Cruise Ship Safety

Passenger Ship Fires - 1979 to Current

Maritime incidents/accidents involving injuries and/or fatalities rarely happen. And considering the number of passenger ships sailing worldwide, it's highly unlikely you will experience any problems during your cruise.

Take Personal Responsibility to Help Ensure Your Safety!

The following examples are provided to help cruisers recognize the possibilities of what they could experience on their cruise.

2011

MS Nordlys (Hurtigruten)

A fire broke out in the engine room of the cruise ship on September 15, 2011 with 207 passengers onboard.  The ship was sailing from Bergen, Norway to the town of Kirkenes when the fire started.  Passengers were safely evacuated from the ship at the port of Alesund, Norway. Two crew members reportedly were killed and nine others were taken to the hospital for treatment.

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2010 

Carnival Splendor

On November 8, 2010 at approximately 6 am Monday morning (U.S. Pacific Standard Time) while sailing off the coast of Mexico, a fire was detected in the aft engine room aboard the cruise ship Carnival Splendor.  The fire was extinguished.  There were no injuries to guests or crew. 

Deutschland (Peter Deilmann Cruises)

On May 23, 2010 when the ship was at quay in Eidfjord in Norway, it was reported that a fire had broken out in the engine room. The 608 passengers were evacuated safely and 205 crew stayed onboard to help battle the fire.  Damage was contained to an isolated area and limited with the help of fire doors. The cause of the fire is yet to be determined.

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2009

Zenith (Pullmantur Cruises)

A fire broke out on Pullmantur Cruises' Zenith (formerly operated by Celebrity Cruises) August 18th while it was docked in Stockholm. Two crew members were treated for smoke inhalation. No other injuries reported.  Crew members welding work on deck is the suspected cause of the fire.

Royal Princess (Princess Cruises)

At approximately 8:10 pm local time on June 18th, an engine room fire broke out aboard Royal Princess, as the ship was departing Port Said, Egypt. Fire teams were deployed, and passengers were mustered to their emergency stations. No injuries reported. The impact of the fire was extensive and the ship was moved to a shipyard for repairs.

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2008

Sea Wind (part of the Estonian-owned Tallink Silja Cargo fleet)

Helicopters evacuated passengers from the Sea Wind in the Baltic Sea early Tuesday after a fire broke out in the engine room. The Sea Wind, , was en route from the southwestern Finnish port of Turku to Stockholm, Sweden, when a fire broke out in the engine room at about 2:40 a.m. (0040 GMT).  All 11 passengers were flown to the nearby port of Mariehamn in the Aland Islands, while the 28 crew members put out the fire. No injuries were reported however the ferry suffered severe fire damage.

Queen of the West (Majestic Cruises)

Engine room Fire On Board U.S. Small Passenger Vessel Queen of the West Columbia River, near Rufus, Oregon April 8, 2008. NTSB Report (PDF)

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2007

No Major incidents reported.

2006

Calypso (Louis Cruise Lines)

Fire broke out on the starboard engine. Evacuation was not necessary and the ship was towed to Southampton where passengers disembarked.

Star Princess (Princess Cruises)

A major fire broke out while at sea en route to Grand Cayman. 1 passenger died and 9 passengers were injured due to smoke inhalation. About 150 cabins located in the middle of the ship were severely damaged or totally destroyed.  The fire is suspected to have started from a cigarette that came from an upper balcony. Maritime Safety Report in PDF Format including photos.

Infinity (Celebrity)

A passenger reported an incident fire in cabin # 7067 that caused major damage to the stateroom.

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2005

Majesty of the Seas (RCI)

Galley fire in the Windjammer Cafe. Major damage contained to the Cafe. No injuries. Cruise continued.

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2003

S/S Norway (NCL)

At 0637 on May 25, 2003, the Bahamas-registered passenger vessel S/S Norway (figure 1), with 911 crewmembers and 2,135 passengers on board, suffered a boiler rupture in the aft boiler room. The accident occurred about an hour after the vessel had moored in Miami, Florida, at the end of a 7-day Caribbean cruise. As a result of the accident, 8 crewmembers sustained fatal injuries, 10 suffered serious injuries, and 7 received minor injuries. No passengers were injured.  NTSB Report (PDF)

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1999

Enchantment of the Seas (RCI)

Engine fire and failure 60 miles from St. Thomas. Next 6 cruises cancelled for repairs

Sun Vista (Sun Cruises)

Fire in engine room. Sinks of the coast of Malaysia

Norway (NCL)

Fire in turbocharger room while in Barcelona. Cruises cancelled for repairs.

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1998

Carnival Ecstasy 

On the afternoon of July 20, 1998, MS Ecstasy had departed the Port of Miami, Florida, en route to Key West, Florida, with 2,565 passengers and 916 crewmembers on board when a fire started in the main laundry shortly after 1700. The fire migrated through the ventilation system to the aft mooring deck where mooring lines ignited, creating intense heat and large amounts of smoke. As the Ecstasy was attempting to reach an anchorage north of the Miami sea buoy, the vessel lost propulsion power and steering and began to drift. The master then radioed the U.S. Coast Guard for assistance. A total of six tugboats responded to help fight the fire and to tow the Ecstasy. The fire was brought under control by onboard firefighters and was officially declared extinguished about 2109. Fourteen crewmembers and eight passengers suffered minor injuries. One passenger who required medical treatment as a result of a pre-existing condition was categorized as a serious injury victim because of the length of her hospital stay. Carnival Corporation, Inc., the owner of the Ecstasy, estimated that losses from the fire and associated damages exceeded $17 million.

The National Transportation Safety Board determined that the probable cause of fire aboard the Ecstasy was the unauthorized welding by crewmembers in the main laundry that ignited a large accumulation of lint in the ventilation system and the failure of Carnival Cruise Lines to maintain the laundry exhaust ducts in a fire-safe condition. Contributing to the extensive fire damage on the ship was the lack of an automatic fire suppression system on the aft mooring deck and the lack of an automatic means of mitigating the spread of smoke and fire through the ventilation ducts. Full NTSB Report.

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1997

Vistaford (Cunard)

A fire in the laundry room while traveling the Straits of Magellan. The Ship was disabled for 2 days and limped to Freeport 20 miles away. 1 crew member died.  NTSB Report PDF

Romantica (New Paradise)

Ship fire 10 miles off Cypress. The ship was evacuated and considered a total loss. No injuries.

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1995

Celebration (Carnival)

Engine room fire when the ship was 370 miles south of Miami sailing off Jamaica. The ship was adrift for 2 days running on auxiliary power. Passengers were eventually transferred to the Ecstasy.

Regency Star (Regency)

Engine room fire while in Prince William Sound, Alaska. Passengers were transferred to HAL's Rotterdam.

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1994

Achille Lauro (MSC Starlauro)

The Achille Lauro was converted to a cruise ship in early 1972, during which time she suffered a disastrous fire. Another onboard fire in 1981 took her out of service for a time. She was laid up in Tenerife when the Lauro Lines went bankrupt in 1982. Reflagged in 1987 when the Lauro Line was taken over by the Mediterranean Shipping Company. On November 30, 1994, she caught fire off the coast of Somalia while enroute to South Africa. Abandoned, the vessel sank on December 2 in the Indian Ocean.  4 died and 8 injured.

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1992

MS Seaward/Reflagged the Norwegian Sea  (1998) NCL 

Details below provided by passenger Bob L. from Ohio

August 17, 1992 

Without going into all of the (still vivid) details, within a half an hour's time, everyone was ushered onto deck 6 to their muster stations with or without life jackets from their rooms. Smoke was chimneying up thru the grand staircase. Attendants had climbed the ladders behind all of us up to  each lifeboat, hands poised on every lever at the ready and waiting for an order to drop the boats...which thankfully never came. As I was a firefighter at the time, i was very intrigued by the whole process. I discovered later that 3 fire teams of 7 men per team (21 firefighters) were trying to find the seat of the fire in the laundry facility, but couldn't see because of the smoke....understandable. they eventually extinguished it...obviously. At 10:30, a cutter from Gitmo pulled along side of us...we were on the back side of Cuba. We continued with the cruise, but could not launder anything. Our first port wasn't until Wednesday morning in Ocho Rios.

Pallas Athena (Epirotiki)

Fire while berthed in Piraeus. Ship reported to be a total loss.

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1991

Sovereign of the Seas (RCI)

There was a fire in the lounge while docked in San Juan. The ship was evacuated until the all clear and the cruise continued.

Pegasus (Epirotiki)

Fire while berthed in Venice, Italy. Ship reported to be a total loss.

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1990

Fairstar (Simtar)

Engine room fire, one crew member dies. Ship sailed under it's own power to the next port

Regent Star (Regency)

Fire and grounded while approaching the Philadelphia. The ship was evacuated

Crystal Harmony (Crystal)

During the Crystal Harmony's maiden voyage in the South American/Caribbean waters, the ship caught on fire due to water entering her engine system. The Crystal Harmony drifted afloat for three days when, eventually, it was towed into dry dock for repair the island of Curaçao.

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1988

Scandinavian Star (SeaEscape)

Fire while sailing the Gulf of Mexico. Ship was evacuated. No injuries reported.

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1984

Scandinavian Sun ( SeaEscape)

Electrical fire while in port. 2 crew dead and 31 hurt

Scandinavian Sea ( SeaEscape)

Fire (non-descriptive). Ship was evacuated and took 45 hours to put the fire out.

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1982

Norway (NCL)

Boiler room fire -  no injuries. 7 cruises cancelled while the ship was being repaired.

1980

Prinsendam (HAL)

Fire in engine room 30 miles from Miami. Passengers safely transferred to lifeboats. The ship sank.

1979

Angelina Lauro (Starlauro)

Fire in galley – Burns and sinks while at St. Thomas.

Skyward (NCL)

Fire in engine room 30 miles from Miami. Passengers safely transferred to the Seaward.

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