On October 26, 2025, a group of Samoan crew members aboard the MSC Splendida intervened to rescue 19 migrants in distress while sailing off the coast of Mallorca, Spain.
The 3,900-passenger ship responded to a distress call and, upon arrival, found several refugees on an overcrowded boat in rough seas. Some had already fallen into the open sea and were struggling to stay afloat.
Once the cruise ship arrived, a ladder was lowered into the water to allow the distressed refugees to come aboard. All 19 refugees, from the Maghreb region in North Africa, were saved and assisted by the Msc crew members.
Samoa Shipping Services, the crew recruitment agency, publicly paid tribute to the Samoan employees who led the rescue operations.
The crew members were also invited to a special dinner in the Captain’s Lounge, hosted by Captain Msc Giuseppe Maresca and Security Manager Antonio Bovento, to personally thank them for their heroic intervention. The refugees were handed over to the competent authorities in Barcelona upon the Splendida’s return to its home port on October 27, 2025.
Thank you Msc Splendida Crew for Rescue in the middle of the Mediterranean sea 📸 evo apax #mscsplendida #rescue #mediterraneansea #cruiseship #mscfriends
♬ Pirates of the Caribbean – The Grand Cinematic Orchestra
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