A Carnival Cruise Line ship turned into an emergency rescue vessel after crew members aboard the Carnival Mardi Gras spotted a distressed boat carrying nine people off the coast of Florida.
The rescue happened May 16 near Sebastian Inlet, roughly 40 miles south of Port Canaveral, while the Mardi Gras was sailing an Eastern Caribbean itinerary. According to the cruising giant, the ship responded after crew members noticed the smaller vessel displaying a red distress flag and signaling for help.
Passengers aboard the Mardi Gras watched the rescue unfold from the deck as the massive cruise ship slowed and repositioned itself near the stranded boat. Tonia Badura, a guest on board, said an announcement informed passengers that the crew was investigating a nearby vessel in trouble.
“The passengers were waving frantically,” Badura told People. “One of the passengers was screaming, ‘We are out of gas! No food, no water!’”
Video captured during the incident showed Carnival crew members launching an orange rescue craft and helping passengers off the disabled vessel before transporting them back to the Mardi Gras.
Carnival later confirmed that all nine adults were safely brought on board and remained under the ship’s care until they arrived in Nassau, Bahamas, where local authorities met them.
The company also said the U.S. Coast Guard was notified following the rescue. Under international maritime law, ships are required to assist people found in danger at sea whenever it is safe to do so.
The Carnival Mardi Gras, which entered service in 2021, is one of the company’s largest ships, capable of carrying more than 5,000 passengers. The vessel is currently operating a seven-day Caribbean route that includes stops in Nassau, Amber Cove, Grand Turk, and Celebration Key, Carnival’s new private destination in the Bahamas.
The rescue adds another dramatic chapter to a chaotic stretch of headlines surrounding Carnival Cruise Line this year. In April, the Carnival Legend rescued a stranded sailor and his cat after spotting distress flares in the Gulf of Mexico.
More recently, the company has dealt with lawsuits and investigations tied to multiple passenger incidents, including the death of a woman who drove a mobility scooter off a dock at Celebration Key and another fatal accident involving a balcony fall aboard the Carnival Firenze near Catalina Island.
