Guests onboard Royal Caribbean’s Voyager of the Seas witnessed an unexpected and dramatic scene when the ship paused its voyage to assist a small boat in distress off the coast of Turkey.
According to passengers posting in a Facebook group for the September 1–8, 2025, sailing, Voyager of the Seas stopped in the middle of the night after receiving a distress call from another vessel at sea.
Shortly afterward, Voyager of the Seas slowed to a stop, and guests peering from their balconies could see a small, overcrowded boat illuminated in the ship’s floodlights.
From photos shared on Facebook and Reddit, the vessel appeared to be packed with at least 15 people. Some passengers speculated that the group were refugees attempting a dangerous crossing, shouting for help and asking for water.
One Reddit user who witnessed the event explained:
“From the announcement of the distress signal, they found them pretty quick and within an hour the Greek Coast Guard responded and handled it. I didn’t see any of the crew get into the water – they only positioned on the deck to respond if needed.”
The post also noted that the small boat was “pretty close to land,” but still in need of urgent aid.
Several passengers shared photos showing a small craft illuminated by the ship’s lights. Some estimated that at least 15 people were onboard, sparking speculation that the group may have been refugees attempting a dangerous crossing.
“Thank God we stopped and they are rescuing them,” one passenger wrote in the comments. “There is a search boat approaching quickly that is headed their way,” another added, noting that the coast guard had been called to assist with the rescue.
Guests confirmed that the ship’s crew made announcements over the loudspeaker, informing everyone that the ship had stopped to assist with the emergency. Though details remained scarce, one passenger said: “They have stopped [the] ship to investigate a distress call they received.”
Voyager of the Seas is currently sailing a 7-night one-way cruise from Piraeus (Athens), Greece, to Civitavecchia (Rome), Italy. The sailing began on September 1, 2025, and is scheduled to end on September 8, 2025.
Royal Caribbean‘s Voyager of the Seas was docked in Kusadasi (Ephesus), Turkey, and the ship is currently sailing towards Santorini, Greece. Other stops on the itinerary include Messina (Sicily) and Salerno (Italy) before arriving to Civitavecchia (Rome), Italy.
According to guests on Facebook, the Coast Guard has taken over the situation, and Voyager of the Seas will continue to Santorini as scheduled.
