Maritime law obligates cruise ships to assist anyone needing help at sea.
Such incidents aren't all that common because while cruise ships are big, the oceans are vast, and it's rare that a rescue opportunity comes up.
When it happens, however, it's impressive to watch the cruise ship's crew spring into action. In a recent case the crew of Royal Caribbean's Voyager of the Seas rescued a stranded family and their dog offshore Morocco on Nov. 15.
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Once a resuce is completed, the cruise ship provides medical care and food and the rescued people are quarantined away from passengers. They are then dropped off to authorities at the next available port.
If they need medical care beyond what the ship can offer, an extra stop would be added to transfer the rescued passengers.
Doug Parker of Cruise News Today shared the video of the rescue and more details.
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Voyager of the Seas rescues family, dog
This is Cruise News Today with Doug Parker. Rescued by a cruise ship. Royal Caribbean's Voyager of the Seas rescued a stranded family and their dog off the coast of Morocco on Friday.
The family's sailboat suffered engine failure and lost its masts, leaving them adrift.
The ship's crew attempted to repair the sailboat but ultimately brought the family and their black lab on board the ship. Everyone is safe, though the sailboat was left behind. The family was said to debark at the next port of call before Voyager started its crossing across the Atlantic Ocean.
More reports from Cruise News Today
Health officials are monitoring norovirus cases aboard Princess Cruises' Coral Princess. On the monthlong cruise from Singapore to LA, it wrapped yesterday, but on that voyage 70 people fell ill. According to the CDC, 55 passengers and 15 crew members reported symptoms of vomiting and diarrhea.
During the voyage, Princess Cruises stepped up its cleaning and increased its sanitation measures. Cruise lines are required to report to the CDC if over 3% of the people on board are sick. This is the 11th U.S. ship with a noro or E. coli case in 2024.
And Carnival Cruise Line will continue operating out of the Port of Baltimore for at least five more years following a new agreement announced by Maryland Gov. Wes Moore.
The deal, which takes effect Jan. 1 and includes a five-year renewal option, keeps the cruise line in Baltimore. In 2023, the port saw over 440,000 passengers, making it the third-highest total in its history.
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This year, the port is expected to see 378,000 guests. Each time Carnival Pride comes into Baltimore, the port makes around $1 million in revenue. And cruise line stocks were mixed on Friday.
If you have a lead on a story, let us know. Tips@cruiseradio.net. Here in snowy Utah with Chance the Dog running around, enjoying it, starting to melt though. I'm Doug Parker with Cruise News Today.
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