Video: Disney’s Newest Cruise Ship Rescues Sinking Catamaran in Atlantic
Disney Cruise Line’s new ship, the Disney Treasure (144,236 gross tons) has already caulked up its first heroic act even before it enters service. The brand-new cruise ship on its repositioning trip after delivery from its builders Meyer Werft to its homeport in Port Canaveral, Florida diverted yesterday to save four recreational boaters from their sinking catamaran.
The 1,119-foot (341-meter) cruise ship departed the Netherlands on October 29 bound for Port Canaveral. After making a technical stop in Funchal a week ago, the ship was on the final leg of its crossing only with crew aboard. When the compliment is complete the ship will have 1,555 crew with those aboard now learning the new ship and training in advance of the first paying passengers joining the ship next month.
The U.S. Coast Guard reports it received a distress call Sunday, November 10, at 0830 from a 50-foot catamaran with four people aboard. It was located about 230 nautical miles southwest of Bermuda and reported that a gasket had failed causing the ship to take on water. The four passengers were preparing to abandon their vessel.
Coast Guard Air Station Elizabeth City (North Carolina) responded while they also determined the new Disney ship was the closest vessel to the catamaran in distress. The crew of the Disney Treasure responded coordinating the rescue with the passengers on the boat. When they reached the catamaran, one of the new cruise ship’s lifeboats was launched to retrieve the four people from the catamaran.
“We are pleased that the Disney Treasure was able to provide aid to the boat passengers in peril. Our crew members worked together on the rescue, skillfully demonstrating their training and commitment to safety,” said Captain Marco Nogara, master of the cruise ship.
The four people have become the first passengers on the new cruise ship. The Disney Treasure’s AIS signal shows an arrival tomorrow, November 12, in Port Canaveral. The ship the second in the Disney Wish class, the new LNG-fueled cruise ships building for the line, is due to complete its final fitting out and crew training before embarking its first paying passengers in December.