Cruise Ship Adrift After Engine Fire, 4,200 Passengers Stranded
A Carnival cruise ship, the Carnival Triumph, will have to be towed to a port in the Gulf of Mexico after an engine fire put it out of commission this weekend. There are still 4,200 passengers and crew aboard who have been essentially stranded in the water.
"The ship's technical crew has determined the vessel will need to be towed to port," Carnival Cruise Line said in an official statement on Sunday. "A tugboat is en route to the ship's location and will tow the vessel to Progreso, Mexico, which is the closest port."
Thankfully there were no injuries cited and the ship's emergency fire extinguishing system was able to contain the fire to the engine room. However, the ship was left without any means of mobility and will remain "stranded" until the tugboat can reach it. The cruise ship is due back in port on Wednesday, Feb. 13.
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Once back in port, the passengers will be flown home at no cost and receive a full refund as well as credit that can be used for a future trip. All of their travel expenses and those aboard ship, except for gift shop purchases and casino money, will be refunded as well.
Passengers received help from another Carnival ship, the Carnival Elation, which provided extra food and beverages. Thankfully the ship never lost electricity and all of the food and drinks were kept at a normal, safe temperature. The added supplies from the Elation helped ensure that passengers would not run out before reaching port.
In January of 2012, the Costa Concordia capsized and sank near Italy and killed 32 people. According to reports, the vessel ran aground and completely capsized. There is still an ongoing investigation into the crash, and salvage crews are still working to clear the mess left by the ship.
The Costa Concordia is owned by the same company that owns the Carnival cruise vessels, Costa Cruises.
