horizon. The glimmer turned out to be the migrants.

After the migrants were aboard the ship, crew members provided them with blankets, a change of clothes, food, and a medical evaluation, McCue said. The U.S. Coast Guard was also contacted.

FLORIDA SEES HUNDREDS OF MIGRANTS IN BOAT LANDINGS OVER WEEKEND, SHERIFF CALLS IT ‘MASS MIGRATION CRISIS’

Capt. Kate McCue, the skipper of Celebrity Beyond, posted video of Monday's rescue on social media. (Captain Kate McCue / Fox News)

Meanwhile, the Carnival Celebration rescued five people on a small vessel about 29 miles northwest of Cuba. The crew brought the migrants aboard the cruise ship and contacted the Coast Guard, which took them into custody offshore, Carnival Cruise Line spokesman Matt Lupoli said.

Carnival cruise ship rescues 5 migrants in small vessel floating toward Florida

Crew members aboard the Carnival Celebration cruise ship spotted five people in distress on a small vessel about 29 miles northwest of Cuba on Monday. (Mark Stachowski/LOCAL NEWS X /TMX)

"The ship resumed on its voyage with its scheduled itinerary unaffected and Carnival Celebration returned to Miami on Tuesday morning after a week-long Caribbean cruise," Lupoli said.

The rescues marked the latest episode in a wave of migrant landings in the Florida Keys in the past several days that the local sheriff's office has called a "crisis."

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Over the weekend, 300 migrants arrived at Dry Tortugas National Park, located west of Key West, the National Park Service said. On Sunday, park officials said the park has seen an increase in people arriving from Cuba, prompting its closure for the next several days. 

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Separately, 160 migrants arrived by boats in other parts of the Florida Keys over New Year’s weekend, and on Monday around 30 people in two new groups of migrants were found in the Middle Keys.

"This shows a lack of a working plan by the federal government to deal with a mass migration issue that was foreseeable," Monroe County Sheriff Rick Ramsay said Monday in a news release.

Most of the migrants are from Cuba and Haiti, and are escaping economic turmoil, food shortages, and inflation. 

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The exodus of people fleeing Cuba for the United States hit an all-time high in 2022 year as the Caribbean country intensified its crackdown on citizens. Meanwhile, the United States’ southern border crisis continues to spiral. 

Border authorities recorded more than 227,000 Cubans attempting to enter the U.S. illegally from December 2021 to 2022.

Fox News’ Louis Casiano and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Carnival cruise ship departing from Tampa rescues 27 Cuban nationals

While en route from Tampa to Roatan, Honduras, a Carnival cruise ship helped rescue 27 Cuban nationals who were lost at sea and signaling for help on Sunday afternoon.

The bridge team onboard Carnival Paradise spotted the vessel that the Cubans were in and turned the ship around to rescue them. They were taken aboard, given food, and attended to the medical team.

The U.S. Coast Guard Sector Key West and Roatan officials were notified of the rescue.

Carnival Paradise is scheduled to arrive in Honduras on Monday.

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• Carnival Celebration cruise ship crew rescues 21 Cuban migrants...

Carnival Celebration cruise ship crew rescues 21 Cuban migrants in open-sea encounter

A maritime encounter unfolded as a CCL-Carnival cruise ship intercepted a group of migrants embarking on a perilous open-water journey, prompting a swift response from the crew.

On Saturday, February 24, passengers aboard the Carnival Celebration witnessed a rescue effort by crew members as they came to the aid of a group of migrants.

~20 miles north of Cuba (Havana) , the ship's crew spotted the distressed vessel carrying the migrants while en route to PortMiami Florida .

The Captain (Vincenzo Alcaras) made the announcement at 4:28 p.m. Passengers gathered on deck as the ship altered its course to assist the 21 individuals crowded onto the small boat.

Identified by the USCG/Coast Guard as Cubans, these migrants were not ordinary travelers but individuals seeking refuge and a better future amidst the vast expanse of the sea.

Carnival Celebration's crew, trained to handle such situations, swiftly initiated the rescue operation, safely bringing the migrants aboard. Despite taking a few hours, the rescue concluded without any reported injuries.

Upon the arrival of a USCG Cutter at 6:22 p.m., the migrants were transferred into their care, ensuring their well-being and initiating the repatriation process back to Cuba.

Following the rescue operation, the Carnival Celebration continued her journey back to Miami.

The incident occurred at the end of the 7-day roundtrip voyage from homeport Miami (Florida USA) visiting Mexico ( Cozumel /Feb 20), Honduras ( Isla Roatan's Mahogany Bay /Feb 22), and Mexico ( Costa Maya /Feb 23).

For more Carnival Celebration incidents and accidents see the ship's CruiseMinus page .

Watch CBS News

Cruise ship Mardi Gras rescues 16 people who were stranded at sea

June 4, 2022 / 7:54 AM EDT / CBS News

A small vessel navigating rough waters that was spotted in distress on Friday was rescued by crew members aboard the Mardi Gras, according to a release from  Carnival Cruise line's blog.

Crew members stopped to help before 8 a.m. on Friday as the ship headed toward Florida.

Sixteen people — 11 men and five women — were stranded in the open sea near Cuba. The Mardi Gras crew took them onboard for safety. They were seen by medical staff and given food and clothes, the release said.

The group was safely taken to a Coast Guard cutter around 2:45 p.m.

Mardi Gras was on its final day of a seven-day sail. It will return to its homeport today in Port Canaveral, Fla.

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Carnival Cruise Line answers angry passengers over daring rescue

Cruise ships face situations that never come up at land-based vacations.

Disney World, for example, does not have to worry about pirates, and while the weather has occasionally forced the resort to close, it's generally not a life-or-death situation. And, if a visitor to a land-based hotel, resort, or theme park gets sick, it's relatively easy to get them medical attention.

Related: Carnival Cruise Line confirms ban on a popular cabin hack

On a cruise ship, medical emergencies can force a ship to return to port and, in some dramatic cases, passengers can be airlifted to land when the situation warrants it. Sometimes, a cruise ship captain has to make decisions based on health and safety that passengers do not like.

Sometimes that's a minor inconvenience, like staying in port longer or returning to a port unexpectedly. When that happens, in most cases, the casino and onboard shops have to close.

Passengers may not like that, but the safety of passengers takes precedent over everything else. Cruise ship captains are also bound by maritime law. That means that in certain situations they don't have a choice and have to act a certain way.

Carnival rescues Cuban refugees

Cruise ships somewhat regularly come upon situations at sea where they need to offer aid, That's a law, not a decision, according to Carnival brand ambassador John Heald.

"Last night I posted a report of how the Carnival Paradise had rescued Cuban refugees. These men, women and children had dire need of food, water and medical care. I could not believe some of the comments I read, I really was gobsmacked. So then, let me say a few things here if I may. It is maritime law that we rescue people in peril on the sea. That’s the first thing. Secondly to answer some of the at best, silly statements people made and at worst some of the disgusting 'leave them, they made that choice, we do not want them in America,'" he wrote. 

The ship's captain, he noted, was following the law and there are strict protocols for the rescued people.

"There are stringent and well-practiced safety and security protocols when these rescues are carried out. I am not going to share all of them but for those who were worried and those who were angry that we did this I will share a few things. The refugees are not allowed anywhere but the medical centre and an area on a crew deck where they are always under watch from our Security team. They are not allowed to be in any guest areas, obviously, and all security and medical precautions are undertaken before they are handed over to United States Coast Guard," he added.

Carnival's brand ambassador poses a question

Heald, who rarely expressed anger despite often being treated poorly by a small subset of his followers, had a strong rebuke for some of the responses to this rescue.

"I want to also say this to those who wrote such bile filled words yesterday. Forget the fact that rescuing those in peril on the sea is Maritime Law. Instead let me give you this scenario," he wrote. "You are the Captain of the ship. You see a group of men, women and children in a boat that is obviously not going to survive at sea much longer. You see these hands waving in the air, desperate for help, desperate to live. Could you ignore them? Could you just keep going and not have any guilt about doing so?"

He reiterated that the cruise line will always do the right thing.

"Carnival Cruise Line will always help all people of all nations who need lifesaving rescue at sea. We are true to that principle and that will never change," he added.

Hundreds of people responded positively to Heald's post.

"We are all human beings regardless of where we are from or our station in life. Glad Carnival continues to share the love," Robin Woodruff wrote.

Carnival cruise ship rescues two men stranded in kayak off Mexico coast

A Carnival Cruise Line ship rescued two people stranded in a kayak on Monday.

Carnival Jubilee’s crew discovered the two men off the coast of Mexico’s Isla Mujeres. The pair said they had been using the kayak to stay afloat after their boat sank.

“They were welcomed onto the ship safely and were evaluated by the ship’s medical staff and given first aid and food,” the cruise line said in a news release . Carnival spokesperson Matt Lupoli did not have additional details about who the men were.

“The ship’s team and Carnival’s Fleet Operation Center staff in Miami kept in close contact with Mexican Navy officials and arranged a transfer, which was completed shortly after the rescue,” the release continued.

Jubilee, the newest ship in Carnival’s fleet , is currently sailing a week-long Western Caribbean itinerary, according to CruiseMapper . The cruise left from Galveston, Texas on Saturday.

The ship continued on its planned route, with a scheduled stop at Mahogany Bay in Roatan, Honduras on Tuesday, the cruise line said.

The news comes after another Carnival Vista rescued six men near the Dominican Republic last month after their small cargo vessel capsized. The line’s Mardi Gras ship also rescued a couple stranded in a sailboat in August.

Nathan Diller is a consumer travel reporter for USA TODAY based in Nashville. You can reach him at [email protected].