Carnival Paradise Rescues Five People From Adrift Makeshift Boat
Carnival Cruise Line to the rescue! The crew members onboard Carnival Paradise are heroes after rescuing five refugees from a small raft in the middle of a 6-night Western Caribbean voyage.
After visiting Key West, Florida, the previous day, the Fantasy-class vessel was making her way to Montego Bay, Jamaica, on May 14, 2025, when a small, makeshift craft was spotted in distress off the coast of Cuba.
It’s unclear what exactly went wrong for the group and how long they may have been stranded – but the raft-type boat was clearly too crowded to be operating safely.
Members of the 920-strong crew quickly sprung into action and boarded a lifeboat to rendezvous with the raft, which held approximately 15 refugees.
Five members of the stranded group were brought onboard the 2,124-guest ship, while the remaining ten stayed behind. The crew members still left the remaining men with food, water, and fuel and notified the US Coast Guard about the situation.
“The Carnival Paradise team rescued five people south of Cabo San Antonio, Cuba on Wednesday after the ship’s officers spotted a small boat in distress. The five people who requested rescue were part of a larger group on board the small boat,” a Carnival spokesperson told Cruise Hive in a statement.
“The other occupants did not wish to join the ship but were given food and water by the ship’s team. The United States Coast Guard was notified, and a transfer will be coordinated. After completing the rescue, Carnival Paradise continued to its scheduled destination, Montego Bay, Jamaica,” the statement continued.
As is standard protocol in these situations, the rescued people were provided with food, water, and medical attention.
While they will be provided with lodging and care, the refugees do not simply get to join the cruise for free.
Instead, they will be tended to until they can be safely transported back to their home country – with the transfer likely taking place at one of the upcoming ports of call or on the next turnaround day in Tampa, Florida, on May 18, 2025.
Cruise tracking data shows that Carnival Paradise arrived in Montego Bay, Jamaica, on time on May 15, 2025, and has one final call for this sailing at George Town Harbour, Grand Cayman, on May 16, 2025.
A History of Heroism
Even if cruise ships didn’t have a moral obligation to help distressed vessels they stumble upon at sea, Carnival Cruise Line would still be eager to offer aid – and has done so many times in the past.
As far back as 2019, Carnival Paradise specifically made headlines for stopping to aid a sailor who was stuck on a sinking boat about 13 miles north of Cozumel, Mexico.
In July of 2022, Carnival Paradise once again came to the aid of a small boat in distress while sailing off the coast of Cuba – which really gives the present rescue a sense of déjà vu.
Crew spotted at least 20 people drifting listlessly on an overcrowded rowboat – which appeared to have sustained some damage.
In this case, all of the refugees were brought onboard and offered food, water, and medical aid.
“In accordance with maritime law, we have taken them aboard our vessel and have notified all of the appropriate authorities,” the ship’s captain said at the time.
Cruise Hive Boards: Carnival Paradise Saves the Day
More recently, history repeated itself once again. In April of last year, the 1998-launched ship again stumbled upon 27 Cuban nationals who were adrift at sea and in need of assistance.
The bridge team noticed an overcrowded boat in distress while en route to Roatan, Honduras, during the first full day of a 5-night sailing.
Once again, all of the refugees were rescued and brought onboard without any impact to the voyage for paying passengers.
Carnival Paradise Rescues Five People From Adrift Makeshift Boat