Fishermen rescued by a cruise ship during the "Christmas miracle"

Two fishermen were rescued by a cruise ship after being stranded for 20 days at sea.

The Empress of the Seas of Royal Caribbean was found after a chance "miracle encounter" en route to Jamaica.

The fishermen were baffled by the high winds, while a storm had also diverted the cruise ship from its planned route, said Royal Caribbean chief meteorologist James Van Fleet.

The two fishermen then landed in Jamaica for medical treatment.

In a statement on Twitter, Van Fleet said the fishermen left Puerto Limón, Costa Rica on December 1 and fell asleep while dipping their nets – a long process to make the nets softer and easier to launch. .

"The winds came up and when they woke up, they were washed away by their equipment," Van Fleet said.

The fishermen would have run out of fuel after trying to find their nets and started running adrift.

At sea, they had only enough food and water for seven days.

Van Fleet said the cruise ship was to be several kilometers away in Cienfuegos, Cuba.

He had been forced to change course for Ocho Rios in Jamaica after a "massive storm".

"You can not help thinking that there was a better plan in all of this," Van Fleet said.

After the staff boarded the fishing boat during Friday 's rescue, "one of the fishermen could no longer walk and our crew brought him to the tender and the tender. took on board, "said Van Fleet.

The two men were then fed, clothed and seen by the medical staff of the empress of the seas.

"About 300 dollars (£ 236)" were also collected by the crew to help them buy food and clothing after the fishermen landed in Jamaica.

"I've already seen a Christmas miracle: 20 days at sea should tell you everything about the chances of finding them alive," said Van Fleet.