Five Jamaicans who have been drifting on a small boat in the Caribbean for three weeks have been rescued by a cruise ship.

The Island Princess ship brought the group on board, Princess Cruises spokeswoman Susanne Ferrull said.

The Island Princess left Fort Lauderdale in the US a week ago and was scheduled to arrive tomorrow in Ocho Rios, Jamaica.

The passengers on the boat told cruise workers they were on their way to a barbeque and ran out of petrol, Ferrull said.

The boaters asked the cruise workers to give them fuel so they could continue on their way, but the cruise workers said they don't do that. The cruise workers took the boaters aboard and notified officials in Jamaica.

The captain of the cruise ship notified passengers about the small boat earlier on the loudspeaker.

"We noticed the boat slowing down," said passenger Andy Greenberg.

"We pulled up and the occupants were screaming: 'No food, no water."' Greenberg said passengers were told that the motor on the boat broke down.

The Coast Guard declined comment, citing the ongoing investigation.

The rescue took less than 45 minutes.

- AP