Allure of the Seas Rescues Cuban Migrants Adrift at Sea

Nine Cuban migrants were rescued Saturday from their makeshift raft by a Royal Caribbean cruise ship heading back to port in Florida.

The migrants – eight men and one woman – were found off the northern tip of Cuba by Royal Caribbean's Allure of the Seas. The ship was returning to Port Everglades after a week-long Caribbean cruise.

On board the ship, the group was given food, water and medical attention. They had been at sea for eight days on a makeshift boat with a yellow tarp.

"It was actually really exciting while it was all happening," cruise passenger Colleen Hinch told The Miami Herald. "The captain made an announcement so everyone went over to the side to see what was happening. We turned around and there was a little tiny boat that didn't look very sea-worthy."

The migrants were spotted at approximately 2 PM and by approximately 4 PM were handed over to the United States Coast Guard.

There's no word on the current status of the men and woman, but they will likely be repatriated.

UPDATE 4:15pm: Huffington Post and AOL Travel reader Michelle Sullivan sent in video of the rescue taken from the Allure of the Seas. WATCH below:


UPDATE 5/17: More exclusive video of the rescue below:

Allure of the Seas Rescue from Michelle Sullivan on Vimeo.

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