Carnival Cruise Ship Involved in Rescue After Boat Capsizes

Carnival Dream spotted a small capsized craft near Belize on Wednesday, May 17, 2023, and assisted in the rescue of all 17 people in distress. The cruise ship was not significantly delayed in its route and there have been no changes to its current 6-night itinerary.

Carnival Dream Spots Boat in Distress

Carnival Dream was leaving Belize City after visiting on Wednesday, May 17, when the ship’s officers spotted a capsized boat with a large group in distress.

The incident occurred in the Belize Channel, the narrow waterway between the Belize mainland and the offshore barrier reef. While the exact time of the encounter has not been reported, Carnival Dream was scheduled to be in Belize City until 5 p.m. that evening, and so the rescue must have been shortly thereafter.

The cruise ship immediately contacted the Belize Coast Guard about the craft in distress, and lowered one of the ship’s tenders to begin rescuing the stranded individuals. Local Belize tenders also assisted, and all individuals were then transferred to the Belize Coast Guard.

The overturned craft appeared to be overcrowded, though there was sufficient lifesaving gear distributed to all individuals, male and female. There is no indication of whether the incident involved a local tour boat, recreational vessel, or migrant craft.

A total of 17 people were rescued, with no injuries or serious medical conditions. Everyone was reported to be in good condition.

No Delays for the Cruise Ship

After ensuring the rescue of all individuals in distress, Carnival Dream was able to continue on its way to its next port of call, Cozumel, Mexico, approximately 230 miles (370 kilometers) north-northeast of Belize City.

Because the incident occurred so early in the evening, the cruise ship would have easily been able to adjust its sailing speed overnight en route to Cozumel, and there was no delay in reaching the port destination on time.

Carnival Dream spent Thursday, May 18 in Cozumel as planned from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Friday will be a day at sea, and the ship will return to Galveston, Texas on Saturday, May 20, ready for its next sailing – an 8-night Eastern Caribbean cruise that will visit Key West, Florida as well as Freeport, Half Moon Cay, and Nassau in The Bahamas.

Lots of News Headlines for Carnival Dream

This is the third time in recent weeks that the 130,000-gross-ton Carnival Dream has made news headlines.

Earlier this month, an 86-year-old male guest was evacuated from the ship with “side effects from ingesting a battery,” an unusual reason for any cruise medical evacuation.

At the end of April, the ship had another medical evacuation during which a sudden squall blew in and nearly caused the catastrophic crash of a US Coast Guard helicopter, though the aircraft was able to recover and return to base safely. After the weather cleared, a second crew was dispatched to complete the evacuation.

It is a credit to the ship’s officers and crew that they are alert to such diverse situations and safely able to attend to those in need, whether onboard guests or other mariners in distress.

Carnival Dream is currently homeported from Galveston, offering 6-night Western Caribbean sailings and 8-night Eastern Caribbean cruises, with the occasional longer Journeys cruise on its schedule. The ship is scheduled to remain sailing from Galveston through at least April 2025.

Cruise Hive commends Carnival Dream and wishes the ship smooth sailing in the weeks to come!