The forgotten life-saving role of cruise ships
In recent years, cruise ships have provided a lifeline for migrants on small boats - Ohad Shahar/Alamy
Barely a month seems to pass by without news of a cruise ship somewhere in the world steaming to the rescue of seafarers in distress.
Such reports appear to be increasingly prevalent, indicative perhaps of both the growing number of passenger ships criss-crossing the oceans and the rise in small craft, often carrying migrants, navigating the seas.
One recent example saw a Norwegian Cruise Line ship diverted from its planned route, to rescue 63 people from an overcrowded sailing yacht in the Mediterranean. Norwegian Epic was heading to Santorini when it was alerted to the stricken boat and stopped to take the occupants aboard, providing medical care, food and water, before handing them to Greek authorities the following morning.
A similar rescue involving a group of around 20 migrants, reportedly including three children, was conducted by the cruise ship MSC Splendida just a week later, in the waters around the Balearic Islands.
These incidents are not just confined to the Mediterranean. There have been several occasions where cruise ships have stopped to help people, often fleeing Cuba or Latin American countries, in the Caribbean, en route to the United States.
It is a side of the cruise industry that is rarely talked about, though any such scenario inevitably attracts interest from passengers on board. Curious onlookers will usually line up along the decks to watch the drama unfolding, with some recording the action and posting footage on social media.
A number of cruise ships have been diverted to come to the rescue of migrants on small boats as sea crossings continue in high numbers - Fethi Belaid/AFP/Getty
One cruise passenger I spoke to recently recalled a sailing off the coast of Italy where the captain announced that their ship had been requested to go to the aid of a small boat containing a group of migrants.
She said: “[The captain] told us that, as we were the nearest ship, we had a responsibility to help, and he reassured us this would not delay our journey.”
The ship pulled up close to the vessel, she added, using its bulk as a windbreak in the blustery conditions to shield the occupants until the Italian coastguard launch arrived and took them ashore.
The maritime code
The captain’s comments reinforced the legal and moral obligations which cruise companies must adhere to under international maritime laws requiring all vessels to assist seafarers in distress.
The industry body Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) confirmed that ships divert where necessary and amend schedules to offer assistance when needed, while covering every expense. With modern facilities, including medical centres, they are well equipped for such eventualities.
“Our role is humanitarian, to protect life, provide emergency care and support transfer to the authorities responsible for further action, and we are proud of the lives saved,” said a CLIA spokesman.
“When a distress call is issued, our captains co-ordinate directly with the responsible rescue co-ordination centre and act under official instruction. Over the past year, our member lines have supported at least seven such rescue operations worldwide.”
In these situations, there are set procedures when a distress call is received on the bridge, either directly from the stricken craft, the local coastguard or other nearby vessels. Sometimes, cruise ships may simply come across seafarers who have already abandoned their vessel and may be in a raft or other craft, as happened last year when two stranded kayakers were rescued by Carnival Cruise Line’s Carnival Jubilee in the Gulf of Mexico.
The Carnival Jubilee cruise ship rescued two stranded kayakers in the Gulf of Mexico in 2024. (Pictured in Tenerife) - Ajith Achuthan/Alamy
Depending on the nature of the rescue, cruise crews may have to prepare to bring survivors on board, which includes lowering the ship’s tenders to aid operations. The ship’s shell doors, near the waterline, will be opened and crew may restrict onboard services or access to certain decks during the procedure.
Anyone brought aboard is typically checked by the ship doctor, given a hot meal and accommodated in a guest or crew cabin, before being picked up by the local coastguard or put ashore at the next port stop.
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Sometimes bridge lookouts or passengers may spot boats that appear to be in trouble and the cruise ship will sail towards it to investigate.
Another cruise passenger told me about a voyage in the Mediterranean where one guest spotted a small boat bobbing aimlessly out at sea.
“It was strange, because we were miles off the coast and it was a basic wooden boat you wouldn’t expect to be out there, and I couldn’t see anyone in it,” he said.
“The bridge was alerted and our ship came to a halt, turned around and sailed towards it. Crew members inspected the boat and all seemed fine, so our ship continued on its way. The captain then made an announcement thanking passengers and said it was nothing to be concerned about.”
Memorable rescues
This may have been a false alarm, but there are plenty of occasions when stranded fishermen, yachties and others have benefited from life-saving encounters with cruise ships, and such good-news stories are sometimes publicised by the lines.
In May this year, Carnival revealed that its ship Carnival Splendor had rescued four people and three dogs who were stranded aboard a disabled catamaran south of New Caledonia in the South Pacific.
Rescued catamaran cruisers aboard the Carnival Splendor in May after being saved from their troubled craft in the South Pacific - Carnival Cruise Line
Six months prior, new Disney Cruise Line ship Disney Treasure dramatically saved two couples from their sinking catamaran 200 miles from Bermuda as the ship sailed across the Atlantic en route to the US for its maiden voyage.
Cunard flagship Queen Mary 2 (QM2), which makes regular transatlantic crossings, has been involved in more unusual scenarios.
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In 2017, the ocean liner rescued lone sailor Mervyn Wheatley, who had issued a mayday after encountering “the worst conditions” he had ever faced in a major Atlantic storm that struck during a transatlantic race causing several yachts to get into difficulties.
Four years before that, QM2 helped Canadian rower Mylène Paquette, whose attempt to become the first North American woman to row solo across the Atlantic was impeded by stormy conditions.
After being requested to rendezvous with the rower, who was 83 days into her challenge, QM2 is reported to have greeted her with three blasts from its funnel and slowly circled the boat to calm the water, before dropping watertight canisters containing vital supplies that enabled her to continue her record-breaking journey.
Paquette described seeing the liner steaming to her aid in the middle of the North Atlantic as “a dream come true” – a vision that must have hit home for many stranded sea-goers since.
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