Fantasy Picks Up Refugees?!!!

[Tinker179]

ok...so i was on Disney Fantasy last week and while my husband and i were having dinner at Remi (YUMO) may 17 the engines stopped and so did ship. "wish upon a star" twinkle was played, annoncement was made but we couldn't hear it in Remi. then we believe ancor was dropped. they ship then just floated amlessly. THEN whole staff rushed to back of Remi looking out the window and we saw it...black life boat, empty. weird huh... so later we were told we came across lifeboat that was empty. WELL my husband said orland news released that fantasy picked up refugees and placed them aboard ship. Then we we got to Castaway Cay next morning Bohemiem (sp?) government came and picked them up and they are in their athorities. Did anyone else hear this?? weird thing is, morning we were docking i was up on deck 13 taking pictures and saw a boat SPEEDING away from island, but though nothing of it. i wonder if it was the refugees. could the disney fantasy just saved some lives?? (or now they are in jail forever...)

 

[McNabrat]

I was reading this thread & there is a mention of the refugees
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2929733

 

[Dislaney4n6]

I tried a Google search to get some more information. While I could not immediately find anything related to the Fantasy pickup, several articles came up about other ships picking up refugees. Seems to be fairly common. There is also a youtube video showing the Oasis of the Seas rescuing some Cuban refugees.

 

[Tinker179]

mcnabrat sorry that was me. haha. i'll have to have my husband find a link or something. just didn't know if anyone else on the cruise had/got info. i'm sure they didn't want to say and cause "panic". i thought someone jumped overboard the way they cut the engines. being in remi in aft u could really feel it. our wine was wobbling. there was a tanker going opposite direction that i noticed turned around towards us and stopped too. i'm weird and notice these things.

 

[kcashner]

DCL has an interesting set of lies used in "situations," so no surprise that you guys were told it was an empty lifeboat. I suspect that the authorities were Bahamian (as in "from the Bahamas," not Bohemian!)

Yeah, there was the time that we were told that the first tender was being used for a medical evacuation and would not be available to guests, and we watch the "patient" being placed on the tender in handcuffs!

 

[ilovetexas]

ok...so i was on Disney Fantasy last week and while my husband and i were having dinner at Remi (YUMO) may 17 the engines stopped and so did ship. "wish upon a star" twinkle was played, annoncement was made but we couldn't hear it in Remi. then we believe ancor was dropped. they ship then just floated amlessly. THEN whole staff rushed to back of Remi looking out the window and we saw it...black life boat, empty. weird huh... so later we were told we came across lifeboat that was empty. WELL my husband said orland news released that fantasy picked up refugees and placed them aboard ship. Then we we got to Castaway Cay next morning Bohemiem (sp?) government came and picked them up and they are in their athorities. Did anyone else hear this?? weird thing is, morning we were docking i was up on deck 13 taking pictures and saw a boat SPEEDING away from island, but though nothing of it. i wonder if it was the refugees. could the disney fantasy just saved some lives?? (or now they are in jail forever...)

We were on the same cruise and I'm jealous that you got Remy on a sea day. We ate there earlier in the week and it was fabulous!!!

We had a few "occurrences" that cruise, so refugees being picked up wouldn't surprise me. We also heard the empty lifeboat story, from other passengers.

 

[McNabrat]

mcnabrat sorry that was me. haha. i'll have to have my husband find a link or something. just didn't know if anyone else on the cruise had/got info. i'm sure they didn't want to say and cause "panic". i thought someone jumped overboard the way they cut the engines. being in remi in aft u could really feel it. our wine was wobbling. there was a tanker going opposite direction that i noticed turned around towards us and stopped too. i'm weird and notice these things.

Oops! I didn't even look at your name lol

 

[woody73]

. . . Yeah, there was the time that we were told that the first tender was being used for a medical evacuation and would not be available to guests, and we watch the "patient" being placed on the tender in handcuffs!

Perhaps a cardiac arrest?

Woody

 

[kcashner]

Perhaps a cardiac arrest?

Woody

Woody, you made my day!

 

[extechie rbd/wdt]

Perhaps a cardiac arrest?

Woody

Ex Techie

 

[Bethleham]

We were eating dinner in Enchanted Garden that night. Our assistant waiter opened up the shutters so we could look out. About 5 minutes after he did so, my husband and I both noticed we were slowing down. Then, we saw a yellow "rubber" raft with an outboard motor on it. (We got a picture of it. If I can figure out how to do so, I'll post it.) The ship slowed nearly to a halt then did a complete circle of the raft. It looked empty to me. After the circle was completed, the ship sped back up and took off again. I didn't think the crew actually got a person or persons off of it. Interesting....

 

[extechie rbd/wdt]

The Magic used to slow down to stop and pick up refugee's every week about a half hour before 70's night?

Ex Techie

 

[Tinker179]

Yellow? I saw a big black one with no motor.... We were port deck 12 aft in remi. It was just aimlessly floating... It was weird.

 

[rosermama]

Remeber the story about a month or so ago about the fisherman who were stranded and the cruise ship didn't stop for them. They were then floating at sea for almost 15 or more days (I think). Who wants that kind of publicity.

Plus I think it is a maritime thing about picking up stranded people, any one in the middle of the ocean with a small raft is stranded in my opionion.

Here is an article about Royal Carribean
http://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/2012/04/09/royal-caribbean-cruise-ship-rescues-cuban-refugees

 

[Crinkler]

We were dining in Royal Court that night, we felt the ship slow down and the lights flickered for a second and next thing you know we see that abandoned boat through the port hole... I did not see anyone unless they were in the water, we did a quick circle around and continued on our way, never heard anything about it afterward.

 

[luvslikepi]

Cuban refugees being picked up by cruise ships in the Caribbean is pretty common as is picking up African refugees on Mediterranean cruises. Basically they transport them to the first port of call and let the authorities of that nation deal with them according to their laws of asylum.

 

[DynamicDisneyDuo]

Yellow? I saw a big black one with no motor.... We were port deck 12 aft in remi. It was just aimlessly floating... It was weird.

Probably the refugees' boat. Not sure if they would be able to bring it aboard or just leave it. The yellow one another poster saw was most likely one of the small swiftboats that DCL has on the larger ships for rescues/emergencies/other necessary tasks. I believe the larger ships have 1 or 2 per side, don't recall seeing any on the classic ships but may just not have noticed.

 

[sasmmb]

Probably the refugees' boat. Not sure if they would be able to bring it aboard or just leave it. The yellow one another poster saw was most likely one of the small swiftboats that DCL has on the larger ships for rescues/emergencies/other necessary tasks. I believe the larger ships have 1 or 2 per side, don't recall seeing any on the classic ships but may just not have noticed.

No, the yellow raft was clearly an abandoned lifeboat that would only have held 3-4 people. I was in the Rainforest spa about 3 PM when the Fantasy ground to a halt and started circling the raft. From the windows of the spa you could see the backpacks and such but no people. I could also see the Captain and officers of the Fantasy looking at it with binoculars and one of them snapped a picture with a smartphone.

I wonder if the black raft was another incident? I didn't notice that one. But between the yellow lifeboat, the medical emergency on embarkation day, and the loud Bright Star alert in our room at 5 AM, I'm ok having missed that!

And Hi May 12 Fantasticks!

 

[Dislaney4n6]

No, the yellow raft was clearly an abandoned lifeboat that would only have held 3-4 people. I was in the Rainforest spa about 3 PM when the Fantasy ground to a halt and started circling the raft. From the windows of the spa you could see the backpacks and such but no people. I could also see the Captain and officers of the Fantasy looking at it with binoculars and one of them snapped a picture with a smartphone.

I wonder if the black raft was another incident? I didn't notice that one. But between the yellow lifeboat, the medical emergency on embarkation day, and the loud Bright Star alert in our room at 5 AM, I'm ok having missed that!

And Hi May 12 Fantasticks!

Is a bright star alert a medical emergency/death type of page?

 

[Uncleromulus]

Just curious--what "security" is there on DCL ships that enable them to pick up--and secure--these refugees"??