A Mediterranean cruise turned into a rescue mission early Monday morning when the MSC Orchestra, en route from Ibiza to Sardinia, encountered a drifting motorboat carrying 16 migrants off the southwestern coast of the Italian island.

According to reports confirmed by Italian authorities, the nearly 300-meter-long cruise ship spotted the small vessel near the coast of Sant'Antioco around 2 a.m. while it was sailing toward Cagliari for a scheduled stop on its seven-day Western Mediterranean itinerary.

The crew immediately carried out safety checks to assess the situation and determined that the migrants, who included 14 men, two women, and a minor, all Algerian nationals, did not pose any security threat. The passengers were then safely brought aboard the MSC Orchestra.

The ship proceeded to the port of Cagliari, where the rescued individuals were handed over to local authorities. All 16 were reported to be in good health and were transferred to the First Reception Center in Monastir for identification and standard immigration processing.

Passengers aboard the cruise ship witnessed the dramatic early-morning rescue, which highlighted the growing role of civilian and commercial vessels in responding to migration-related emergencies in the Mediterranean.

Italian authorities praised the crew’s swift and professional response to the incident. The MSC Orchestra continued its voyage across the Western Mediterranean following the rescue operation.