Oasis just picked up 22 refugees

[joe6666]

I remember on the way back from a Bermuda trip, about 300 miles off the US coast, the ship slowed and came close to an upturned speedboat. It had two large out drives and it was obviously a fast boat. Hard to tell but I’d guess about 30ft.

No one was aboard, at least no one popped out from under the boat.

The ship didn’t send out a boat.

No way to tell for sure but I was thinking it might have been a drug runner sent out to meet a ship and bad weather may have overwhelmed them.

This was either Enchantment or Celebrity Mercury. I can’t remember.

[Tyler80]

Maybe this is a stupid thought but isn't there a maximum number of passengers allowed on a ship? Won't the extra people make it go over? Unless the ship isn't sailing at full capacity of course.

 

There is ALWAYS room for stranded mariners, refugees or anyone else lost at sea.

 

Video:

 

Cruisecritic news release: http://www.cruisecritic.com/news/news.cfm?ID=4795

[Albert Ross]

While I am happy these people are being rescued, I feel it is just a matter of time before terrorists use this as a method to get on board a ship.

 

Reader

Risking life and limb to bob around the ocean in a little boat in the vague hope that a passing cruise ship may stop and pick you up is not the most efficient terrorist tactic I feel....:rolleyes:

[roe2ship]

I'm not losing any sleep thinking about terrorists but I don't believe anyone suspected that they would fly airliners into buildings or that pirates in speed boats could capture freighters and oil tankers. For anyone to be that dismissive of the poster's point is just foolish or clueless. Ship security isn't exactly special forces.:rolleyes:

My thoughts exactly.

[Reader0108598]

I'm not losing any sleep thinking about terrorists but I don't believe anyone suspected that they would fly airliners into buildings or that pirates in speed boats could capture freighters and oil tankers. For anyone to be that dismissive of the poster's point is just foolish or clueless. Ship security isn't exactly special forces.:rolleyes:[/quote

 

Great post

[Ocean Boy]

I'm not losing any sleep thinking about terrorists but I don't believe anyone suspected that they would fly airliners into buildings or that pirates in speed boats could capture freighters and oil tankers. For anyone to be that dismissive of the poster's point is just foolish or clueless. Ship security isn't exactly special forces.:rolleyes:

 

Exactly.

[NorthCarolinaBelle]

While it is nice that they were saved, they will probably be imprisoned then killed once returned to their country of origin. Many countries do this and it's so sad.

 

We should always count our blessings that we live in a country that gives us our freedom. Thank god to our military for allowing us to have that everyday.

 

<wife of a USM..Oorah..

:)

 

THANK YOU! I appreciate the sacrifices you and your husband are making for my freedom!

[lori450]

I could sooo easily see this as a terrorist tactic. How devastating to take down 7000 people at once. The terror of being trapped on a ship with them?? It is terrorism, not acquisition of a ship that they are after. Can you imagine the damage to the cruise industry and the cascade/trickle down to all the other industries that supply the cruise industry?

I saw the video on you tube. They appeared to investigate via a lifeboat, hopefully, they wouldn't let terrorists board the ship without revealing their motives (e.g. killing a crew person on the life boat to be able to baord the ship thereby revealing himself) before being brought aboard. When you don't care about your own life, the possiblities widen.

 

What a depressing post.... (mine)

[johneeo]

I'm not losing any sleep thinking about terrorists but I don't believe anyone suspected that they would fly airliners into buildings or that pirates in speed boats could capture freighters and oil tankers. For anyone to be that dismissive of the poster's point is just foolish or clueless. Ship security isn't exactly special forces.:rolleyes:

 

Geez. The point was that a boat adrift with refugees could possibly be terrorists. Not gonna work.

 

Sure. Terrorists could attack a cruise ship, but, posing as a dingy adrift at sea just is not gonna work.

 

As for who would have thought that terrorists could fly airliners into builidings? Me.

 

Goes back to the ridiculous star wars defense system. If the Soviet Union wanted to nuke us, just put the nuke on any Aeroflot commercial plane to the U.S. and ......

 

Also, why would terrorist want to mess with a cruise ship in the Caribbean. Some imaginations are pretty wild.

[Ocean Boy]

Also, why would terrorist want to mess with a cruise ship in the Caribbean. Some imaginations are pretty wild.

You mean why might terrorists want to mess with an American company's cruise ship, with thousands of Americans aboard, in the Caribbean?

[Amberle3]

Do you want to talk about how many people in the UK have died in terrorist attacks? I don't hear them talking about being afraid to take the subway. Or get on a cruise ship.

 

While the 9/11 attack was absolutely terrible, the US is not the only country in the world that has suffered terrorist attacks. There is no reason to believe that being on a US owned cruise ship is going to make you any more of a target than being on any other cruise ship. Or airplane. Or subway.

[Ocean Boy]

Do you want to talk about how many people in the UK have died in terrorist attacks? I don't hear them talking about being afraid to take the subway. Or get on a cruise ship.

 

While the 9/11 attack was absolutely terrible, the US is not the only country in the world that has suffered terrorist attacks. There is no reason to believe that being on a US owned cruise ship is going to make you any more of a target than being on any other cruise ship. Or airplane. Or subway.

 

Ok, sorry to offend you by singling out Americans. And no one motioned being afraid to get on a ship. :rolleyes:

[PinkLemonade]

Even if the ship was sailing at full capacity, I'm sure the ship could take on about 10-15% more and still not sink. :) Did you mean with respect to the law or the physical capacity limit?

 

I meant with respect to the number of lifeboats should something happen (keep thinking of titanic :o)

[bigfig63]

A couple of years ago while on a Carnival cruise, one of our tablemates was a Coast Guardsman stationed in Florida. He talked about the rafts coming from Cuba and their interdiction. He said that if the refugees make it and are able to set foot on US soil then they are granted asylum and given $1000 to start their life here. If they are intercepted prior to arrival then they are returned to their country.

 

Had no reason to doubt him but it was a pretty interesting story.

[Big_G]

Do you want to talk about how many people in the UK have died in terrorist attacks? I don't hear them talking about being afraid to take the subway. Or get on a cruise ship.

 

While the 9/11 attack was absolutely terrible, the US is not the only country in the world that has suffered terrorist attacks. There is no reason to believe that being on a US owned cruise ship is going to make you any more of a target than being on any other cruise ship. Or airplane. Or subway.

 

I'll repeat, I'm not losing any sleep and I cruise and fly without worry but just being American makes you more of a target than most others. Thanks for your concern.

[lori450]

A couple of years ago while on a Carnival cruise, one of our tablemates was a Coast Guardsman stationed in Florida. He talked about the rafts coming from Cuba and their interdiction. He said that if the refugees make it and are able to set foot on US soil then they are granted asylum and given $1000 to start their life here. If they are intercepted prior to arrival then they are returned to their country.

 

Had no reason to doubt him but it was a pretty interesting story.

 

this is called the wet foot/dry foot policy

[TEXASMUNK]

The Souls on Board regulations DO NOT apply in any rescue scenario.

[Bakincakes]

I seem to recall that there was a Jewish American that was singled out and murdered on a cruise ship by terrorists.:(

 

I'm sure many people believe that the salary and benefits our military receive are more than enough compensation for putting their lives on the line for the rest of us.

 

They are probably the same kind of people who think that tipping the crew on cruise ships 25 cents a day is excessive.:rolleyes:

[grand isle joe]

..it is a shame they won't be able to see any shows since they didn't reserve before hand....oh well maybe they can enter "stand-by".....