Royal Caribbean Royal Caribbean's Empress of the Seas
- Two sailors who had been stranded at sea for 20 days were rescued by a Royal Caribbean cruise ship on Friday, a Royal Caribbean representative confirmed to Business Insider.
- Royal Caribbean's Empress of the Seas found the sailors while traveling between Grand Cayman and Jamaica after being rerouted from Cienfuegos, Cuba, to Ocho Rios, Jamaica, due to bad weather.
- The sailors, one of whom was unable to walk at the time, received food, water, and medical attention after boarding the ship.
- Once the ship reached Ocho Rios, the sailors went to a local hospital.
Two sailors who had been stranded at sea for 20 days were rescued by a Royal Caribbean cruise ship on Friday, a Royal Caribbean representative confirmed to Business Insider.
The sailors had departed from Porto Limon, Costa Rica, on December 1 for a fishing trip, and their boat had moved away from their fishing nets while they were sleeping due to strong winds, James Van Fleet, Royal Caribbean's chief meteorologist, said via Twitter. They used all of their fuel attempting to return, Van Fleet said.
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Royal Caribbean's Empress of the Seas found the sailors on Friday while traveling between Grand Cayman and Jamaica after being rerouted from Cienfuegos, Cuba, to Ocho Rios, Jamaica, due to bad weather, the Royal Caribbean representative said.
"Had we not changed itinerary to get to better weather, we would never have been in that spot at that time," Van Fleet said.
The sailors, one of whom was unable to walk at the time, received food, water, and medical attention after boarding the ship, Van Fleet said, and once the ship reached Ocho Rios, the sailors went to a local hospital. The ship's crew gave them $300 to buy clothes and food after they left the hospital, Van Fleet added.
The sailors told Empress of the Sea crew members that they had only brought enough food and water for seven days, Van Fleet said. Water had become their "primary issue" as they tried to fish for food, Van Fleet added.
"I don't know about you, but I've already seen a Christmas Miracle. 20 days at sea should tell you everything about the odds of them being found alive," Van Fleet said.
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Have you worked on a cruise ship? Do you have a story to share? Email this reporter at mmatousek@businessinsider.com.