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Royal Caribbean Vessel Rescues Cuban Drafters

COZUMEL, MEXICO (CBSMiami) – Passengers aboard Royal Caribbean's Oasis of the Seas encountered an unexpected surprise Wednesday.

The cruise line reported that 23 Cuban citizens were rescued from a small boat in the Gulf of Mexico on the ship's route to Cozumel, Mexico from Jamaica.

Royal Caribbean reported that someone on the ship saw a small boat carrying 19 men and four women.

The people on the boat were given food, water, and medical treatment on board the 5,400 passenger ship, the cruise line said.

The Palm Beach Post reported that Royal Caribbean notified the U.S. Coast Guard of the incident and the 23 people were taken from the ship in Cozumel, as directed by authorities.

This isn't the first time the world's largest cruise ship rescued drafters. In July 2011, the cruise ship rescued seven rafters.

The sister ship of the Oasis of the Seas, the Allure of the Seas, rescued nine Cuban rafters in May 2011.

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