Carnival Breeze, which Carnival Cruise Line operates, responded to a mayday call on Thursday and rescued a distressed sailboat during the ship’s return to her homeport of Port of Galveston in Texas.
Carnival Breeze Aids Sailboat
The Dream-class vessel picked up a mayday call on Thursday morning at approximately 1:00 AM. At the time, the Carnival Breeze was sailing back to its homeport in Galveston, Texas. The ship altered course and eventually located the small boat in the Gulf of Mexico.
Trained crew members lowered one of the lifeboats from the Carnival ship and rescued three people and two dogs. They were all brought aboard and provided medical assistance.
YouTube user Rhonda Brewer, a passenger on board at the time, posted a video as the lifeboat returned to the cruise ship. She said in response to a comment, “Moved off course to rescue a sailboat stranded and being tossed around unable to move. Captain had broken foot and two passenger and two dogs. Not sure of any other details.”
With Carnival Breeze off course to make the rescue, the ship was slightly delayed arriving back at the Port of Galveston later in the morning. The vessel was completing a five-day Western Caribbean cruise that first departed Galveston on October 30, 2021. The itinerary included a call in Cozumel and Progreso, both in Mexico.
Also Read: Extensive Guide to Port of Galveston Cruise Parking
The ship will have a quick turnaround with new guests and then depart later on November 4 on a shorter dour-day sailing with just the call at Cozumel, Mexico, on November 6, 2021.
It’s a common situation we see with cruise ships responding and coming to the rescue of smaller boats in distress. Cruise ships will also often work with the U.S. Coast Guard if needed for medical evacuations and situations such as what Carnival Breeze was involved in.
This news comes when the Captain and crew of the Carnival Ecstasy were recognized by the Association for Rescue at Sea (AFRAS) on November 2. The Fantasy-class ship rescued a 29-year-old injured mariner at sea in November 2020 and provided medical treatments for his severe injuries. There have been many Carnival ships over the years that have responded to important mayday calls and spotting small boats in need of help.
Carnival Breeze restarted operations from Galveston on July 17 and was the third ship in the fleet to do so. The vessel is 130,000 gross tons with a guest capacity of 3,690 at double occupancy and 1,386 international crew members.
