Live From The Magic!!! We Stopped To Help Refugees Out On The Water!

[Blu eyz235]

I'm a teen and was also on the cruise when this unfortunate thing happened, and it is sooo sad. What gets me is, while we (the august 3rd cruisers) were visiting Keywest, cayman, and enjoying the luxurious boat, those 5 were out there in the middle of the ocean paddling without food/water. Makes me realize how lucky we have it, and to appreciate all that we have. What was kinda ironic to me, was that the night this all happened, it just so turned out the shirt i was wearing said... "american girl....forever free"!

oh, i also heard from a crew member that the boat was not picked up on radar, but from infra-red scanners.

like the song says... "I'm proud to be an american". my heart goes out to those 5 and all of the others who have been in the same spot!

~*~* Britt *~*~

 

[mmouse37]

I also felt very bad thinking about what a great time we were all having onboard while these folks were out at sea with no water. I was very eerie seeing everyone all dressed up in their best looking over the side at such a small boat with people needing assistance. It certainly showed the contrast of the two countries.

I am certainly no expert on this type of situation but again, from hearing what others were saying (do not know if it is true or not) that unless you make it to land, the Coast Guard has to send you back. It really opened my eyes to what goes on in other places and how very fortunate we are that we live in the good ol' USA, as Blueyz mentioned.

I for one think DCL did the proper thing in offering assistance and waiting for the Coast Guard instructions. There were many people though, who did not. I overhead one very upset man questioning a CM about how can we let them get so close us, etc.

MJ

 

[opsomyo]

The man that was complaining about them being so close--
He is the type to ignore a pregnant woman with a child walking through a blizzard.
I hate that!
How in the world could you look at that situation & not feel compasion. I too would fear terrorism, ( it was a concern when DD5 & I sailed on July 4th) we must use caution & good judgment but also help our fellow man in need. Itsounds like DCL did agreat job of doing just that.
We are so blessed to live in America. All of us on this board are blessed to have lives that allow us such things as computers, the internet, Vacations etc. There are so many that could never even dream of a disney vacation or a cruise. We all take for granted the comforts of our lives. I hope we all remember those whom are less fortunate.
Those poor people on that boat. I can't even imagine how terrible their home land was if they were willing to risk their lives in a vast ocean with no supplies in order to find freedom & a better life. How lucky for us to live in the land where so many flee to. So many wish to live here & we were lucky enough to be born here.

Tonight, I pray for those who risk their lives in order to achieve a better life.

 

[opsomyo]

the little jumping guys above seem very inappropriate for this thread. They shouldn't be so excited in my last post.

Are there any that are a not sooo happy?

 

[kfam6]

My family was on the august 3rd cruise and I have to say that I felt that we should not have allowed the boat to get that close. It is easy to say now that you feel sorry for the 5 people, but it was a dangerous situation. When the five people were along the ship, in the beginning most of the passengers went onto deck 4 to watch the boat, with hardly any crew members there to help. The 5 people were at a close enough distance to throw something onboard and with so many people on the side of the ship, many would have been harmed. I also thought the cruise director handled the situation poorly. When people started to realize something happened, she came over the intercom with a message that 4 or 5 people in a boat were on the side of the ship. We were eating at the time and immediately the people in the dining room became nervous and left their dinner to see what was happening. Fortunately no one was hurt and the everything was okay.

 

[BarbaraB]

We were also on the Aug 3 cruise. From talking to two CM and a fellow passenger apparently this situation isn't that unusual. Both our Palo server and our server in the dining room said that it happens more than you would think. We also ran into a family that was cruising 1 1/2 years ago (with a different cruise line) that stopped and picked up some stranded Cubans as well.

I thought it was a good lesson for my DD 13 of the desparation of people in other countries who were not as fortunate as us (we had a good conversation that night).

How exciting for you MJ to have been invited to dine with the captain!!! Too bad it didn't work out---I had no idea when we bumped into you in the elevator that was where you were heading.

We had a good time. Now I have to start thinking about laundry and cooking again. UGH!

 

[mmouse37]

We have already done 5 loads of laundry and a have a few more left to do.

We already got our 15 rolls of film developed at Costco today....$87.16!!!!!

The kids were really happy to see the pictures so soon. They made so many wonderful friends this cruise.

We had a great time and it was fantastic to run into so many DIS'ers onboard.

MJ

 

[DBCS]

Just a note from a documentary I saw years ago.......... Ships are expected to stop and offer aide......... But when taking anyone other than registered passengers or crew on board they are held in confinement (the brig??) untill their identification can be confirmed. According to the documentary this is due to concerns about "pirates" that, belive it or not, do still exsist!!!

I agree that the situation could have been handled in a much safer manner..... send out a craft to meet them away from the ship...... observe them at a distance till the proper authority arrives......... It does seem as though we are leaving a big "back door" open for whoever might care to sneak in.............

Has there been any official response to this from DCL? Although I hope this does not sound heartless.... I also hope not to be part of the latest headlines!!

 

[Mjasp]

DBCS...I totally agree with you. Kind of scary that a boat (no matter how small) was that close to a cruise ship. I assume until they came quite close to them, were they able to tell they were cuban refugees and not terrorists. By that time the damage could have been done. I also saw a show about pirates, alive and well in the waters. They also said that cruise ships have security type people just to handle pirates if the need arises. Sure hope DCL is one of them. The show I was watching was specifically talking about the waters in Mexico.

 

[ExecuMom]

My family and I were on the 8/3 cruise and experienced this situation. It is very sad to think that there are people in this world who would not want to offer aid and assistance to other in need. People like that need to be careful that they don't find themselves in place of need, with others to not offer it.

I am not saying that we shouldn't be careful and mindful of security, but if we let our fear and insecurities overtake our sense of compassion and empathy as human beings, what is left?? What message do we teach our children?? How petty a statement to rebuke DCL for hanlding this poorly because your dinner was disrupted. These people did not have food or water for over 5 days in their attempt to attain what we take for granted!!

My entire family of 9 was on this ship and we spent much of our dinner that evening thanking God for our blessings and wishing those people freedom and peace they seek. Particularly impacted were my two sons, 13 and 9. The irony of just 50 feet from where were were in Aminator's palate having a splendid meal in our finest clothing while other in the same space were fighting for their lives and freedom.

In my opinion, DCL did the correct and responsible thing in how they handled it. What wasn't mentioned, was that Deck 4 was eventually cleared, and secured, by the crew and passengers were not permitted to go outside until after the Coast Guard picked-up the refugees.

I was on the very same DCL Magic cruise in August of 2000 when a small fishing boat with two Bahamian's were stranded. DCL also handled this well too. The ship turned around and stopped. A lifeboat was sent out with armed crew memebers to assess the situation (the men were frisked and their boat inspected). When it was determined that is was a safe situation, they brought the men on-board and secured them. Since the Magic was in International waters at the time, the Coast Guard was not involved. The men were removed from the ship at port on Castaway Cay before sunrise, and taken back by Bahamian officials. Turns out that they had been traveling between islands and ran out of gas and were drifting with no water, food, or gas for three days.

I can't wait for our next "Magic"al cruise - we're planning it now!!

 

[It'sAllAboutWalt]

Maybe the proper spot for this thread is the debate board, but I'm going to weigh in with my two cents worth.

Those people were in dire straits because they put themselves in that position. I didn't do it, and I'm not going to feel bad about them putting themselves in a precarious situation. The passengers on DCL planned their vacations and paid their money for an enjoyable cruise and they have every right to expect their hosts (DCL) to do everything in their power to make their experience enjoyable.

Something people forget is that the people in this country weren't free until they were willing to fight for their freedom that they believed was given to them by God. Things will only change when a large percentage of people in these countries being oppressed (like Cuba, China, etc.) decide they are not going to be ruled by tyrants anymore.

Until then, the Coast Guard should return most, if not all, of those fleeing Cuba. Or doesn't anyone remember what happened when then President Carter announced he would accept all Cubans who could make it to the US? Castro emptied out his prisons and mental hospitals and sent them all to us.

So, as you can see, the situation is more complicated than it appears.

 

[northernmouse]

Perhaps this thread will be moved to the debate board. I've watched this discussion, agreeing with the need to hold to compassion, and saddened by the quick judgements and fear. Now, here's my two cents, for what it's worth.

I would not have been put out if this incident had happened on a cruise I was on. It's sad that, rather than seeing the Cubans as people willing to risk their lives for freedom, some think they might be terrorisits or deliberately responsible for their own desparate situation. Does anyone see the irony in the fact the terrorists who succeeded in destroying so much in September lived for years as 'normal' Americans, in middle class American homes, attending private US flight schools, going on vacations and for all intents and purposes, living just like anyone you might find on these boards? Their success was based on being so much *the same* as any American who could, say, pay for a comfortable holiday, perhaps on a cruise ship where they could expect their hosts to shield them from the unpleasantness of a less fortunate life.

Yes, it's good to be cautious. But let's be wary of those who would condemn and control -- not those in need.

Now, if one is going to use history to justify the superiority of the American way, try to do so accurately. The American revolution was about freedom from taxes, (remember?), and the government of the time was across the Atlantic. America was a colony, and of the British at that. It never fought for freedom from a military dictatorship.

It's too easy for someone born into the nation that grew to represent 'liberty and justice for all' to judge the will and ability of those who were not -- and to criticize the efforts of individuals risking it all for the principles of 'life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness' America's founding fathers established centuries ago. The beauty of America is its ability to be a beacon for dreamers -- not the quasher of them.

 

[andicat]

I don't think any of us would choose to turn away from those in dire need whom we might help, but our compassion is not all that is at issue here. In these trying times when terrorists are likely to turn up anywhere in the world and in any disguise, we must be cautious and aware that things, and people, may not be what they appear to be. That is why I have mixed feelings about people who appear to be refugees boarding a cruise ship. Fortunately they were not terrorists, but the possibility was there. I don't think we can safely be as open-armed to strangers as we once were. 9/11 changed all that.

 

[Mtdewbuzz]

One small detail mmouse left out that I was going to include in my trip report is how the ship had to speed up to get to Castaway Cay as close to on-time as possible the next day. It made for a VERY rocky night on the seas. I even took my one & only motion sickness pill before bed to be safe.

Also, when they were taken away, they were all wearing some DCL shirts (I assume they were given to them- I don't think they stopped for souveniers at Mickey's Mates). I saw some footage some of the other passengers had taped of them getting back onto the coast guard vessel.

 

[Blu eyz235]

YES, the seas were very rocky, i was so sick that i had to stay in for part of the night, when i really wanted to be out with my new friends.