A Princess cruise ship rescued a group of people on a rowboat in international waters near Mexico on Monday.
The dramatic rescue unfolded Monday night as Regal Princess sailed toward her first port of call on the current 7-night cruise.
"I'm currently on the Regal Princess and we turned around to help a distressed boat and here they are," X user Sarah (@sarah_wxtx) shared on the social media platform.
According to Sarah, the Regal Princess crew members quickly took action and successfully rescued the individuals on the small boat.
Before that, the passenger reported that the people were bailing water out of the rusty, makeshift watercraft.
According to international maritime law, vessels are legally required to assist anyone — "with all possible speed" — in distress at sea if the mission will not endanger their own ship.
The International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) and the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) further stipulate that help must be provided regardless of immigration status or nationality. Ships must coordinate with rescue authorities, too.
The 142,229-gross-ton Regal Princess departed Galveston, Texas, on Sunday, February 22, for a weeklong cruise to the Western Caribbean.
According to Cruise Mapper, the sudden rescue did not impact the ship's scheduled visit to Cozumel, Mexico, on Feb. 24.
Regal Princess's second stop on the 7-night cruise is Roatán, Honduras. The 3,560-passenger vessel is expected to return to Texas on March 1.
Regal Princess Cruise Ship Facts
Regal Princess is a Royal Class cruise ship that launched in 2014. She measures over 142,000 gross tons and is 1,083 feet long.
According to Princess Cruises, Regal Princess has 1,337 cabins and can accommodate over 1,340 crew members.
She'll remain in Galveston through the end of March, then reposition to Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Port Everglades will be Regal Princess's homeport through April 2027.
After that, the Royal Class vessel will move to Southampton, England, where she'll begin a seasonal European stint. Other embarkation ports during this time include Copenhagen, Denmark; Helsinki, Finland; and Reykjavik, Iceland.
In August 2027, Regal Princess will return to the U.S. and sail from New York before finally sailing south and offering cruises from Miami, Florida, from Nov. 2027 until at least April 2028.
She is a favorite among cruisers, too, with many praising her traditional design and lack of "thrilling" features that consume mainstream cruise headlines.
"As long as you realize it's a more traditional cruise ship without watersides or rock climbing, the Regal Princess is a very good ship which is known for cheap upgrades to balconies and mini suites," said one Redditor.
"More than other large cruise lines Princess excels at offering a great traditional cruise experience. Housekeeping is twice daily or more if desired. The included food options are more traditional and still include lobster tails one night. Princess is great about making more traditional [desserts] and presenting them formally, such as with a Baked Alaska parade."
Another added, "I've taken a few cruises on the Regal and was very happy with everything. It's definitely my favorite ship. The crew was wonderful and the food delicious. I eat almost every meal possible in the MDR because I think the best food and service [are] found there. Princess has an older demographic so there is a mellow atmosphere and no drunken foolishness."
Elizabeth Wright
Elizabeth graduated from New York University's Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute with her M.A. in Journalism in May 2023. Having sailed on over 30 cruises across different lines, including Royal Caribbean, Carnival, MSC, Margaritaville at Sea, and Princess, she loves sharing her insight and expertise on all things cruising!
In addition to writing for Cruise.Blog, Elizabeth has bylines in Business Insider, Royal Caribbean Blog, and Cruiseshipfood.com.
