Cruise ship towed ashore after fire on board
Carnival Cruise Lines has been forced to tow its ship, Carnival Splendour, back to shore after a fire on board.
The ship, with 4,500 passengers and crew on board, was 200 miles south of San Diego off the coast of Mexico.
A statement from Carnival said tugboats are currently en route to the ship to tow it back to San Diego. It is expected to arrive on Thursday.
But it said if the ship is unable to maintain sufficient speed under tow, it might revert to a previous plan and dock in Ensenada.
Last night, the ship’s engineers were able to restore toilet service to most cabins and all public bathrooms, as well as cold running water.
It said a fire was detected in the aft engine room and was extinguished. There were no injuries to guests or crew.
It said the cruise had to be terminated because engineers have been unable to restore additional power to the vessel.
It is believed there were 16 Brits on board.
Air conditioning, hot food service, and telephones are not currently available.
“Last night, the ship’s engineers were able to restore toilet service to all cabins and public bathrooms, as well as cold running water. The ship’s crew continues to actively work to restore other services,†said the company’s statement.
Bottled water and cold food items are being provided.
The cruise line said all guests on the current voyage will be receiving a full refund along with reimbursement for transportation costs.
Additionally, they will receive a complimentary future cruise equal to the amount paid for this voyage.
“We know this has been an extremely trying situation for our guests and we sincerely thank them for their patience,†said Gerry Cahill, president and CEO of Carnival Cruise Lines.
“Conditions on board the ship are very challenging and we sincerely apologise for the discomfort and inconvenience our guests are currently enduring. The safety of our passengers and crew is our top priority and we are working to get our guests home as quickly as possible.â€
Carnival Splendor was on the first leg of a seven-day Mexican Riviera cruise that departed on Sunday from Long Beach, California.
The ship’s normal itinerary includes stops in Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlan and Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.
By Bev Fearis
Bev
Editor in chief Bev Fearis has been a travel journalist for 25 years. She started her career at Travel Weekly, where she became deputy news editor, before joining Business Traveller as deputy editor and launching the magazine’s website. She has also written travel features, news and expert comment for the Guardian, Observer, Times, Telegraph, Boundless and other consumer titles and was named one of the top 50 UK travel journalists by the Press Gazette.
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