Maritime law requires any ship, including cruise ships, to help any vessel or people in need while at sea.
That means that cruise ships are often pressed into emergency duty even if that's not ideal for the passengers on board. When a cruise ship rescues people, it has to provide medical care and keep the people it saves separate from passengers.
Related: Every cruise ship port under a US 'do not travel' safety advisory
Generally, rescuees are confined on a lower deck in a sort of detention until they can be dropped off on dry land. That sometimes means the cruise ship has to skip a port or otherwise change course in a way that upsets passengers.
Many cruise passengers are unhappy when the casino can't open because their ship returned to a U.S. port. The same applies if a port is skipped because the ship must go somewhere else due to the medical needs of the rescued passengers.
Still, the needs of the rescued passengers legally take precedence. That's the logic (and the law) that applies when a passenger has a medical emergency. The life and safety of people trump disruptions to cruise passengers' experience.
Doug Parker of Cruise News Today has the story of a recent rescue where Liberty of the Seas called in the U.S. Coast Guard to aid a group of fishermen in distress.
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Royal Caribbean, Coast Guard rescue fishermen
Transcript:
This is Cruise News Today with Doug Parker.
Good morning. Here's your cruise news for Monday, January 13.
The US Coast Guard rescued 15 fishermen from a disabled boat adrift in the Atlantic, 36 miles off the coast of Florida. Now Royal Caribbean's Liberty of the Seas first spotted the boat after it shot flares and then they alerted the Coast Guard that it was in distress.
[Because] of the rough weather, Liberty could not deploy a rescue boat. However, the ship did stay until authorities arrived. This footage here, courtesy of Mabel.
Now the Coast Guard said in the statement that all passengers were safely returned to the Bahamas and that no injuries were reported.
More cruise lines help wildfire victims; Carnival bans new practice
And as wildfires devastate Los Angeles County, Norwegian Cruise Line is stepping up to support impacted residents and passengers.
NCL is waiving cancellation penalties for January and February cruises for those in fire-impacted areas, also offering 100% future cruise credits valid for one year. The company is also donating $50,000 to the American Red Cross for relief efforts.
Princess Cruises is also doing the same thing as we reported last week, offering flexible cancellations for January departures. At the time of broadcast, other cruise lines sailing from the L.A. and Long Beach ports have not announced similar gestures.
And Carnival Cruise Line has officially banned the buy-me-a-drink nonsense in which passengers solicit free drinks from other cruisers with the drink package in exchange offering to cash-app them or bid them money.
You can't make this up. Carnival's brand ambassador, John Heald, confirmed the practice is strictly forbidden and wants guests to narc out their fellow cruisers. If you see something, say something.
Tips@cruiseradio.net.
Here aboard Holland America's new Staten Dam sailing towards the Western Caribbean.
I'm Doug Parker with Cruise News Today. Have yourself a great Monday.
