Norwegian Cruise Line’s Norwegian Epic came to the aid of dozens of people in distress after spotting an overcrowded sailboat in the Mediterranean Sea on the night of 22nd October 2025.
The dramatic rescue took place during the early stages of the ship’s 11-night round-trip cruise to the Greek Isles and Italy, which had departed from Civitavecchia (Rome) just a day earlier.
Guests onboard said the 4,070-passenger vessel stopped suddenly after the small boat was sighted, and that the rescue operation lasted several hours.
“We had to stop in the middle of the Med and rescue 67 migrants that were in a 30-foot sailboat,” one passenger wrote on Reddit. “It took a few hours for the crew to get them onboard.”
The Norwegian Epic, which measures in at 155,873 gross tonnes, would have been sailing southeast towards Santorini, the first scheduled port of call, when the operation took place.
A Law of the Sea
Under international maritime law – specifically the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) convention – ships are legally and morally obliged to assist anyone in distress at sea, provided doing so does not endanger passengers or crew.
Once safely aboard, rescued individuals are typically given food, water, medical checks and temporary shelter in a restricted area away from paying guests.
They are then handed over to local authorities at the next available port.
Although Norwegian Cruise Line has yet to issue an official statement, passengers praised the crew’s professionalism and compassion throughout the ordeal.
Port Change and Missed Call
The humanitarian diversion did have an operational consequence: the ship’s planned call to Santorini on 23rd October was cancelled.
Guests awoke to find the Epic docking at a mainland Greek port instead, where the 67 refugees were transferred to the Greek Coast Guard.
“We were supposed to hand them over in Santorini, but the authorities wanted them brought to the mainland,” the same cruiser explained. “I’m a bit disappointed to miss Santorini again, but it’s understandable.”
After completing the handover, the Norwegian Epic resumed her planned route and made her expected call at Piraeus (Athens) on 24th October, with Mykonos, Valletta, Syracuse, Salerno, Livorno, and Cannes to follow, before returning to Rome on 1st November 2025.
Not the First Rescue
It’s not the first time a cruise ship has diverted to help migrants in the Mediterranean, where small, overcrowded vessels regularly get into difficulty.
Cruise lines – particularly those operating between Italy, Greece, and Malta – have frequently participated in rescues at sea over the years, often in coordination with European coastguards.
While some passengers expressed disappointment over the missed port, most agreed that the crew did exactly what was required – putting human life above all else.
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Jenni Fielding is the founder of Cruise Mummy. She has worked in the cruise industry since 2015 and has taken over 30 cruises. Now, she helps over 1 million people per month to plan their perfect cruise holidays.
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