A Norwegian Cruise Line ship rescued more than 60 people in the Ionian Sea.

The cruise line’s Norwegian Epic vessel responded to a search and rescue operation in coordination with Greek authorities on Oct. 22 and brought “63 individuals to safety,” according to the company.

“The individuals were brought on board and tended to by the ship’s crew who provided a medical evaluation, food and other items for their comfort,” Norwegian told USA TODAY in an emailed statement. “Following a mandatory directive from the Rescue Coordination Centre, the ship proceeded to Kalamata, Greece where the rescued individuals were turned over to the Greek authorities.”

The cruise line did not specify who the people rescued were. Greek authorities did not immediately respond to USA TODAY’s request for comment.

The ship departed on Oct. 21 from Civitavecchia, Italy, for a cruise with scheduled stops in Greece, Malta, Italy and France, according to CruiseMapper. The vessel has since resumed its itinerary.

“We appreciate our guests' patience and understanding during this unexpected interruption to their journey,” Norwegian added.

The news comes after a Holland America Line ship rescued two people from a sailing vessel in distress in August during a cruise from Boston to Quebec City, Canada.

Nathan Diller is a consumer travel reporter for USA TODAY based in Nashville. You can reach him at ndiller@usatoday.com.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Norwegian cruise ship rescues 63 people in Ionian Sea

Reporting by Nathan Diller, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect