Video: Fire engulfs Royal Caribbean cruise ship
A fire broke out on a Royal Caribbean cruise ship on Monday forcing 2,224 holidaymakers to end their trip early.
The Grandeur of the Seas reportedly left Baltimore on Friday and was on its way to the Bahamas when a "big explosion" was heard and a fire broke out in the mooring area.
The ship was left charred and passengers had to end their holiday. No serious injuries were reported.
According to ABC News, Royal Caribbean said it was arranging flights for all 2,224 passengers and that they will receive a full refund for their trip and a voucher for a future cruise holiday.
A statement read: "Royal Caribbean International is deeply sorry for this unexpected development in our guests' vacation. We understand that this may have been a very stressful time for them. And we also know that it has significantly impacted their vacation experience."
NBC News reports that officials said the fire was on the third deck and was classified as Class A, which means it involved solid combustible materials like wood and plastic, and not fuel or other flammable liquids.
Briton Mark J Ormesher, who lives in Virginia, told AP he and his girlfriend smelled acrid smoke and crew quickly gave instructions, which "encouraged calm amongst the passengers". He added that the captain "provided us as much information as we needed to stay safe".
Speaking to The Baltimore Sun, American passenger Bang Warren from Baltimore said: "Crew members told us to get our life vest on.
"We asked if we could throw on clothes real quick. They told us we didn't have enough time for that."
The incident comes after a cruise ship carrying 4,200 passengers was stranded near Mexico after an engine room fire in February.
The Carnival Triumph ship was left adrift 150 miles off the Yucatan Peninsula and had to wait to be towed by tug boats.
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