Royal Caribbean Saves 17 Cuban Refugees

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As I sit here in my suite on the Royal Caribbean Liberty of the Seas, I feel compelled to write about a sight that I have never seen; Cuban refugees. As an immigrant, I have had strong opinions about this topic, but as I watch this boat of people, waving their hands, desperate enough to get on a boat during a cold front, when the sea in dangerous, risking their lives for freedom, my heart is breaking.

Coco Cay was cancelled because of the bad weather and I can only imagine how these 17 people felt trapped in a boat when they saw us. Elation, maybe? We were disappointed to say the least with this news, however, the view from my balcony quickly put us back in our place.

They just want freedom. Something that we take for granted every single day.

The Cuban people are vibrant, colorful and amazing. I had many Cuban friends when I lived in Miami Beach. They love their Cafe Con Leches, Mojitos, and Santeria, the religion a lot of them practice.

So, Royal Caribbean picked up 17 Cuban refugees. With these weather conditions, winds up to 35-40 knots, their lives were saved. Now, what will happen to them? Do they go back to Cuba, feeling defeated? Do they give up on the American dream? Will they do this all over again, trying to escape communism? They would probably do it all over again.

I came to this country for the "American Dream" when I was nine years-old. My father was already here working for Boeing when he decided to bring my mom and I here from the U.K. I said goodbye to my schoolmates and our family, left our dog in quarantine, and headed to the "land of the free."

When we got here to the U.S., I was a shock to say the least. In England, we spoke about Americans often. We were envious of their big cars and houses with swimming pools. We thought they drank a lot of beer (and not the good beer, lol), were obsessed with football and consumed a lot of pizza, hot dogs and hamburgers.

We were not wrong! The American way of life is different. To us, they are best known for McDonald's. and Disney. Coming over to the U.S. was culture shock. I even wrote a book about my experience moving America.

I finally became an American citizen after 911. I had an old green card with no expiration date and was coming back from Greece, where my father came from. They told me they would not let me back into America again if I used this particular green card.

I then realized how lucky I was to be living in America. It truly was the place where you can make your dreams come true. And so, I grew up with the American Dream, which is what these Cuban refugees are so desperately seeking.

I wonder what relatives were left behind, knowing that they will probably never see their children, mother, father, etc again? This is how desperate they feel. This is a pain that I never felt, given the opportunity to come here. I never took things into my own hands, or was forced to get on a boat with people, not knowing if I would live to see land again. Food, shelter and clothing are all luxuries I've always had.

I also wonder how many people have drowned in these waters chasing freedom.

There has to be a better way. This country is breaking my heart at the pace it is going. I see no end to it all. I’ve become a pessimist.

So, because of the weather, we could not stop at Coco Cay. However, because we missed Coco Cay, we saved 17 lives who were out to sea for 16 days. Is it odd, or is it God?

Cuban RefugeesPhoto byLucee Santini