Four people and three dogs have been rescued from a catamaran stranded in the South Pacific after rough weather disabled the vessel.

The group had been sailing south of New Caledonia when their catamaran’s engine failed and its mast broke, leaving them adrift at sea at night.

WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Dramatic rescue of people and dogs stranded aboard a disabled catamaran

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A distress call was issued about midnight, with the Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centre in Noumea alerting nearby vessels.

Carnival Cruise Line’s Carnival Splendor, which had left Sydney on Monday for an eight-day round trip to Vanuatu and New Caledonia, diverted course to assist.

The cruise ship reached the catamaran about 5am on Thursday.

Carnival said the four people and their three dogs were brought safely aboard.

They underwent medical check on board the cruise ship and were all reported to be in good condition.

“The Carnival Cruise Line ship immediately headed towards the location and was able to reach the vessel five hours later to complete the rescue,” a spokesperson said.

“The two couples and their three dogs were safely welcomed onto Carnival Splendor and are receiving food, water and medical assistance.”

The group, which includes two Australians, one German, and one Italian, left the Gold Coast on May 14, heading towards Fiji.

They are expected to disembark the cruise liner in Noumea.

One couple, Dusty and Helena, are living full-time on the catamaran, along with their three dogs — Wiggle, a mini husky, and two French bulldogs named Juno and Potato.

They are “chasing their dream of sailing around the world”, they say on their YouTube channel Sailing Barking Cat.

“We had no sailing experience when we started but we’ve been learning as we go,” they said.

The Carnival Splendor will continue its voyage, with 3,300 guests scheduled to visit Mystery Island on Friday and Noumea on Saturday, before returning to Sydney on Tuesday.

“It’s always our priority to respond to emergencies like this and we’re glad we were in the right place at the right time to help,” Carnival Cruise Line said.