Royal Caribbean's Radiance of the Seas successfully rescued six people from a small boat in the Western Caribbean.
According to social media posts, the Radiance Class vessel came to a "full stop" off the coast of Cuba on Sunday, February 15, 2026, to respond to a vessel in distress.
"Current status on Radiance of the Seas. We are at a full stop pending rescue of 6 people," shared Mike Hoglander in the Crown and Anchor Society Facebook group.
One Redditor also provided context on the situation, claiming that the captain saw the vessel and was forced to stop. Under international maritime law, vessels are legally required to assist anyone in distress at sea — so long as doing so doesn't endanger their own ship.
(Credit: Mike Hoglander/Facebook)
According to the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) and the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), vessels must proceed "with all possible speed" to assist persons in distress, provide help regardless of immigration status or nationality, and coordinate with rescue authorities.
"[W]ere waiting for the Coast Guard to pick them up but I don’t think they could come," explained Junior-Front-5544.
"At around 5:45-6 [the crew] decided to get them and there were 6 people. Captain said they will stay [on board] until port tomorrow at [Grand Cayman]."
(Credit: Junior-Front-5544/Reddit)
Hoglander updated his original post to share that all six people were successfully rescued from the small vessel that had begun taking on water.
Cruise Mapper shows that Radiance of the Seas arrived in Grand Cayman on Monday, Feb. 16, as planned.
The 90,090 gross-ton Radiance Class vessel is currently on a 6-night Western Caribbean cruise that departed on Feb. 14, from Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
(Credit: Junior-Front-5544/Reddit)
The first port of call on the itinerary is Grand Cayman, followed by Cozumel, Mexico, on Feb. 18. Radiance is expected to return to Florida on Friday, Feb. 20.
Radiance of the Seas is a 24-year-old cruise ship that launched in 2001. She measures 962 feet long and can accommodate around 2,140 guests at double occupancy.
Through April 2026, Radiance will offer Bahamian voyages from Fort Lauderdale. She'll relocate to Tampa, Florida, in April, where she will remain through at least April 2028.
(Credit: Junior-Front-5544/Reddit)
Itineraries range from 4-night getaways to 8-night Western Caribbean cruises that visit ports like Grand Cayman, Cozumel, Roatán, and Costa Maya.
Read more: Royal Caribbean ships by age — Newest to Oldest
It's not uncommon for cruise ships to rescue passengers in distress
(Credit: @AileenCD/TikTok)
A few years ago, Odyssey of the Seas rescued 77 migrants off the coast of Greece while on a 7-night Greek Isles cruise.
The sailboat was first spotted by a Maltese-flagged cargo ship roughly 112 nautical miles (129 miles) southwest of Pylos. Then, Greece's search and rescue authority helped coordinate the rescue operation.
A few months later, Voyager of the Seas rescued 4 adults, 2 children, and a black lab off a disabled sailboat drifting off the coast of Marrakesh, Morocco.
(Credit: Karen Fraser)
In Oct. 2025, Norwegian Epic rescued over 60 people from a boat in the Ionian Sea, USA TODAY reported.
"The individuals were brought on board and tended to by the ship’s crew who provided a medical evaluation, food and other items for their comfort," said Norwegian in an emailed statement.
"Following a mandatory directive from the Rescue Coordination Centre, the ship proceeded to Kalamata, Greece where the rescued individuals were turned over to the Greek authorities."
Enchantment of the Seas, one of Royal Caribbean's oldest and smallest vessels, also saved a group of people from a raft that was "falling apart" in international waters between Mexico and Cuba.
As reported by NBC News, Enchantment of the Seas launched two lifeboats and successfully rescued the distressed people. Afterward, the captain announced that everyone was in good health.
