Serenade Rescues Eight Cubans - Bad Attude from Some Passengers!

[ButterBeanMcGee]

Just off Serenade where earlier in the week the ship was able to rescue eight Cubans who were adrift at sea in a makeshift boat on styrofoam pontoons. The waters were rough and I have to hand it to those in the rescue boat for their excellent work.

 

The captain announced that the boat had been in the water for ten days and they probably would have perished if not rescued when they were.

 

While most folks onboard were happy over the rescue a few displayed no human compassion. One woman was vocal in saying they should have been left (to obviously perish). Have we become that uncaring? Kudos to the staff of Serenade for their skillful rescue!

 

 

Unfortunately, *racists* take cruises too. :mad::(:confused:

[Jiminy1955]

Because I am.................Merion Mom. ;) :D

 

Yes, it was styrofoam and some sheets of tin. Shortly after they left Cuba, a SHARK bit off their "rudder" and whatever small "motor" they had. That's how they came to be totally adrift.

 

 

YIKES! I did not know that.

 

You are indeed a wealth of information Merion Mom :)

[NewSalt]

I for one am saddened by the fact that these brave people are not, in fact, coming to the U. S.

 

We are a great country because we were founded by people like these, courageous and resourceful. We could use more citizens like theses to a counteract some of the selfish, bigoted ones that blight our shores.

[kruzerci]

I for one am saddened by the fact that these brave people are not, in fact, coming to the U. S.

 

We are a great country because we were founded by people like these, courageous and resourceful. We could use more citizens like theses to a counteract some of the selfish, bigoted ones that blight our shores.

 

We are also a great country because we have immigration laws in place, even if they are blatantly disregarded in recent years.

 

I'm 100% for LEGAL immigration. We have sponsored and financially supported a family of six whose daughter worked for us so that they could come to the United States from Romania. They did it LEGALLY and RESPECTFULLY, not at the expense of those who did it the right way.

Edited March 8, 2015 by kruzerci

[chengkp75]

First of all, yogimax, this is the SECOND time that I know of that we were on the same cruise and you did NOT introduce yourself to me. Should I be getting a complex?

 

Second of all, I am glad that I didn't see this thread until just now, and thus was able to see this follow-up post, after some of the nonsense posted in the meantime.

 

1. Some of those Cubans have relatives in MEXICO. They were trying to sail to MEXICO. We landed them in MEXICO.

 

2. The crew of the Serenade chipped in clothing and money, in VERY large amounts. THEY "have a heart", unlike some of YOU.

 

3. The USCG has nothing to do with this - as stated by yogimax.

 

4. We tried to leave them in Falmouth. The Jamaican authorities did not want to accept them. Just for full disclosure. ;)

 

5. There was no point in even trying to leave them in GC. Caymanian authorities wouldn't even discuss it.

 

6. Reportedly, two cargo ships/freighters passed them by. Those captains are now subject to very serious charges. You have a DUTY, an OBLIGATION, to help those in distress at sea.

 

7. Picking them up had NO impact on our cruise. I am so very happy that I heard not one tiny WHISPER, not one SYLLABLE of complaint from anyone on board. If I had heard what yogimax heard, there might have been someone ELSE in the water. :eek: :rolleyes:

 

8. Everyone that I spoke to was concerned and interested in the fate of the Cubans. All expressed empathy, warmth and good wishes.

 

As for some of you.................SMH.

 

Once the ship takes these people onboard, the ship is responsible for them, and any consequence of bringing them into any country, just as they are responsible to ensure that legitimate passengers have the necessary documentation before bringing that passenger to that country. As you state, a country can refuse to land someone rescued at sea, and the ship will have to keep those people onboard and transport them to the next port. Because Mexico accepted them, that was it.

 

Cuban refugees, or anyone rescued at sea, when the ship enters US waters (or actually any country's waters), they must report people who are not on the manifest to that country's authorities. In the US, the USCG has the authority to board any vessel (given reasonable cause) when it is in US waters, and will take the refugees or rescued people off before the ship touches land. Therefore, the refugees are not "dry foot", and will be returned. This goes for stowaways and rescued people as well.

 

If no country accepts the people, the ship will be responsible for securing the people in some port (getting legal permission, hiring security guards, hotel and meals) until the company can arrange for some form of transportation back to their country of origin.

 

Frequently people on these rafts will not signal their distress since they are afraid that once a ship takes them onboard, they will be handed over to the authorities. I have seen this several times in the Straits of Florida. Regardless of how flimsy their conveyance, if they are not signaling distress (standing up and waving, for instance), a ship is not required to render assistance. When someone like this is noticed in US waters, the ship will notify the USCG, and will be told to remain on station to watch, butnot to take them onboard, until the USCG arrives. I will reserve judgment on the two Captains who "allegedly" passed the raft by, until the facts are published, which most likely will not happen.

[yogimax]

Frequently people on these rafts will not signal their distress since they are afraid that once a ship takes them onboard, they will be handed over to the authorities.

 

To clarify, the captain and bridge officers made it perfectly clear that this group was waving their hands and that this was clearly a sign of distress. Given that they were at sea and adrift for ten days, this made perfect sense.