Voyager of the Seas rescued 4 adults, 2 kids, and a black lab off a disabled sailboat drifting off the coast of Marrakesh, Morocco.
In keeping with a passenger, Voyager’s crew could not restore the inoperable boat, so that they introduced the stranded passengers onboard. Different social media stories declare the sailboat had misplaced its masts and had engine troubles. The 137,276 gross registered ton vessel is en path to Gran Canaria, Canary Islands, the place they’re anticipated to reach tomorrow morning.
The Voyager Class ship is on a 16-night transatlantic cruise from Barcelona, Spain, to Port Canaveral, Florida. The cruise hasn’t been with out its challenges, although.
The unique itinerary included seven scheduled ports of name: Palma de Mallorca, Valencia, Cartagena, Malaga, Funchal, Gran Canaria, and Santa Cruz de Tenerife Metropolis. Nevertheless, Valencia was canceled earlier than crusing because of the catastrophic flooding that devastated the area earlier this month.
Then, Malaga was battered by extreme thunderstorms and torrential rain forward of Voyager’s go to, leading to one other canceled port. Most not too long ago, the 4,000-passenger ship could not name at Madeira, Funchal, Portugal, as a consequence of rocky seas. As an alternative, company had been informed they’d keep in a single day in Gran Canaria on Saturday, departing for Tenerife on Sunday afternoon.
After efficiently rescuing the stranded passengers, Voyager of the Seas resumed crusing at 17 knots and is heading towards its subsequent port of name.
Images shared by Karen Fraser present the rescued sailors huddled collectively on the lifeboat, with a black lab sporting a pink lifejacket. The crew’s professionalism and coaching helped guarantee a protected switch of passengers from the sailboat to the lifeboat earlier than returning to Voyager.
Neither Royal Caribbean nor the native authorities have launched an announcement offering details about the rescued people.
It is not unusual for cruise ships to rescue stranded passengers in misery
Earlier this yr, Odyssey of the Seas rescued 77 migrants off the coast of Greece whereas on a 7-night Greek Isles cruise. The packed sailboat was first noticed by a Maltese-flagged cargo ship roughly 112 nautical miles (129 miles) southwest of Pylos. Afterward, Greece’s search and rescue authority helped coordinate the rescue operation.
One passenger documented the incident in a virtually ten-minute-long video, throughout which the crew will be seen telling the stranded migrants to pause boarding, presumably as a result of the lifeboat had drifted. As soon as safely repositioned, the crew continued to assist switch passengers to the lifeboat. The overpacked sailboat had been full of adults and even toddler kids.
Moreover, Oceania Insignia rescued 68 migrants from a drifting fishing boat off the Canary Islands in June. After being noticed by an oil tanker en path to Brazil from Spain, the Spanish authorities diverted Oceania Cruises’ Insignia to help with the rescue operation.
As soon as onboard, an Oceania spokesperson confirmed the migrants acquired medical help and had been offered meals, drinks, and clothes.
Voyager of the Seas will start providing cruises to the Bahamas and Caribbean from Florida
After arriving in Port Canaveral, Voyager will name Florida house by means of Could 2025, the place she’ll function 4- and 5-night cruises to the Bahamas and Caribbean.
The 1,020-foot-long vessel is slated to return to Europe following a 10-night transatlantic cruise starting on Could 16. All through 2025, Voyager will embark on quite a lot of thrilling itineraries from ports like Civitavecchia, Athens, Ravenna, and Barcelona.
Nevertheless, she will not return to the US following the conclusion of the 2025 European season. As an alternative, Voyager of the Seas will head to Australia, making it a sought-after choice for these trying to discover the fantastic thing about the Pacific with out crusing on a Quantum Class ship.