During the night of Monday, February 23rd, 2026, the cruise vessel Regal Princess of Princess Cruises altered its course in response to the sighting of a small sailing craft in distress about 150 nautical miles north-northeast of Progreso on the Yucatán Peninsula.
The yacht-sized passenger liner, en route on a scheduled 7-night voyage to Cozumel, Mexico after departing Galveston, Texas, detected the makeshift vessel drifting and taking on water. Its occupants were engaged in manually expelling seawater from the heavily rusted craft when the larger ship’s crew moved in to render assistance in accordance with the obligations imposed on mariners encountering persons in peril at sea under international law.
The Regal Princess reversed course and brought the individuals aboard, the craft having appeared structurally compromised and barely remaining afloat. Observers reported that the small vessel was constructed of metal affixed to wood and carried a rudimentary sail fashioned from canvas or similar material, which had collapsed prior to the rescue. Although initial reports varied slightly as to the number of people rescued, they were taken aboard and provided with aid.
This response occurred within international waters and did not necessitate any deviation from the ship’s planned calls, including the scheduled overnight visit to Cozumel on February 24th. The operation underscored the pervasive duty under maritime conventions to assist those in danger at sea when feasible, independent of their nationality or legal status, with coordination with appropriate rescue authorities to follow.
For more Regal Princess incidents and accidents, see the ship's CruiseMinus page.