Disney Cruise Ship Allegedly Rescues Cuban Migrants
For 12 suspected migrants stuck on a dilapidated boat southeast of Cuba, the arrival of a massive cruise liner emblazoned with Mickey Mouse's iconic ears became a symbol of hope, as they were rescued from the sea by a Disney luxury cruise liner on Saturday, according to CNN.
The U.S. Coast Guard confirmed the alleged migrants' rescue, which happened around 8:00 p.m. Saturday. The Disney cruise ship, named "Disney Wonder," was heading toward the Cayman Islands when the suspected migrants were spotted on a vessel not far away.
U.S. Coast Guard 7th District spokesman Jon-Paul Rios stated that when the suspected immigrants were spotted by the crew of the Disney Wonder, they were in a vessel that was described as "rustic." Authorities use the word rustic in order to describe a vessel that is unseaworthy.
Of course, once the suspected immigrants were taken to the Disney cruise liner, they were taken to a completely different world. After all, they were taken from a ship that was unseaworthy to a boat which boasts 11 decks riddled with restaurants, pools, and other amenities.
In fact, the Disney Wonder was the 2016 winner of the "Best Entertainment" and "Best Service" award from CruiseCritic.com, a website which ranks cruise ships and their corresponding amenities and service.
The suspected migrants were eventually handed over to authorities once the luxury liner reached the Cayman Islands. According to Rios, however, it remains to be seen if the group had been attempting to enter the United States by sea, reported UPI News.
The incident is not the first time the Disney cruise ship helped people in the sea. In 2013, the ship also picked up eight individuals from a raft off Key West. The people that the cruise ship helped then were eventually found to be migrants as well.
Notably, the 12 suspected migrants were rescued on the very same day as the eight which the ship retrieved from the sea three years ago. Its rescue in 2013, however, was initiated through the request of the Coast Guard.
Cruise ships such as the Disney luxury liner have an upstanding agreement with the U.S. Coast Guard with regards to the migrant crisis. Thus, it is standard procedure for luxury vessels to help those they find stranded at sea. However, cruise lines are required to turn those they have rescued over to the appropriate authorities once the ship reaches its next stop.
For the 12 rescued on Saturday, at least, the welcome outline of the Disney Wonder would always be an image of hope and rescue, and possibly, even a better life waiting on the shores of the next port.
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