Costa Cruises Costa Fascinosa was able to aid a stranded sailing yacht with a fuel transfer on Saturday, December 14, 2024, as both vessels were in the midst of their respective transatlantic crossings.
The distress call came at approximately 5 p.m., at which time Costa Fascinosa immediately turned to the south-southeast to reach the Canadian-registered yacht Elefance.
The yacht is a private pleasure craft and was making her way from Lanzarote in the Canary Islands to St. Martin when she experienced a “major mechanical failure” that compromised her ability to sail.
Without enough fuel to engage her engines for the entire trip across the Atlantic Ocean, the stranded yacht was adrift and facing a potentially hazardous and life-threatening situation.
Fortunately, the 114,500-gross-ton Costa Fascinosa was reasonably nearby and able to respond to the distress call.
It took three hours for the cruise ship to reach the yacht, at which time a lifeboat was quickly dispatched to render aid. The sailing vessel was successfully refueled and able to resume her journey. No individuals were transferred to the cruise ship, and no injuries were reported at the time.
The crew of the Elefance shared their thanks and gratitude to Costa Fascinosa via social media, noting that the aid ensures they are able to safely make landfall as planned.
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“A huge thank you to the crew of the Costa Fascinosa for the heroic fuel transfer mid-Atlantic!” they posted. “We are very grateful for the assistance and wish everyone a fabulous journey.”
Costa Fascinosa was quickly able to resume her own transatlantic cruise and there is no expected delay to the cruise ship’s voyage.
The Carnival-owned ship departed Savona, Italy on Thursday, December 5, 2024 on her way to Pointe-a-Pitre, Guadeloupe. During the 14-night journey, the ship has calls in France, Spain, the Canary Islands, and Barbados. She will arrive in Guadeloupe on Thursday, December 19.
Costa Fascinosa can welcome 3,780 travelers aboard for each sailing. From Guadeloupe, she will be offering diverse Caribbean sailings visiting top destinations such as Antigua, Grand Turk, the Dominican Republic, and more.
In mid-March 2025, the ship will return to Europe to spend the summer in the Mediterranean.
Unique Cruise Ship Rescues
While migrant refugee rescues are the most common type of distress calls cruise ships respond to, all vessels are obligated under international maritime law to render aid to any type of craft in distress. At times, this means cruise ships offer assistance in very unique situations.
For example, the new Disney Treasure has already performed her first rescue even before officially entering service. The ship rescued four individuals from the catamaran Serenity that was taking on water 230 miles off the coast of Bermuda on November 10, 2024.
In January 2024, Royal Caribbean’s Harmony of the Seas rescued six fishermen and their dog after their small boat had engine failure and had been reported lost two days earlier, just north of the Yucatan peninsula.
Another unique rescue was conducted by P&O Cruises’ Pacific Explorer in October 2023, when a young man hoping to break a world record for rowing across the Pacific Ocean was in distress with an overturned boat. The rescue was near Vanuatu, just short of his goal of reaching Australia.
Regardless of the circumstances, nationalities, or individual situation, cruise ships will always respond to those who require assistance. The safety of all life at sea is always the priority, and so long as a cruise ship can offer aid without endangering itself, that help will be available.
