Those rescued included three children, according to text accompanying the video. It added: “These people, probably in the sea for days, were looking for a future escaping their hostile country.
“Luckily, we were there. Not many were so lucky. Thanks to the professionals of MSC Splendida, they are now safe.”
The migrants, who had travelled from the Maghreb region of North Africa, were taken to the cruise ship’s final destination of Barcelona to avoid any disruption to the tourists on board.
They were then handed over to local authorities before being transferred to the custody of social services.
The MSC Splendida was on the final day of its cruise when the incident happened at 4pm on Sunday.
A growing number of migrants have been attempting to reach the Balearic Islands and the Canary Islands in the Atlantic, Spain’s two main island groups.
It is not uncommon for cruise ships to rescue migrants at sea. Last week, a Norwegian cruise ship saved 63 people from the Ionian Sea.
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