Carnival Cruise Ship Stuck in Caribbean After Engine Room Fire

By Greg Roumeliotis

ST. THOMAS, U.S. Virgin Islands, Sept 8 (Reuters) – About 4,500 passengers and crew had been stranded within the U.S. Virgin Islands for a second day after an engine fireplace on board a cruise ship operated by Carnival Corp.

The firm stated on Tuesday {that a} workforce of specialists, together with representatives of the U.S. Coast Guard, had boarded the Carnival Liberty to evaluate harm to the engine space. There had been no accidents to friends or crew.

Passengers and crew had been informed to evacuate onshore on Monday after thick black smoke was seen rising from the ship whereas it was docked in St. Thomas, a Reuters reporter on board the vessel stated. Staff distributed water and snacks within the port.

The fireplace was extinguished by the ship’s automated suppression system, Carnival stated. The trigger has but to be decided and the corporate has but to tell passengers of its plans past Tuesday.

The Carnival Liberty set sail from San Juan, Puerto Rico, on Sunday with 3,346 friends and 1,150 crew on board, Carnival stated. It was a day right into a week-long Caribbean cruise when the fireplace broke out.

Passengers had been transferred to close by accommodations, the place films had been screened and a buffet was served earlier than returning to spend the night time on the ship. On Tuesday, each passenger was supplied $150 credit score to spend on board and free transportation into city.

The U.S. Coast Guard stated in a press release that marine security investigators had been on the scene in St. Thomas to evaluate harm and to find out the reason for the fireplace.

Engine room fires have disrupted different cruises lately. In 2013, the Carnival Triumph was rendered out of service, leaving about 4,000 individuals adrift within the Gulf of Mexico with out energy or satisfactory sanitation. (http://reut.rs/1Ova1wR)

Later that 12 months, a fireplace aboard a Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd ship compelled it to dock at Freeport within the Bahamas.(http://reut.rs/1iuFPYw)

In 2010, an engine fireplace crippled the Carnival Splendor’s propulsion system and knocked out most of its energy off the Pacific coast of Mexico. (Reporting by Greg Roumeliotis in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands; Writing by Yashaswini Swamynathan in Bengaluru; Editing by Robin Paxton)