In an aerial view, the Carnival Miracle cruise ship operated by Carnival Cruise Lines sits docked at Pier 27 on September 30, 2022 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
More than 20 Cuban migrants bound for Florida in small boats were rescued by commercial cruise ships on Monday.
The migrants were rescued in two separate incidents involving Carnival cruise ships. Nineteen migrants were rescued by the Celebrity Beyond vessel and five by the Carnival Celebration ship.
"This afternoon my chief navigation officer Nikos noticed a glimmer on the horizon. When he picked up the binoculars, he saw a boat full of people that looked like it was in distress," Captain Kate McCue said in an Instagram post.
McCue, who is in charge on the Celerity Beyond ship, said it was all hands on deck to help transfer the migrants from the small boat to the cruiseliner. She noted that the group received medical evaluations, fresh clothes, food, and a chance to call home so their families knew they were safe.
The dual rescues came as more than 300 Cuban migrants landed in various areas across South Florida over the weekend.
The U.S. Coast Guard took over once cruiseship officials alerted them. This is the largest influx of Cuban migrants in decades, according to the Associated Press.
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