Coast Guard rescue crews in South Florida were busy over the weekend with two Royal Caribbean vessels requiring medical evacuations on December 14, 2025.
First, the US Coast Guard Southeast, District 7, which covers South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Puerto Rico, the US Virgin Islands, and the Caribbean, reported its US Coast Guard Air Station Miami was dispatched to Grandeur of the Seas, which was 40 miles southeast of Miami.
The 73,817-gross-ton ship, which had departed from Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale on December 13, was en route to its first call, Royal Caribbean’s private destination in Haiti, Labadee, when a 56-year-old man suffered from severe abdominal pain just hours into the voyage.
The air team, based in Opa-Locka, arrived on the scene and airlifted the passenger to Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami in stable condition.
Following the swift and successful rescue, Grandeur of the Seas maintained its journey with up to 2,446 passengers and arrived on schedule for its Labadee call on December 15, 2024. It will continue to Aruba, Bonaire, and Curacao before returning to Fort Lauderdale on December 22.
Meanwhile, off the opposite coast of Florida, US Coast Guard also reported its Cortez base, covering the Tampa Bay and Sarasota area, also sent a crew to medevac a young girl from Radiance of the Seas for an undiagnosed health issue.
The 90,090-gross-ton vessel carrying up to 2,466 guests had just departed from Tampa for a 7-night Western Caribbean sailing and was just 13 miles west of Anna Maria Island when the girl required emergency assistance.
“The female required higher level care and was transferred to awaiting EMS at Station Cortez,” reported the Coast Guard.
The Coast Guard used a boat to transport the girl, accompanied by her mother and father. No further details on her condition have been shared.
After the minor delay, Radiance of the Seas resumed her course to Cozumel, where the vessel will arrive on schedule on December 16. The cruise will continue to Belize, Honduras, and Mexico before returning to Port Tampa Bay on December 21, 2024.
Coast Guard to the Rescue for Cruise Ships
These were not the first cruise rescues the US Coast Guard teams have executed in December.
On December 1, 2024, Carnival Cruise Line’s Carnival Jubilee had to turn back toward Galveston, Texas, when a 64-year-old man required an airlift.
The passenger, experiencing appendicitis-like symptoms, was rescued by an Air Station Corpus Christi team, assisted by an HC-144 Ocean Sentry aircrew.
Just days later, on December 3, 2024, another vessel in the Carnival fleet needed support off the coast of North Carolina.
The Carnival Pride, sailing from Baltimore to the Bahamas, had to turn toward the Outer Banks to meet with the US Coast Guard to get a male passenger to a local hospital for an undisclosed medical emergency.
Although these incidents were recent, Grandeur of the Seas and Radiance of the Seas have not experienced any emergencies as of late. In fact, most illnesses on cruise ships can be managed by onboard doctors and medical personnel.
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Cruise ships are equipped with medical centers that can handle a range of health issues, from minor injuries to more serious conditions.
If it is determined a passenger needs urgent care, the highly skilled and brave efforts of the Coast Guard come into play. These teams can operate under all weather conditions and deal with challenging hazards to make sure passengers get the care they need.
Undoubtedly, the families of the recent Royal Caribbean voyages who experienced their support first-hand feel they got the greatest gift ahead of the holidays.
