All aboard!
A Royal Caribbean Liberty of Seas cruise ship rescued 17 Cuban migrants after they were spotted aboard a small makeshift boat Saturday.
The ship had been heading for CocoCay in the Bahamas when its captain spotted the puny vessel that had been at sea for weeks, WPTV reported.
“The captain came on and said we have to stop,” cruise passenger Josh Levine told WPTV. “People just started running down the hallway to go check it out and we kind of followed them. It was a surreal experience.”
The three-night cruise was to have docked at CocoCay on Saturday, but stayed at sea after encountering rough ocean conditions, Levine said.
Added his partner, Mark Jackson, “It’s kind of a blessing that we didn’t end up going to dock at CocoCay, because who knows if another cruise line or ship would’ve picked them up or seen them.”
“While en route to The Bahamas, Liberty of the Seas encountered a small vessel adrift and in need of assistance,” Royal Caribbean said in a statement obtained by The Post.
“The ship’s crew immediately launched a rescue operation, safely bringing 17 people onboard,” the company continued. “The crew is actively giving them medical attention, and working with the United States Coast Guard.”