35 migrants rescued at sea - Celebrity Millennium

[son3cruisers]

On board the Millennium

Left Tortola on our way to St Martin. 
Just watched an amazing rescue by crew . 

Captain  announced the Coast guard alerted him to a migrant boat floating a drift. 
35 people ( 2 children) are all now safe aboard the ship .  Not sure if we are turning around back to Tortola or heading to St Martin. 
More details to come
 

[jelayne]

Unfortunately this is getting to be a regular occurrence for all cruise lines.

[DCPIV]

Wow!  I look forward to hearing more.

[zitsky]

Won't they just end up being sent home?

[son3cruisers]

There was a huge police presence this morning- so many vehicles parked on the pier- with Coast guard officials waiting as we disembarked ( we continued on to St Martin. ) So I would assume they will be taken into their custody and sent back home. Rumour has it, if you are in international waters, you are taken back? But if you make land it’s a different story. Not my expertise, so I’m not sure what happens now. Glad they are safe. Captain did report 2 children were “ in distress” but all 35 souls were safe on board. 

[zelekar]

We were not allowed off the ship for around 10 minutes today at around 10 am while the rescued people were taken off the ship in St. Martin.  They were put into vans and accompanied by immigration control. We were told by a crew member that they had run out of fuel, there were too many of them on a small boat, that they had been provided beds and food on the ship, and that they were headed to the hospital.

Edited March 13, 2023 by zelekar

[Boo's Mom]

I experienced this once. 

It was a makeshift boat/raft. (with material for a sail) 

Our ship was legally obligated to stop and pick up the people, even if the people do not want to be picked up. 

 

Our ship sent a lifeboat out to their "vessel".  

Ship's staff circled the raft a few times.  (if you can imagine the safety issue; pirates, potential bomb, etc) 

Ship's staff boarded their vessel. 

 

The people were from Cuba. 

They eventually disembarked in Cozumel.  (where we understood the Mexican authorities would be sending them back to Cuba) 

 

It was really interesting to watch the whole adventure from our balcony. 

The waves were REALLY rough on the raft.  

 

 

[SRQbeachgirl]

We were on the Carnival Mardi Gras last year when we took several men onboard who had been adrift in a tiny boat for several days. Two U.S. Coast Guard vessels rendezvoused with us the next day and they were transferred to them. We were told they were being returrned to Cuba.

[Boogz]

I posted a few short clips from Celebrity Millennium’s rescue of this disabled vessel to my TikTok if you’re interested. Username is _Boogz

 

BZ to the crew of Celebrity Millennium!

[DCPIV]

18 hours ago, son3cruisers said:

Rumour has it, if you are in international waters, you are taken back? But if you make land it’s a different story.

 

That can vary from nation to nation (and even may depend upon where the migrants/refugees are coming from).