CNN is reporting that a Disney cruise ship stopped yesterday during a cruise to the Cayman Islands to pick up 12 Cubans who took to sea to leave their homeland.

The Disney Wonder was cruising from Miami to Grand Cayman when the cruise ship saw the make-shift boat full of Cubans around 8 p.m. yesterday.

The Cuban nationals, referred to as “migrants’ by most news outlets, were brought aboard the cruise ship with Disney’s intention of following Coast Guard protocols and taking them to the next port of call in the Cayman Islands.

CNN said that there has been an increase in Cubans trying to get to the United States by sea, although the Cayman Islands has recieved a significant  number of Cubans via rafts and derelict boats.  The boat in question was south-east of Cuba when the Cubans were picked by by the Wonder.

Often cruise ship passengers are the first to report when cruise ships stop to aid Cuban rafters, posting videos and photos on Twitter and Facebook.

We have commented on lots of situations where cruise ships respond to refugees at sea.