Key Aspects:
- The US Coast Guard airlifted a guest from Celebrity Apex north of Puerto Rico.
- The 65-year-old guest had medical conditions that required a higher level of care.
- There is no impact to the ship’s itinerary and she is on her way back to Port Canaveral.
Nothing can be more frightening than a medical incident when far from home, and Celebrity Apex was far from her homeport when one guest urgently needed medical care beyond what the ship could offer.
Specifically, the ship was 24 nautical miles north of Arecibo, Puerto Rico, in the midst of an Eastern Caribbean itinerary during a day at sea – 1,100 miles from her home at Port Canaveral.
The emergency call came in just after 1:30 a.m. on Thursday, December 11, 2025 requesting a medical evacuation for a 65-year-old guest with multiple medical conditions onboard the cruise ship.
The situation was carefully evaluated and coordinated for sunrise, which would be just before 7 a.m. A US Coast Guard MH-60T Jayhawk helicopter from Air Station Borinquen met the ship with appropriate personnel to facilitate the operation.
First, a rescue swimmer was deployed to board the ship, then the evacuation litter was sent down to the deck. The patient was smoothly hoisted up to the helicopter, along with his wife.
The two guests were transported first to the Fernando Luis Ribas Dominicci Airport in San Juan then on to the Centro Medico Hospital for further care.
“I’m proud of the teamwork that resulted in a successful patient transport from the Celebrity Apex to a higher level of care,” said Lieutenant Alberto Raymond, Coast Guard MH-60T Jayhawk aircraft co-pilot for the case.
“Thank you to the crews of the Celebrity Apex, our team in San Juan, and Air Station Borinquen. All our training is for moments like this, and I’m grateful we could help save a life.”
You can watch footage of the airlift below:
To preserve the guests’ privacy, neither their names nor the nature of the patient’s medical condition have been released.
Cruise Continued Without Delay
At the time of the evacuation, Celebrity Apex had finished her last port visit on the current sailing. The ship departed Port Canaveral on Saturday, December 6 for the 7-night Eastern Caribbean itinerary.
After visiting Amber Cove and San Juan earlier in the sailing, the ship called at Basseterre, St. Kitts from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Wednesday, December 10.
Both Thursday and Friday are full days at sea as the 130,818-gross-ton ship makes her way back to Port Canaveral for debarkation on Saturday, December 13.
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Despite the slight pause for the at-sea evacuation, there are no delays to Celebrity Apex‘s course and the ship should arrive on time back in Florida, with no impact to the next sailing.
Celebrity Apex only recently arrived to Port Canaveral, setting sail from the her new homeport for the first time on November 1, 2025.
“We’re thrilled to welcome home the stunning Celebrity Apex to our Port,” said Capt. John Murray, Port Canaveral CEO. “We have a great partnership with Celebrity Cruises and very proud of their success here that continues to contribute economic value to our Port community and beyond.”
This was also the first time the Edge-class ship had ever visited Port Canaveral, which was commemorated with a traditional plaque exchange ceremony.
Celebrity Apex will remain homeported from the Space Coast until the end of April 2026, at which time she’ll return to Europe for the summer. The ship will be back home at Port Canaveral at the end of October.
Rescue Crews Always Stand Ready
This is not the first time USCG crews have facilitated cruise ship rescues, nor will it be the last.
There is no distinction made between guests or crew members, ages, cruise lines, or the nature of medical conditions when rescues are necessary. Rescue crews will battle through rough weather, travel great distances, or otherwise handle challenging conditions to render assistance when needed.
While no cruise guest ever wants to experience this unique way to debark a cruise ship, every traveler should be grateful that such dedicated crews are available just in case.
