Cruise ships are required by maritime law to provide assistance to anyone who needs help at sea. This is actually not that common because while cruise ships are large, the oceans are vast and it is quite rare for a rescue opportunity to arise.
However, when it happens, it's impressive to see the cruise ship crew spring into action. In this case, the crew of Royal Caribbean's Voyager of the Seas rescued a stranded family and their dog off the coast of Morocco on November 15.
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Once saved, medical care and food are provided, and rescued people are kept in quarantine away from any passengers. They are then dropped off at the next available port in the hands of the appropriate authorities. If medical care is required beyond what the ship can provide, an additional stop would be added to transfer rescued passengers.
Cruise News Today's Doug Parker shared video of the rescue and more details.
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Voyager of the Seas rescues family and dog
This is Cruise News Today with Doug Parker. Rescued by a cruise ship, Royal Caribbean's Voyager of the Seas rescued a stranded family and their dog off the coast of Morocco on Friday. The family sailboat suffered an engine failure and lost its masts, leaving them adrift.
The ship's crew attempted to repair the sailboat, but eventually took the family and their black laboratory aboard. Everyone is safe, although the sailboat was left behind. The family was said to disembark at the next port of call before Voyager began its journey across the Atlantic Ocean.
Health officials are monitoring norovirus cases aboard Princess Cruises' Coral Princess. The month-long cruise from Singapore to Los Angeles concluded yesterday, but 70 people fell ill on that trip. According to the CDC, 55 passengers and 15 crew members reported symptoms of vomiting and diarrhea.
During the voyage, Princess Cruises stepped up its cleaning and increased its sanitation measures. Cruise lines must inform the CDC if more than 3% of people on board are sick. This is the 11th US ship with a case of noro or E. coli in 2024.
And Carnival Cruise Line will continue operating out of the Port of Baltimore for at least five more years following a new agreement announced by Maryland Gov. Wes Moore. The agreement, which takes effect Jan. 1 and includes a five-year renewal option, keeps the cruise line in Baltimore. In 2023, the port welcomed more than 440,000 passengers, making it the third highest total in its history.
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This year, the port is expected to welcome 378,000 guests. Every time Carnival Pride comes to Baltimore, the port generates about $1 million in revenue. And cruise line stocks were mixed on Friday.
If you have any leads on a story, please let us know. [email protected]. Here in snowy Utah with Chance the dog running around, enjoying it, although starting to melt. I'm Doug Parker with Cruise News Today.
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