Royal Caribbean LGBTQ+ cruise makes rescue near Mexico
Former MTV VJ Downtown Julie Brown was on board Brilliance of the Seas as it rescued 11 refugees from a vessel in distress.
An LGBTQ+ charter cruise aboard Royal Caribbean’s Brilliance of the Seas took an unexpected turn on Feb. 26 when the captain spotted a small boat that appeared to be in distress.
The cruise ship was sailing near Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula on its way to Progreso when it turned around to investigate the situation.
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The ship’s crew launched a pilot boat to the adrift vessel and discovered 11 refugees in need of assistance. It’s not clear where the vessel departed from or where it was headed.
Brilliance of the Seas’ crew members safely brought the refugees on board the cruise ship where Royal Caribbean crew provided them with medical care, food and water. Passengers quickly offered help too, collecting clothing to provide to the refugees.
Passengers on the ship were sailing on a seven-night Caribbean cruise from New Orleans chartered by VACAYA, an LGBTQ+ travel company that hosts full-ship charter cruises and resort vacations.
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MTV icon Downtown Julie Brown reports live during cruise ship rescue
Former MTV VJ Downtown Julie Brown, who was hosting events on board the cruise ship, reported details on the rescue in a video posted on Facebook by Vacaya CEO Randle Roper-Olson.
“We are in the middle of a live vessel operation right now,” Brown explains in the video. “We've just come down from the coast of Cuba, and we're not too far off the coast of the Yucatan, so on the way to Mexico.”
Brown explained that the ship’s captain thought he saw a boat in distress and doubled back to investigate.
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“We looped around, a big loop, and it took us about 20 minutes, probably, to loop back around, and it was indeed a boat in distress,” Brown said.
Brown reported that the rescue boats took multiple trips to the small vessel to rescue its passengers. She said the rescued passengers were being well taken care of by the ship’s crew as they came on board the cruise ship and seemed to be happy to receive the assistance.
“As they were coming towards the boat, I waved to them, and they all waved back to me, so they're obviously in good spirits as well,” Brown noted.
Royal Caribbean and Vacaya care for rescued passengers
In his Facebook post, Vacaya CEO Randle Roper-Olson shared additional details on the emotionally intense rescue operation.
“In my 22 years in the industry, I’ve never had such an emotional day. Today, VACAYA and Royal Caribbean rescued 11 refugees who’ve been adrift at sea for quite some time. I was with MTV icon Julie Brown watching everything unfold,” Roper-Olson wrote.
As he noted how happy he was that Royal Caribbean and VACAYA were able to assist the refugees, Roper-Olson highlighted how traumatic the situation must have been for those traveling on the small vessel.
“I’m so happy we were able to bring them onboard safely and provide medical care, dry clothes, food, and most importantly, water. It’s sad that some people have to put themselves through such trauma in hopes of finding a better life,” Roper-Olson expressed.
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When a rescue like this occurs on a cruise ship, the ship’s crew will provide assistance, medical care, and accommodations for the rescued passengers until they can be disembarked in a place of safety, typically into the custody of local authorities.
In accordance with maritime law and tradition, cruise ships are obligated to assist those in distress at sea without regard to their nationality, status or the circumstances in which they are found.
After conducting the rescue, Brilliance of the Seas continued sailing toward Mexico, but changed its destination from Progreso to Cozumel, a port the ship had already visited earlier in the VACAYA cruise. The ship is scheduled to return to New Orleans on March 1.
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