12 Rescued & Now on the Wonder?- Update From CNN

[Angeejoe]

My MIL has really got into tracking cruise ships since DH & I went last month. She was on the Disney cruise line blog http://disneycruiselineblog.com/cruise-planning/itineraries/sail-date-summary/?saildate=3603 (on the right hand side of the blog where tweets are) & off to the side some tweeted @ Scott about 12 men rescued & now on the Wonder heading to a Grand Cayman. Link to tweet:

https://mobile.twitter.com/UCF_Knightmare/status/698678681930051584

Anyone know about this? She initially thought man over board. I said maybe a downed boat or a refuge situation?

 

[IBelieveInTheMagic]

The pictures that were shared appear to be refugee type situation.

Heather

 

[Angeejoe]

The pictures that were shared appear to be refugee type situation.

Heather

That's what I thought

 

[MunFam]

Wait, what? The cruise ship will just pick up random people? Do they hold them in a "jail-like" area? What if they were terrorists or pirates? That seems like it could be a little risky, no? I get if there is a medical emergency or a boat sinks...but this seems like is should be a coast guard/police issue.

Maybe I just dont understand how this works.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Wait, what? The cruise ship will just pick up random people? Do they hold them in a "jail-like" area? What if they were terrorists or pirates? That seems like it could be a little risky, no? I get if there is a medical emergency or a boat sinks...but this seems like is should be a coast guard/police issue.

Maybe I just dont understand how this works.

As far as I know, it's some sort of maritime law that a ship must render assistance to incapacitated vessels. I'm sure they check the people out before allowing them to walk about the ship. First stop would probably be the medical center which is pretty isolated.

EDIT: I knew I read something about this law recently. It was on the original Fantasy - Mechanical Problems thread:
http://www.disboards.com/threads/disney-fantasy-mechanical-problems.3481298/page-2#post-55117074

 

[SuzannesDCL]

I am on this cruise and they did not say it was "men". An announcement came on, "Mr. Mop, Mr. Mop, Mr. Mop to Deck 1 Starboard side" repeated X 3. Then we could feel a change in the engines. About 10 minutes later the cruise director came on and said we were stopping to rescue a "raft" in distress. Later at the WD theater the CD said that they had successfully rescued 12 people.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

I am on this cruise and they did not say it was "men". An announcement came on, "Mr. Mop, Mr. Mop, Mr. Mop to Deck 1 Starboard side" repeated X 3. Then we could feel a change in the engines. About 10 minutes later the cruise director came on and said we were stopping to rescue a "raft" in distress. Later at the WD theater the CD said that they had successfully rescued 12 people.

Probably "Mr. MOB" (Man OverBoard)

 

[SuzannesDCL]

Probably "Mr. MOB" (Man OverBoard)

Ahh, yes! Could have been!

 

[SuzannesDCL]

They roped off deck 4 so no one could go out but, I'm betting people up on 9 or 10 would have seen everything though.

 

[asmit4]

It's maritime law that they must rescue people in distress. It has happened like 2 or 3 times a year on a Disney ship. Generally it is refugees trying to get from Cuba to the USA. They hold them on the bottom of the ship by extending the part of the ship that people walk off the ship on. If someone is really hurt they will take them to the doctor on the ship. Generally the US coast guard comes and picks them up quickly and they are taken BACK to Cuba. UNLESS they are inside USA waters----then the coast guard takes them back to the USA for debriefing and they can state their case to try and stay in the US. This is how I understand it.

 

[MammaMoe48]

My MIL has really got into tracking cruise ships since DH & I went last month. She was on the Disney cruise line blog http://disneycruiselineblog.com/cruise-planning/itineraries/sail-date-summary/?saildate=3603 (on the right hand side of the blog where tweets are) & off to the side some tweeted @ Scott about 12 men rescued & now on the Wonder heading to a Grand Cayman. Link to tweet:

https://mobile.twitter.com/UCF_Knightmare/status/698678681930051584

Anyone know about this? She initially thought man over board. I said maybe a downed boat or a refuge situation?

Something similar happened on our last cruise in the Caribbean. A fishing boat off the coast of Cozumel was stranded and three men were brought on board. The ship met up with one of the Mexican naval vessels a couple hours later to bring them home. Our server filled us in that night. It's actually pretty common.

 

[ShelsGoingToDisney]

We were on the Fantasy in May 2012 and we stopped to pick up some guys in a scary looking "raft" from Cuba. It was on the first sea day of a Western cruise. They sent a smaller boat off the ship to get the people. They were kept in a special place on the ship with the plan to be turned over to the authorities in Grand Cayman (our first stop). GC refused to take them though so they ended up staying on the ship until we returned to Port Canaveral. People reported seeing them taken after the ship docked.

Here's a story about it the day after we picked them up:
http://www.cruisecritic.com/v-5/news/news.cfm?ID=4851

On this same cruise we stopped for another raft on the last sea day back to PC. This raft was empty though. Not sure if the people had been rescued or if something happened to them. Here's a photo of the second raft:

 

[Tonka's Skipper]

A very well done to the Wonder, Master.and CM's. Demostrating the finest in Seamen ship and saving lives, and following the traditionals of the seas.

AKK

 

[Chiasgirl]

Wait, what? The cruise ship will just pick up random people? Do they hold them in a "jail-like" area? What if they were terrorists or pirates? That seems like it could be a little risky, no? I get if there is a medical emergency or a boat sinks...but this seems like is should be a coast guard/police issue.

Maybe I just dont understand how this works.

I would be much more concerned if they did not stop to render assistance. The people receiving assistance would not be left to wander freely about the ship. They would receive food and medical attention in a secure setting.
Bravo Zulu to the crew of the Wonder!

 

[MammaMoe48]

Wait, what? The cruise ship will just pick up random people? Do they hold them in a "jail-like" area? What if they were terrorists or pirates? That seems like it could be a little risky, no? I get if there is a medical emergency or a boat sinks...but this seems like is should be a coast guard/police issue.

Maybe I just dont understand how this works.

Generally it would be the responsibility of the Coast Guard or nearest country's navy to rescue a boat in distress, however sometime it can take hours, sometimes days for help to arrive so if a cruise ship happens to be nearby they will provide assistance. If I'm not mistaken they are required by international maritime law to provide assistance if needed.

But they don't just bring people on board, hand them a margarita and send them up to the pool. There's a protocol that must be followed to determine need and if there's a danger but when they do bring people aboard they are fed, given medical attention if needed and held in a secure part of the ship until the captain can transfer them to the local navy or coast guard. If the person is deemed to be a criminal or his intentions are questionable they will be put in the brig (yes, they have those on cruise ships).

To be a captain on any ship, military, civilian, cargo, cruise, etc. one must have a postsecondary degree, attended a Maritime Academy or have many many years of equivalent experience, like say 10 years aboard a ship as a deckhand. Most often they are retired naval officers or Merchant Marines so they know what they are doing and they have complete authority to determine the need for a rescue, detain, investigate and arrest people. They know what they are doing.

 

[Angeejoe]

Update from my MIL, lol!

http://www.cnn.com/2016/02/14/americas/disney-cruise-cuban-migrants/

 

[MUN]

Wait, what? The cruise ship will just pick up random people? Do they hold them in a "jail-like" area? What if they were terrorists or pirates? That seems like it could be a little risky, no? I get if there is a medical emergency or a boat sinks...but this seems like is should be a coast guard/police issue.

Maybe I just dont understand how this works.

How ironic would it be if they were pirates?!?! Especially, if DCL picked them at the same time as the pirate party!

 

[Tonka's Skipper]

Actually there are pirates all over the world, how ever mostly in the middle eastern waters. As to the pp concern. in the Caribbean these almost always small boat loads of refuges, trying to make a new life in the States. They are in open boats or rafts, wearing little more then pants and a shirt. Between the open boats and rafts and limited clothing, very hard to hide weapons. Vessel security and CM's would be carefully watching them and looking for any weapons. There would be plenty of CM's handy at the gangway to stop any problems fast. The cruise ships carry arms as needed, these are of course kept under lock and key.

AKK

 

[Winston Wolf]

So what happens to the raft? I know the people are brought on-board, but do they just leave the raft out there as floating junk?

 

[MammaMoe48]

Actually there are pirates all over the world, how ever mostly in the middle eastern waters. As to the pp concern. in the Caribbean these almost always small boat loads of refuges, trying to make a new life in the States. They are in open boats or rafts, wearing little more then pants and a shirt. between th open boats and rafts and limited clothing, very hard to hide weapons. Vessel security and Cm's would be carefully watching them and looking for any weapons. There would be plenty of CM's handy at the gangway to stop and problems fast. The cruise ships carry arms as needed, these are of course kept under lock and key.

AKK

I imagine that some of those boats might be disabled drug smugglers, especially in southern waters around the US, Mexico and the Caribbean.