‘Dream' sailing trip becomes nightmare at sea for four people and three dogs before cruise ships comes to rescue
Four people and three dogs have been rescued from a catamaran stranded in the South Pacific after rough weather disabled the vessel.
The group had been sailing south of New Caledonia when their catamaran's engine failed and its mast broke, leaving them adrift at sea at night.
Know the news with the 7NEWS app: Download today
A distress call was issued about midnight, with the Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centre in Noumea alerting nearby vessels.
Carnival Cruise Line 's Carnival Splendor, which had left Sydney on Monday for an eight-day round trip to Vanuatu and New Caledonia, diverted course to assist.
The cruise ship reached the catamaran about 5am on Thursday.
Carnival said the four people and their three dogs were brought safely aboard.
They underwent medical check on board the cruise ship and were all reported to be in good condition.
'The Carnival Cruise Line ship immediately headed towards the location and was able to reach the vessel five hours later to complete the rescue,' a spokesperson said.
'The two couples and their three dogs were safely welcomed onto Carnival Splendor and are receiving food, water and medical assistance.'
The group, which includes two Australians, one German, and one Italian, left the Gold Coast on May 14, heading towards Fiji.
They are expected to disembark the cruise liner in Noumea.
One couple, Dusty and Helena, are living full-time on the catamaran, along with their three dogs — Wiggle, a mini husky, and two French bulldogs named Juno and Potato.
They are 'chasing their dream of sailing around the world', they say on their YouTube channel Sailing Barking Cat.
'We had no sailing experience when we started but we've been learning as we go,' they said.
The Carnival Splendor will continue its voyage, with 3,300 guests scheduled to visit Mystery Island on Friday and Noumea on Saturday, before returning to Sydney on Tuesday.
'It's always our priority to respond to emergencies like this and we're glad we were in the right place at the right time to help,' Carnival Cruise Line said.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Perth Now
an hour ago
- Perth Now
Epic new deal for Qantas frequent flyers
Australians looking to escape the cold are now eligible to cash in their Qantas frequent flyer points on trips with another airline. From Thursday, holiday-goers will be able to book hundreds of thousands of new reward seats across Hawaiian Airlines' global network, spanning all four major Hawaiian Islands, 15 cities in the US and 10 international destinations. Qantas Loyalty chief executive Andrew Glance said the number of classic reward seats booked with partner airlines had doubled in the last five years. 'We know how important it is that we continue to invest in growing our network and provide members with more opportunities to use their points,' he said. 'We know Hawaii is one of the most sought-after destinations for our frequent flyers and the partnership with Hawaiian Airlines will be welcome news for members eyeing up their next overseas trip. 'Our members will be able to use their points to connect to one or all four major Hawaiian Islands or look to build Honolulu into their itinerary as a convenient stopover en route to North America. Loyalty chief executive Andrew Glance said the number of classic reward seats booked with partner airlines had doubled in the last five years. Supplied Credit: Supplied 'The partnership with Hawaiian Airlines also builds on the recent launch of our direct Melbourne to Honolulu Qantas service in May and gives our members more routes, more choice and more access to travel rewards using their points.' Qantas frequent flyers will also earn points and status credits on Hawaiian Airlines-operated flights for travel to Hawaii and mainland US. The addition of the new reward seats adds to the 20 million already available across Qantas, Jetstar and 45 partner airlines, including Emirates, American Airlines and Cathay Pacific.
SBS Australia
an hour ago
- SBS Australia
'High degree of caution': Australia issues new warning for travellers to Bali
Australians are being warned about the risks associated with travelling to Indonesia, particularly Bali, after a number of incidents. In an update on Friday, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade's Smartraveller website urged travellers to "exercise a high degree of caution" while holidaying at the popular destination. The advice highlighted that Australians had drowned at unpatrolled beaches "due to rough seas and strong rip currents". It also cautioned against leaving food and drinks unattended due to a rise in drink spiking and methanol poisoning, with several cases reported in Bali and nearby Lombok. The travel advice came only two days after a 23-year-old Sunshine Coast man, Byron Haddow, died while holidaying in Bali. The cause of his death is unknown. The Smartraveller site also issued a reminder about saltwater crocodiles, which are present in Indonesian rivers and lakes. It urged Australians travelling to Indonesia to respect local customs, publishing a list of dos and don'ts. It included checking visa and passport requirements to ensure entry, with travellers reportedly denied due to tears or water damage to their passports. More than one million Australians visit Bali each year.
Perth Now
4 hours ago
- Perth Now
Australians all aboard cruises as holidays soar
The number of Australians setting sail on cruise ships has soared in the past 12 months but fears remain that the local industry could miss out on the full benefits of the boom. Travel blogger Honida Beram is among the 1.32 million Australians who went on a cruise ship in 2024, according to new data from the Cruise Lines International Association. That's a 5.9 per cent jump from 2023 and well above pre-pandemic levels. It's no surprise to Ms Beram, who witnessed interactions with her Cruising With Honey content triple to 900,000 per month in the three years since Australia's cruise industry rebooted following an extended pause at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. "Cruising has always been a really accessible and no fuss holiday, it's perfect for multigenerational families, it's affordable," Ms Beram said. "You get to see so much in one holiday, unpack once, no mess between travelling between ports." Australians are increasingly choosing shorter trips closer to home, with the average length of a holiday now down to eight days and more than 80 per cent of people staying within Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific. However, some 18.5 per cent of Australian cruisers took a long-haul flight to get to their cruise, up by more than three per cent in 2023. "The interest has not waned, and it really has increased," Ms Beram said. With almost five per cent of the population setting sail last year, Australia is the fourth largest cruise market behind the United States, Germany and the United Kingdom. There was a 9.3 pre cent jump in cruises globally and a 14 per cent influx in international visitors choosing to cruise the region in 2024, equivalent to an extra quarter of a million foreign tourists. While local cruises are doing well Australia is a tough environment for companies to do business in and there are fears passengers will eventually look elsewhere, according to the association's Australasia managing director Joel Katz. "Australia has become one of the more complicated and expensive destinations in the world for cruise lines to operate in, which is compounded by regulation and rising fees and charges," Mr Katz said. He said companies spent more than $350 million on port fees and charges in Australia last financial year, which were then passed on to customers. "While demand is strong among Australian cruisers, the challenges in this region threaten to make us uncompetitive and impact the number of ships sailing locally," he added. The industry has sought clarity about the Coastal Trading Act and is pushing for streamlined border processes for cruise ships amid a review due back in the second half of the year, hoping that too could help attract more operators. A spokesperson for Transport Minister Catherine King confirmed the impact on the cruise industry is under consideration . Only one company, Carnival, operates year round and Ms Beram understand "astronomically" high port fees in Australia and New Zealand have stopped the expansion of more routes while contributing to other players leaving the market. "Unless you're paying a lot of money, $20,000-$30,000 per person, you won't be seeing the Kimberley or the top end of Australia," she said. "We do have Australian cruise lines that go up there, but again, it's very expensive and cost prohibitive to the average cruiser so I would love to see more cruise ships change their itineraries. "There's only so many times that you can go the South Pacific to the same four or five islands."
