Cuban Refugees

[Iceman09201]

This seems to becoming a more frequent thing. On our fantasy cruise this past week. We came across a raft with 4 cubans on board. By Maritime law the captain stopped to see if they needed assistance which of course they did. When we got to our first Port of Call Cuban authorities refused to take the 4 persons back since these poeple have tried to escape before. It seems that more and more that these people are getting boated out to the shipping lanes where they know cruise ships are going to come by and wait out in a life raft.

 

[TXDCLfan]

This seems to becoming a more frequent thing. On our fantasy cruise this past week. We came across a raft with 4 cubans on board. By Maritime law the captain stopped to see if they needed assistance which of course they did. When we got to our first Port of Call Cuban authorities refused to take the 4 persons back since these poeple have tried to escape before. It seems that more and more that these people are getting boated out to the shipping lanes where they know cruise ships are going to come by and wait out in a life raft.

Sounds like our Coast Guard needs to step up the patrols in this area

 

[NJGirl]

Well the Magic did a 180 this week on a sea day coming north to check out a raft spotted from the bridge. Ended up being empty, but Capt. John said they hauled it out of the water so no one else had to do the same investigation we did.

 

[Iceman09201]

Well the Magic did a 180 this week on a sea day coming north to check out a raft spotted from the bridge. Ended up being empty, but Capt. John said they hauled it out of the water so no one else had to do the same investigation we did.

I thought that it was weird on our cruise when Capt Marco stopped to pick up the Cubans he left the raft in the water. I figured he would have pulled it out or sank it so others didn't stop. It was a makeshift raft. There was 4 people on the hood of a car. They had been out there for 3 days before we picked them up

 

[Mom2PrincessesLinSy]

If they pick them up, where do they stay until the next POC?

 

[extechie rbd/wdt]

You must mean a 360 or the ship would have gone back to where they were coming from!

Ex Techie

 

[Iceman09201]

If they pick them up, where do they stay until the next POC?

They stay in crew quarters area and are watched by security 24/7

 

[Dislaney4n6]

You must mean a 360 or the ship would have gone back to where they were coming from!

Ex Techie

Hopefully it wasn't a 540 or everyone would have been sick

 

[extechie rbd/wdt]

Hopefully it wasn't a 540 or everyone would have been sick

Haha! It's the new extreme cruise itinerary!

Ex Techie

 

[kuhawk88]

I was also on the Fantasy this past week and in addition to aiding the four Cubans - we also circled another raft on our way from Cozumel to Castaway Cay (I may have my days mixed up). Regardless, it turned out to be unmanned so we continued on. But unlike the Magic, Fantasy did not pull the raft from the water - so it remains afloat. However, I presume that it was reported to the Coast Guard so other ships in the area would be aware.

 

[disneymagicgirl]

I thought that it was weird on our cruise when Capt Marco stopped to pick up the Cubans he left the raft in the water. I figured he would have pulled it out or sank it so others didn't stop. It was a makeshift raft. There was 4 people on the hood of a car. They had been out there for 3 days before we picked them up

How did you hear all this? We watched them get picked up from our balcony and never heard anything else about it. So what did the captain end up doing with them?

 

[Iceman09201]

How did you hear all this? We watched them get picked up from our balcony and never heard anything else about it. So what did the captain end up doing with them?

Being on many disney cruises you get to know crew members and find out quite a bit of info. They ended up being on the ship with us until Port Canaveral this morning where they were taken into custody by the US coast guard. Cuban coast guard wouldn't take them back in grand Cayman

 

[extechie rbd/wdt]

How did you hear all this? We watched them get picked up from our balcony and never heard anything else about it. So what did the captain end up doing with them?

Iceman09201 has answered before I did!

Ex Techie

 

[Evi]

This seems to becoming a more frequent thing. On our fantasy cruise this past week. We came across a raft with 4 cubans on board. By Maritime law the captain stopped to see if they needed assistance which of course they did. When we got to our first Port of Call Cuban authorities refused to take the 4 persons back since these poeple have tried to escape before. It seems that more and more that these people are getting boated out to the shipping lanes where they know cruise ships are going to come by and wait out in a life raft.

As one of these people I can tell you much about Cuba. Though I was born here I am Cuban. Cuban people have a very rich history. Many cuban families can trace there ancestry back to the conquistadors and even further back. When you next cruise the Caribbean and make your way through the West Indies recall how much Cuba has influenced the shaping of all the islands in the area. Though the US no longer ports in Cuba it has very strong ties to this country not just from the 30-50s but far before then. The Rum everyone loves and sugar this country is so hooked on flowed all the way to New England from Cuba in colonial times. Then there is slavery, that which made this country so rich, but everyone hides so deeply from. There is much Americans can learn from a country with such a rich history. Cuba is not proud of all that has taken place in their history but they don't hide or deny any of it. Its good to remember that most americans ancestors came by boat and where not invited or welcome. Unless your descendants are native american or mexican you came here uninvited.

We should also remember that Cuba is a communist country where tourists are allowed every luxury while the locals are still going to stores that are inadequately supplied. Trust me they don't want to get picked up by a cruise line they want to make it to shore. So they can reunite with family and friends who have been here precastro.

Sounds like our Coast Guard needs to step up the patrols in this area

Our coast guards try to avoid picking them up because they don't want to send them back.

Cuban authorities in other countries don't want to send them back because they know they will be persecuted for leaving. If it bothers you that Cubans are coming to america via boat then you should push your congressman to end the embargo. Until then I would continue to get used to the number of Cubans trying to leave Cuba for more opportunities.

 

[mimmi]

Stories like this are so sad, people in makeshift rafts, endangering their lives...

My uncle has a house near the border to the czech republic where he usually spends the weekend. I remember his stories from the 80s where at least every second weekend czech refugees who had crossed the green border woke him up in the middle of the night because they needed help. For a long time it felt like the world ended behind the border, I'm so glad that those times are over.

 

[olympia]

it is so sad.Cubans are wonderful people .: Grouphug:
I am Spanish and I feel Cubans as my brothers: Abrazo:

Hopefully they will be free soon and can enjoy life as they wish

 

[Tonka's Skipper]

This is nothing new, the rafts, small boats, the Cubans risking thier lives to come to America......for 60 years!.

We found them in the florida straits back in the 70' and 80'.........we would stop, make sure they wern't sinking and await the USCG to come and pick them up.

I beleive we are just hearing more about it with the instant comunication and internet.

The other posters were correct that Castro hates the embaressment of these folks when returned and puts them in prizon,,,,a CUBAN PRIZON.not a nice place.

AKK

AKK

 

[our2disneygirls]

We're just off the Fantasy from the 5/26 sailing. We're in the middle of unpacking and have other stuff to do today, but I thought I'd update everyone on an event during our cruise.

We were on our way to Grand Cayman on Sunday when we hear the chime and the cruise director announces that the bridge crew has identified a raft in the water with people waving. He says that the Captain has decided to turn the boat around to investigate. The ship makes a big arc so that we are holding with the raft about 100 yards off the port side of the bow. The ship sends the orange skiff (not a lifeboat) over to the raft and ferries 4 people, 2 at a time, to the ship. The cruise director mentioned several times that the people were with medical and ship's security. Apparently, we dropped them off with the authorities in Grand Cayman.

The crew was saying that this was only the second time this has happened with this ship. That night, at the show, the cruise director mentioned it being an exciting day and thanking everyone for their understanding in the Captain turning the ship around. He got a big round of applause. The "detour" did not affect the timing of our cruise at all.

Interestingly, on the way back to Castaway Cay, the bridge spotted another raft and we turned around again. It turned out to be empty.

We had a veranda on the port side and took pictures. We'll try to get some up later, but we have a dance recital to get to.

Our2DisneyGirls

P.S. To everyone on our cruise meet, it was great to spend the week with you!

 

[Iceman09201]

I posted about this last night as I was on this cruise as well. The only thing is we didn't actually hand them off in Grand Cayman. After speaking with some officers I know from other disney cruises they tried to hand them off to Cuban authorities in GC but these particular 4 people have been picked up several other times by various ships and they would not take them back so they were actually brought back to Port Canaveral with us where they were arrested and taken into custody by the U.S Coast Guard

 

[john4795]

WOW! Looking foward to the pics.