Virgin Cruise Ship Rescues 18 Cuban Refugees from Sinking Boat

Another rescue at sea occurred through the vacation season, when the crew aboard Virgin Voyages’ Scarlet Lady plucked 18 refugees from a makeshift boat within the Caribbean on New Year’s Eve. It was the fourth cruise ship rescue of migrants within the area inside per week.

Boat Sighted Between Key West, Cuba

The group of 18 Cuban refugees, together with males, ladies, and youngsters, encountered Virgin Voyages’ Scarlet Lady between Key West and Cuba on December 31, 2002, whereas the ship was crusing its 6-night New Years’ Ahoy Cruise from Miami. Scarlet Lady had departed Costa Maya and was headed to Bimini.

According to studies, the refugee boat was noticed round 5:30 PM, and a crew member swam to the boat with a rope whereas its inhabitants have been bailing water from the vessel and yelling for assist. The group was taken on board, in accordance with maritime legislation that requires cruise ships to help anybody in misery at sea.

Involved within the rescue was Scarlet Lady captain Giovanni Schiaffino, who posted a photograph of the rescue on Instagram and wrote: “I will never forget this photo, because in this image there are fear, hope, charity, desperation, strength, love, fraternity, honor, desire, dreams, emotion, altruism, solidarity.”

Schiaffino continued, “and if you happen to listen in that arm outstretched by our crew member, ..you might discover 1094 outstretched arms and outstretched arms from all my wonderful Scarlet crew members, and I’m certain from all of us at VV. Thanks once more for what all of us did collectively.“

The ship modified course and commenced heading to Key West. A US Coast Guard vessel arrived at about 9 PM and transferred the refugees onboard. Guests watching the switch mentioned refugees had been given spa robes and Virgin Voyages uniforms to put on.

Scarlet Lady then continued her New Year cruise with a port name in Bimini earlier than returning to Miami on January 2, 2023. The 2,770-guest ship departed on her subsequent cruise as scheduled, a four-night Fire and Sunset Soiree crusing to Nassau and Bimini within the Bahamas.

Cruise Ship Rescues No Longer Uncommon

It wasn’t the primary time {that a} Virgin cruise ship had come across Cuban refugees. On September 14, 2022, Scarlet Lady’s crew rescued eight individuals discovered on a makeshift raft north of Cuba. Its occupants have been taken onboard, and correct authorities have been alerted.

There have been different end-of-year rescues in the identical space. Carnival Cruise Line’s Carnival Sunrise picked up a number of refugees from a small boat off the Cuba coast on December 30, 2022, whereas the ship was headed again to its homeport in Miami.

Three days later, Carnival Celebration rescued 5 refugees on a makeshift raft off the coast of Havana, Cuba. The ship was on her manner again to Miami, too. And on January 2, 2023, Celebrity Cruises’ Celebrity Beyond rescued 19 Cuban migrants within the Florida straights because the ship was returning to its homeport in Fort Lauderdale.