- April 25, 2024
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Richard and Nancy Ricks were on the seventh deck of Royal Caribbean’s Monarch of the Seas Sunday, Dec. 5, when they saw a sail far off in the ocean.
They didn’t know what it was at the time, but then the captain announced a change of course. The cruise ship shut off its engines and let the raft — made from tarp, tires and rope — drift close to the ship.
The Rickses watched from the lounge as cruise employees rescued six Cuban refugees from the rough waters.
“We were cruising along with all of our needs being met while these people were fighting for their lives in order to reach our shores,” Richard Ricks said. “The contrast of that really struck me. We take so much for granted.”
Passengers did not interact with the refugees. The six were taken to the ship’s doctor first and turned over to the Coast Guard when they arrived in port.
