Two Cruise Ships Rescue Dozens of Migrants

Two more cruise ships rescued dozens of migrant workers in a pair of separate incidents over the weekend.

MSC Cruises’ MSC Meraviglia was returning from Cozumel, Mexico to Florida’s Space Coast on Saturday when it came across a stranded small boat carrying 24 people.

That same day, Royal Caribbean International’s Liberty of the Seas was headed for its private island destination Perfect Day at CocoCay in the Bahamas when it rescued 17 Cuban migrants spotted aboard a makeshift boat.

“Our crew notified the United States Coast Guard and started a rescue operation immediately,” MSC Cruises said in a statement to Florida Today. “All 24 of the boat’s occupants (were brought) on board MSC Meraviglia, where they were checked by medical personnel and provided accommodations until the ship reached Port Canaveral.”

“The 24 who were rescued disembarked once the ship docked on Sunday morning,” the cruise line concluded.

“While en route to The Bahamas, Liberty of the Seas encountered a small vessel adrift and in need of assistance,” Royal Caribbean confirmed in a statement.

Saturday’s rescues came less than two weeks after the Celebrity Beyond and Carnival Celebration cruise ships rescued another 24 stranded migrants in separate incidents near the Florida Keys.