On the evening of Sunday, September 28th, RCI-Royal Caribbean's Enchantment of the Seas, on a voyage from Tampa, Florida to Costa Maya, Mexico, deviated from its scheduled route in order to avoid Hurricane Humberto and Tropical Storm Imelda. While executing this re-routing through the Caribbean Sea, the ship’s bridge crew spotted a makeshift raft carrying approximately twelve individuals adrift, off the coast of Mexico, near the western Caribbean.
Reports from passengers who witnessed the event indicate that the raft appeared unstable and was starting to break apart. The stranded persons reportedly used lights to signal distress as evening light waned. Upon sighting the raft, crew members aboard Enchantment of the Seas launched a rescue boat (tender) to reach those aboard.
Once the tender reached the raft, the individuals were transferred to safety aboard the cruise ship. Onboard, they were given drinking water and other immediate assistance.
While Royal Caribbean has not released full details of their condition or identity, a spokesperson acknowledged that standard protocols had been observed, including working with local authorities for the appropriate handover once the vessel approached port.
The Enchantment of the Seas is a 82,900-gross-ton vessel in the Royal Caribbean fleet, capable of carrying over 2,200 passengers.
For more Enchantment of the Seas incidents and accidents see the ship's CruiseMinus page.