Brilliance of the Seas Rescues Stranded Refugees off Mexico’s Coast

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Royal Caribbean’s Brilliance of the Seas came to the aid of nearly a dozen distressed individuals on 26th February 2025, after spotting an overloaded, makeshift craft waving white materials, including a bucket, as a distress signal.

Brilliance of the Seas Refugee Rescue
Image credit: Scottie J Travels

The ship was sailing a 7-night Western Caribbean itinerary from New Orleans when the vessel was sighted east of the Yucatán Peninsula, northeast of Cancún.

The crew quickly responded, altering the ship’s course and dispatching its pilot boat to assist.

Reports vary on whether 10 or 11 refugees were on board the struggling craft, but all were successfully rescued and brought onto Brilliance of the Seas in two trips.

The ship’s captain later confirmed that all individuals were safe and in good condition following the rescue.

Following the delay, comments from social media suggest that the ship diverted to Cozumel to drop the refugees off, cancelling the planned visit to Progreso.

Cruise vlogger Scottie J Travels captured a video of the pilot ship heading out to meet the refugee boat:

What happens to rescued refugees at sea?

When a cruise ship encounters and rescues refugees, immediate care is the top priority. The individuals would have been provided with medical attention, food, and water, and kept in a secure crew area under supervision.

While they are not detained or treated as prisoners, they are also not allowed access to public guest areas.

Maritime law requires ships to report such incidents to the nearest coastal authorities, ensuring proper legal protocols are followed.

The rescued individuals will likely be transferred to local authorities in Cozumel, where they will undergo processing under Mexican immigration laws.

In many cases, such individuals are repatriated to their home country, though specific legal outcomes depend on local jurisdiction and international agreements.

This is not the first time Brilliance of the Seas has been involved in a maritime rescue operation.

In 2016, the ship rescued 18 Cuban refugees who had been stranded at sea for over three weeks. Tragically, nine other individuals had perished before the cruise ship arrived.

The 90,090-gross-ton, Radiance-class ship currently homeports from New Orleans, offering 7-night sailings to the Western Caribbean through the end of March.

In April, Brilliance of the Seas will reposition to Europe for a scheduled dry dock before spending the summer in the Greek Isles.

In the autumn, the ship will sail from Boston before relocating to San Juan for the winter Caribbean season.

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Cruise Mummy

Jenni Fielding is the founder of Cruise Mummy. She has worked in the cruise industry since 2015 and has taken over 30 cruises. Now, she helps over 1 million people per month to plan their perfect cruise holidays.

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