Posted on 11/09/2010 3:57:32 AM PST by Dr. Scarpetta
One of Miami-based Carnival Cruise Lines' newest ships was dead in the water Monday night, more than 100 miles off the Mexican coast, as fire damage to the engine room left thousands of passengers without hot food, working toilets, or air conditioning for their cabins.
Everyone is safe, the cruise line says, but the cruise is over as soon as the Carnival Splendor can be towed to a Mexican port.
Fire broke out in the forward engine room around 6 a.m, Pacific time, the cruise line confirmed. Guests whose rooms were near the engine room were evacuated to the Lido Deck, an upper deck that opens onto the outdoors. The fire was reported out by 9 a.m., but a re-flash occurred, according to the U.S. Coast Guard.
The damage is so extensive, the ship's key operating systems, including air conditioning, flushing toilets, hot meal preparations and telephones are not available.
Guests are being provided with bottled water and food items and are able to move around on the ship's upper open deck areas.
Several tow boats were heading toward the ship's location, which is about 150 miles south of San Diego. The US Coast Guard also sent ships to the area.
The 925-foot liner, carrying 3,300 passengers and more than 1,100 crew members will be towed to Ensenada, Mexico and passengers will be taken back to California, where the cruise line will help get them home.
(Excerpt) Read more at cbs4.com ...
>>> It took 3 hours to fight the fire? That seems like some fire.
As I recall it the fire on the USS George Washington two years ago took longer to fight. Burned through 8 decks and incinerated 80 compartments. And that’s with many more trained firefighters and systems.
Fire at sea is a constant risk with any sort of vessel.
This was a Pacific Cruise. A Caribbean Cruise would be on the other side of Mexico... where the Caribbean is. ;-)
Now that sucks. Thanks for the ping, Doctor.
You’re welcome. I seem to remember that you’re going on a cruise soon.
Yes I am. Mine crosses the big pond so I hope nothing like this happens in the middle of it. It is three days sailing with full power in either direction. I can’t imagine bobbing dead in the water for days with 6,000 other stinkers.
Sounds nice... Which cruiseline?
Royal Caribbean.
I would demand to be helicoptered off that ship. No Mexico for me:(
Or send in the US Navy - No wait the whole fleet is floating around India.
Too bad, US citizens - you are on your own.
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Why is it the US government’s business that a private ship lost power?
Why should I pay for it?
The Cruise Director made an ominous comment yesterday:
Coincidentally, Splendor cruise director and avid blogger John Heald posted this wish on his Facebook page yesterday: “I am hoping for an incident free cruise but . . .since being here I can’t remember one where something or someone strange hasn’t happened.”
http://www.cruisecritic.com/news/news.cfm?ID=4209
You mean there actually is a Lido Deck?
I like Royal Caribbean. We have a cruise booked from Cape Liberty to Bermuda and Caribbean with them. No flying!
yes
Wonder what that means...
Those cruise directors have a demanding job...imo.
Waiting for a cholera outbreak. Send billions now.
What a bunch of wussies, just get a thousand 5 gallon buckets and some toilet seats to sit on them, use some trash bags as liners.
Its what a lot of Alaskans use in the bush.
You must be kidding. If this ship was out in International waters - there would be US Navy ships helping rescue the victims, regardless of the ship’s flag, under the auspices of the Coast Guard.
http://www.nfmm.no/tmm/97-evacuation-for-medical-reasons-at-sea-medevac
The coast-guard also spends tons of man hours rescuing people from private yachts and fishing boats. You pay for that.
Could that many people rock back and forth and tip the boat over?
I didn’t pick the cruise on the Oasis, my MIL did. So I didn’t think it would be much different than any other cruise. I was wrong, it was wonderful.
Shows were top notch and so many to see. I usually don’t even bother too much with seeing shows on a cruise. There was one act that I can even describe that was about 15 minutes long that was one plainly dressed, middle aged woman that held the entire audience in spell bound silence the entire time. Some of the pool areas were just beautiful and my teenage kids LOVED it.
We are booked for the Allure Christmas 2011.
That's not as ominous as it sounds. With 3300 passengers and 1160 crew, that is one complicated "ecosystem." There is no way that it is going to be incident-free.
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