Disney cruise ship diverts to pick up Cuban migrants

CNN is reporting that a Disney cruise ship stopped yesterday during a cruise to the Cayman Islands to pick up 12 Cubans who took to sea to leave their homeland.

The Disney Wonder boat had set off from Miami and was headed for Grand Cayman, when it came across the men on Saturday evening. Experts believe Cubans might be trying to reach the United States because they fear warming relations between the two countries will soon make the United States resistant to accepting Cubans as refugees.

CNN reports that the cuban migrants were brought on board the Disney cruise ship, which has 11 decks of restaurants, pools, and recreation.

The Disney Cruise Line ships probably aren’t the greatest bunch of ships for detaining cuban migrants.

Overcrowding at the Immigration Department’s detention facility has led to civic centers in Bodden Town and East End being used to house Cuban migrants. It is not known however, if the group was attempting to get to the United States.

“Over the last several years, we’ve seen pretty sharp increases in the number of Cubans, especially traveling by land”, Rosenblum said. The Cuban migrants are regularly repatriated but more continue to arrive, keeping the detention centers full.

In fact, the Disney Wonder was the 2016 victor of the “Best Entertainment” and “Best Service” award from CruiseCritic.com, a website which ranks cruise ships and their corresponding amenities and service. It is common for cruise ships to pick up migrants stranded at sea, take them to the ship’s next port of call and hand them over to authorities. Its rescue in 2013, however, was initiated through the request of the Coast Guard.