CNN : Crew on board the world’s largest cruise ship, the Icon of the Seas, were called on to tackle a fire this week as the gigantic vessel was berthed in a port in Mexico.
The “small fire” was “quickly extinguished” after it broke out on Tuesday, the ship’s operator Royal
There were no injuries and the small fire – which was isolated to a crew area – was quickly extinguished. The ship’s backup power was activated immediately, and the main power systems were restored.
The record-breaking Icon of the Seas – which is nearly 1,200-foot-long and 250,800 gross tons – was docked in Costa Maya, Mexico when the incident occurred. The vessel briefly lost power, but back-up power was activated right away.
The Royal Caribbean spokesperson confirmed crew members controlled the blaze, explaining all crew are trained to handle such situations.
During the incident, on-board announcements alerted passengers about what was happening, according to the cruise line. Social media users on an Icon of the Seas Facebook group spoke of minor disruption to their day, but proceedings were quickly back to normal.
The $2-billion Icon of the Seas made headlines when the vessel launched earlier this year, with its seven swimming pools – including a record-breaking 17,000-square-foot water park. The vessel’s current itinerary hasn’t been impacted by the fire and the ship is now en route to the Mexican island of Cozumel.In March, a fire broke out on a Carnival Cruise Lines ship, with footage captured by a passenger of the ship’s tail ablaze.
Speaking to CNN Travel, a Royal Caribbean spokesperson said minor fires are “not common, but also not uncommon” on cruise ships, but are usually handled swiftly and with minimal disruption to passengers.
The vessel’s itinerary was not impacted. Icon, the biggest cruise ship in the world, is currently sailing a week-long Western Caribbean cruise that departed from Miami, Florida today on Saturday, according to CruiseMapper. The ship is scheduled to visit Cozumel on Wednesday.
According to Royal Caribbean International’s website, a standard room on the ship’s seven-day Caribbean voyage costs between $1,450 and $1,850. Guests interested in renting suites can spend anywhere from $2,900 to $4,800.
The company describes Icon of the Seas as a “first-of-its-kind” experience that includes several pools, a water park and numerous food and drink options.
Sources : CNN +Other sources
