[Travelandtourism] Fire breaks out aboard cruise ship off Florida

[Steven Johnson]

Fire breaks out aboard cruise ship off Florida


John Newland, NBC News
 
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
GooglePlus
Email
 
7 hours ago 



Royal Caribbean

Fire damage can be seen aboard Royal Caribbean's Grandeur of the Seas.

A fire broke out early Monday aboard a cruise ship off the Florida coast,
the U.S. Coast Guard confirmed.

The fire, which broke out about 2:50 a.m. ET, was contained to a small area
of the Royal Caribbean Grandeur of the Seas and was put out just before 5
a.m., the cruise company said.

Responders used equipment onboard the ship to put out the fire as opposed to
battling it from a cutter, the Coast Guard said.

Royal Caribbean Cruises said medical staff responded to several calls for
assistance from passengers, who were treated for fainting, high blood
pressure and an ankle sprain. It said none of the cases had been a medical
emergency.

Officials said the fire was contained to the third deck -- out of 11 -- on
the 916-foot ship.

It was categorized as a "Class A" fire, which means it broke out in solid
combustible materials such as wood or plastic and did not involve fuel or
other flammable liquids, the Coast Guard said.

 

Video: A Royal Caribbean ship is heading back to shore after a fire broke
out on one of the decks early Monday. No injuries were reported. NBC's Katie
Johnson reports.
 
The ship radioed for assistance, the Coast Guard station in Lake Worth,
Fla., said, declining to give further specifics.

NBC affiliate WPTV reported that another cruise ship, the Carnival
Sensation, had been put on standby to help the ship in case of evacuations.

The Grandeur of the Seas was recently given a $48 million refurbishment and
was based in Baltimore.

The 74,000-ton ship, carrying 2,224 passengers and 796 crew members, was on
its way to Coco Cay, Bahamas, when the fire broke out, Royal Caribbean said
in a statement.

The ship arrived in Freeport, Bahamas, about 10:15 a.m. ET for an
"evaluation," the company said, adding that the vessel had full power.

The Grandeur of the Seas is one 41 ships operated by Royal Caribbean, which
is the world's second-largest cruise operator.

A team from Royal Caribbean, including chief executive Adam Goldstein and
guest care specialists, headed for Freeport on Monday to meet guests, the
company said.

David Wyllie of BreakingNews.com contributed to this report.