Cruises canceled after onboard fire
Fire burned aboard the Grandeur of the Seas for about two hours yesterday, but no one was seriously hurt.
The Royal Caribbean cruise ship departed on Friday for a seven-day cruise, but ended up docked in the Bahamas, with the rest of the trip canceled.
More than 2,200 passengers were ordered to put on life jackets and report to their muster stations. Everyone remained calm, reports said, even as smoke began to billow around them.
The Class A fire was reported to the Coast Guard at 2:50 a.m. Class A means that wood or other combustible materials were burning. The ship was 35 nautical miles northwest of West End, Bahamas, at the time.
The fire began on the third deck of the aft mooring area of the ship, and spread to the fourth deck crew lounge area. It was quickly extinguished, and the ship did not lose power.
The passengers will be flown back to Baltimore. They will get their money back and a free cruise in the future.
The May 31 cruise on the Grandeur of the Seas has been canceled.
The incident was the latest in a string of unfortunate incidents on cruise ships this year. In February, thousands of passengers spent nearly five days on a disabled Carnival ship foundering in the Gulf of Mexico. Then in March, 108 people were stricken with a gastrointestinal illness on a Royal Caribbean ship.
Last week, Cruise Lines International Association issued a Passenger Bill of Rights that all member cruise ships are being asked to sign.
By Cheryl Rosen
Cheryl
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
Phocuswright reveals the world's largest travel markets in volume in 2025
Cyclone in Sri Lanka had limited effect on tourism in contrary to media reports
Higher departure tax and visa cost, e-arrival card: Japan unleashes the fiscal weapon against tourists
Singapore to forbid entry to undesirable travelers with new no-boarding directive
In Italy, the Meloni government congratulates itself for its tourism achievements