A Memorial Day weekend cruise to the Bahamas nearly turned tragic early Monday morning when a fire broke out aboard a Royal Caribbean cruise ship.
The incident, which took place on the third deck of the 11-deck, 916-foot Grandeur of the Seas, was first reported around 3:00 a.m. Monday morning. The fire, categorized as Class A because it involved combustible material like wood but no flammable liquids, burned for over two hours before it was extinguished.
No major injuries were reported, though two passengers fainted and another was treated for high blood pressure.
The ship, which had been on its way to Coco Cay, Bahamas from Baltimore, was rerouted to Freeport, Bahamas for further “evaluation,” according to a Royal Caribbean Cruises spokesperson. Making matters worse for the company: the Grandeur of the Seas had just undergone a $48 million renovation earlier this year.
Here's the full statement from Royal Caribbean:
"In an abundance of caution, the Captain deemed it necessary to muster all guests at their assembly stations. All 2,224 guests and 796 crew have been accounted for, and there have been no injuries of guests or crew reported. The safety of our guests and crew is our top priority, and we will continue to focus on their needs and concerns. Grandeur of the Seas was enroute to CocoCay, Bahamas, but is currently heading to Freeport, Bahamas, for further evaluation. The ship is in calm seas, and has full power."
The fire is just the latest in a long line of cruise ship disasters this year. Earlier this month, two passengers fell or jumped overboard
UPDATE: Here's a picture of the fire damage:
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