Update from 3/16 Magic Cruise - Fire

[tecdavidt]

Boarded the Magic at 1:00 pm today. The fire damage from last week to the rear funnel is much worse that we had been told about. It is obvious that there was a serious fire. Even the lower portion of the funnel (the portion that is red with the DCL logo) was warped. We do not leave port tonight until 9:30. I would gues that it will take several weeks to repair. It sure looks ugly. It must have been scary to be awakened at 4:00 am.

For the time being, the Mickey pool is closed, the Goofy pool is the kids pool and the adult pool is the family pool. The crew pool is to be used as the adult pool. Much of the upper deck is closed to passengers. There is a rumor going around that the repair work will stop tonight and all areas will be opened as normal. Hope this is true.

I am sure everyone will still have a magical time despite the damage.

More updates later.

Dave

[Hopkins]

Thanks for the update. We have people here wondering why you haven't sailed, yet. The damage sounds ugly. I'm glad no one go hurt except our pretty little ship. Disney will fix her up better than before.

Tina

[rcdisneyfam]

Sending lots of prayers and, of course, Pixie Dust to the "Magic" so it will be better than new real soon!!!:earsboy: :earsgirl:

[Joe & Joanne]

Hi Folks :(
This does not sound too good? I have been watching the cam all day and was wondering what the cranes were doing? Does anyone out there know what would cause this type of fire?
I would say scarry to say the least at 4AM?

[tecdavidt]

Cast members have not been told what caused the fire as of Saturday night. The Captain is supposed to tell us more at the welcome aboard show tonight. If we get more news, we will let all know.

Thanks - Dave

[mmouse37]

Thanks for the info Dave.
Keep us posted!!!!
MJ

[txtara]

Dave.....just know you are in good hands!!! I just came off the
ship this morning and cant say enough about the fabulous job
the crew did!!!

[johnf]

TxTara,

So sorry we missed you this past week on the Magic. I did get to meet DisneyKids and Plutospup and MartyP. We were very impressed at the way the Captain and the crew handled the fire. Luckily, our 5 year old was a real trooper during the emergency and didn't get cranky until almost the end.

Quite an adventure!

johnf
Palm Harbor, FL

[txtara]

johnf....we popped in to the dis meet at the sailaway party but my kids wanted to go down to deck 9 to dance...so...away we went....all in all it was a fabulous week...I am glad the outcome
was not worse....that beautiful ship and her scars at the moment
will be gone soon....and we will have some stories to tell!!!

[Joe & Joanne]

Hi
TXTara: Do tell! Hurry we are starved for info?
Glad to hear it all worked out for you folks.

[pal2pluto]

I just read on another thread that the Magic was to sail at midnight last night....just wondering if it got out as planned...

[TnRobin]

Per DCL this AM, the Magic did sail last night.

[tecdavidt]

We did set sail last night a little after 9:30. The Captain told us we could have left at 8:00, however, due to some Navy exercises, we had to delay our departure.

No cause has been determined (or announced) for the fire. There is still some confusion regarding opening the Mickey pool. Last night, the Captain said it would open this morning (Sunday) at 9:00. I now believe that they have changed their minds and will keep the pool closed, perhaps for the duration of the cruise. Some people are taking this well, others not so well. At least, we get a chance to use the crew pool, which will be a new experience.

Still having fun, it is vacation time!!!

More later.

Dave

[Casey's mom]

There is a good sized DIS group (including us) sailing on the Magoc on3/23. Please keep us posted if you can this week on how things are progressing with the repairs, any more info on what happened (so I can sleep well knowing it won't happen again) etc. My DDs live for the Mickey pool, so I hope it is open by next week.

Hope you enjoy your cruise! :)

[Cheryl in PA]

I am very concerned about my cruise of 3/23 due to the fire. I am NOT at all concerned for safety reasons since I do believe that Disney would EVER risk the safety of it's guests. But, DH and I are concerned that after spending LOTS of money for this vacation and after having these reservations for 9 months, that all of the facilities are not going to be available. I spoke with a rep on Sunday and they assured me that at each port this week, they will be repairing what they can and that hopefully the Mickey Pool will be re-opened during this week's cruise. I hope this is true for everyone currently sailing as well as for all of us sailing soon!

[tecdavidt]

The Mickey Pool opened 1st thing Tuesday morning (3/18/02). Everything seems to be back to normal (as long as you don't look at the funnel).

Dave

[mikeymars]

Tec, speaking for perhaps all the other DIS board gang that is sailing next week on the Magic, thank you so much for taking the time during your vacation to log on and update us all. The news that the Mickey pool is back open is wonderful, like others I'm sure my kids would have been hugely disappointed if it had been closed. Now wonder how DCL plans to work fixing all the damage to the smokestack between now and September. We've been on prior cruises on other lines, and during them have seen major outside work going on (example: replacing deck) sometimes even while at sea, so I wouldn't be surprised if DCL gets that stack rebuild to look brand new a lot faster than many people expect.

[Horace Horsecollar]

Having seen the pictures and having read the descriptions, I now understand the extent of the visible damage -- the warped funnel covering, the burnt away tops of the funnel pipes, and other damage at the tops of the stack.

But has anyone learned what the damage is that we can't see? How far down does the damage extend inside the funnel? Is the damage primarily cosmetic or is there serious damage going down several levels, hidden from view? What about water damage form putting out the fire? What will it take to fully repair the damage, from both a functional and cosmetic perspective?

We'll be on the March 23 cruise. I'm sure that Disney Cruise Line and the Captain will do nothing that jeopardizes the safetly of the passengers. But I'd still be much happier if DCL were to issue at statement that thoroughly describes the extent of the damage, what operational limitations they now face, how they are dealing with any limitations, and the timetable for complete repairs.

And thank you to everyone who has posted information and pictures!

[Hopkins]

I thought people might find this article interesting. It's the first time that it said that CM's spotted the fire from a camera looking at the funnel. I thought kids sleeping on deck first spotted the fire. I also thought that the fire started at 4 AM. Any news on what started this fire? Burning trash? The kids that were on deck first said they tried to contact someone via phone by 911 or someother number, but couldn't find an emergency number, so tracted down a CM. Where are phones located on deck?

Tina




Today's news from WFTV
• Fire Damaged Disney Ship Returns to Sea

Coast Guard inspectors cleared the cruise ship Disney Magic to return to the sea. The ship returned to Port Canaveral Saturday morning for repairs caused by a fire which broke out while the vessel was at sea. The ship left port at 9:30 PM on Saturday night for another scheduled weeklong Caribbean cruise, with about 2,500 new passengers aboard.

No one was injured as a result of Thursday's fire, which broke out in the ship's rear smokestack. The Magic's 2,500 passengers were called out of their cabins about 5 a.m. Thursday and ordered to assemble with life jackets as a safety precaution, Disney Cruise Line spokesman Mark Jaronski said. Crewmembers extinguished the blaze with water hoses, and passengers were allowed to return to their cabins within an hour, he said. The fire caused minimal damage to the top of the rear smokestack. The ship was on a weeklong Caribbean cruise that ended today.

The ship had left the Caribbean Island of St. Thomas on Wednesday and was on its way Thursday morning to Castaway Cay, Disney's private island in the Bahamas, when the fire erupted. Passengers were awakened with a loudspeaker announcement and seven blasts of the ship's horn, Jaronski said.

Disney plans to give passengers a credit of $100 for each stateroom for the disruption because of the fire, Jaronski said.

The fire occurred while the 964-foot-long Magic was about 200 miles northwest of San Juan, Puerto Rico. A watch commander spotted the flames in one of the ship's two smokestacks on a video camera, Jaronski said.

The Magic's crew notified the Coast Guard, but the ship did not require help, Coast Guard officials said.

The Magic is one of two Disney Cruise Line ships based at Port Canaveral. The Magic was the first Disney ship to begin service at Port Canaveral in 1998, followed by the Disney Wonder in 1999. Thursday's blaze was the first fire on either of the Disney ships.

© 2002 WFTV-TV

[Matty02]

phones: there are phones in most lobbys (forward, aft, midship) by the elevators. Most of these have the emergency numbers posted on them... or just dialing 0 is always recommended.

I am not sure if there are actually any phones on the outerdecks, but i know i have used the ones that are in by elevators and such.

[dizneykids]

of course, disney is not going to publicly admit that its sensors did not pick up the fire...that in fact it was a teen who'd fallen asleep on deck who spotted it and tried to notify a crew member who would not believe the teen.

anyway, as i posted in another thread, the head of wdw risk management was on board and from her we heard that the fire is believed to have started in the incinerator. now, i don't know for sure where the incinerator is on the magic, but i'm guessing with good certainty that it is NOT located up near the top of the stacks, but more likely down on decks a, b or c (my guess is for deck c).

phones are located in the elevator areas, but i don't believe the emergency number (7-3001 or 7-3000) is located on the phone. i read it somewhere in all the papers in our stateroom. in my follow-up letter to dcl (which i do after all my cruises), i will suggest that the emergency number be posted.

the news report is correct about the times. i was awakened at 4:26 a.m. by people running up on deck 9. the first alarm was calling the "red team" or firefighters to the aft funnel. that was about 4:30 a.m. guests in staterooms around the aft funnel were evacuated shortly after that, but the 7 blasts of the ship's whistle didn't occur until closer to 5 a.m. we were back in our stateroom by 6:15 a.m. i've read some posts that suggest we were on deck anywhere from 4 a.m. to 7:30 a.m., but that's just not right.

my guess is the fire ran all the way from the bottom of the ship to the top of the stacks and was much more significant than disney wants its guests to know. i highly doubt, though, that lloyds and the coast guard would allow disney to sail this week had the damage been so significant as to affect the integrity of the ship, 2500 guests or not. disney just doesn't have THAT kind of clout. we will not hesitate to sail again on the magic, but i, for one, will want to know that disney HAD identified the source of the problem and taken the necessary steps to ensure that it never happened again, regardless of whether it was a structural or a human error.

just my two cents...

[KenP]

disneykids,

Another improvement suggestion you could include: If someone dials 911 on a ship phone the phone computer should interpret this as an emergency and redirect the call to 7-3001.

[garnet73]

Hi, i have been reading all the information provided on these boards and have noticed no one seems to think it strange that teenagers were out of their cabins at that hour!!!! I mean it seems kind of pecular to me! At 4 am in the morning those kids should have been in their room! Am wondering how much truth there is to that story... and why their parents would allow teenagers out at that hour EVEN on a cruise ship! If it was in the incinarator they probably had nothing to do with it! But if it started up on deck.... I would be looking in their direction for explanations!

Maybe its just living in Boston, kids at that hour are up to something!

Just my opinion! I try to be skeptical and question things that seem odd rather than take them at face value!

[Hopkins]

quote by dizneykids:
"we will not hesitate to sail again on the magic, but i, for one, will want to know that disney HAD identified the source of the problem and taken the necessary steps to ensure that it never happened again, regardless of whether it was a structural or a human error. "

I agree 100%. I guess they aren't incinerating any trash on the Magic for a while.

Tina
Magic Western 306 days

[plutospup]

Good question re: "I guess they're not incinerating any trash on the Magic for awhile".

During the galley tour we were told that all trash not incinerated was unloaded at Port Canaveral. No trash was unloaded at any other port. The Magic produces a LOT of trash each week. I wonder if incineration is continuing, or if a lot of trash is being stored for the week?

[taswira]

If they are not incinerating, they had better be unloading at other ports. To keep a week's worth of trash for more than 2,000 people, if they even had room to do that, could be an extreme fire hazard in itself.

And garnet73, I also wondered about teenagers being on deck at that hour. I could accept 2a.m. but not 4. It does sound like a mischievous situation. However, if the details thus far are correct, I don't see how they could have had anything to do with it. Yet if it DID start in the incinerator, why weren't crew members doing the incinerating the first to detect it? And did the Captain meet with the teens privately to thank them, or for something else? Oh, let's not think the worst . . .

[dizneykids]

garnet73 wrote:

At 4 am in the morning those kids should have been in their room! Am wondering how much truth there is to that story... and why their parents would allow teenagers out at that hour EVEN on a cruise ship! If it was in the incinarator they probably had nothing to do with it! But if it started up on deck.... I would be looking in their direction for explanations!

well, i don't have teenagers (yet!), but know enough of them and saw enough of them on the ship to believe the story we heard directly from the boy's father (the "boy," by the way, is 18).

i highly doubt that the teens involved had anything to do with the fire. if you've ever seen the design of the ship, you would realize that there is virtually no way for them to get up to where the fire was on top of the stack without going through areas only accessed by cast members. in fact, as they were cleaning up debris thursday, the cms on top of the funnel were having to lower debris in trash cans down the side of the funnel with ropes to other cms standing below. and, if the teens had been involved, given the design of the stacks, there's no way that they could have sent the fire down so that the captain was forced to evacuate the lower decks around the stacks. everything points to the fire starting below the guest decks and spreading upward.

KenP: great idea...i'll include it in my letter with your permission.

hopkins: great point. i am trying to find out what i can from a cm friend at dcl what they are doing this week. i've left a message, but mondays are bad for her, so i didn't expect to hear from her. am hoping i'll hear tomorrow.

[cruiser]

Originally posted by Joe & Joanne
Hi Folks :(
This does not sound too good? I have been watching the cam all day and was wondering what the cranes were doing? Does anyone out there know what would cause this type of fire?
I would say scarry to say the least at 4AM?

Cam? What camera were you watching, is there a URL for it?

[albiats]

cruiser -

there is a Webcam at Port Canaveral and they vary the direction of the camera. Sometimes it's pointed so that we get a view of the Disney Ship that's in port, sometimes we get a view that we can't quite tell what it is.

Here's a link to the site:http://www.mycfnow.com/cameras/portcanaveralcam/campopup.html

While it was pointed at the Disney Magic on Saturday, we would have been able to see the crane that was used in the repair effort.

[mmouse37]

garnet73......In regard to the teen issue of being out late. I have no problem with teens being out late as long as they are not causing problems or being loud. We have been on 5 DCL cruises and my three teens have all been out very late. It is actually a "tradition" that most of the teens stay up all night on the last night of the cruise (heard this from many teens and cm's on many sailings). DCL does not seem to have a problem with it unless they are causing problems. Most kids just want to experience the freedom of being able to stay up as long as they want. They are busy all day with school, after school activities, work, sports, etc. This is their vacation also, so if they want to stay out late with new friends that is fine with me. My kids know if they get in any kind of trouble that would be the last time they had any type of freedom. So far, so good. The teens are hard pressed to get into any kind of trouble, they mostly just hang out on deck and talk....yes, I am sure some at some time have had incidents, but the majority are just looking to get away from the day to day pressure of school and work. The same reason adults want to get away.

I would never even hint at the idea that those teens were involved....to me it sounds like they were trying to help, not hurt.

MJ

[Horace Horsecollar]

Originally posted by dizneykids
my guess is the fire ran all the way from the bottom of the ship to the top of the stacks and was much more significant than disney wants its guests to know.
I'd really like to know exactly how extensive the fire damage is. According to press accounts on March 15, "Mark [Jaronski, spokesman for Disney Cruise Line,] said he did not know what caused the fire, which caused minimal damage."

Was it just that very hot, burning debris emerged from an incinerator pipe, landed on the top of the funnel structure, and started a fire -- so that the visible damage is really the only damage?

Or did a fire actually run from the bottom of the ship to the top of the stacks, so that there's signficant, though hidden, damage?

Again, I'm not concerned for my family's safety next week, but I am concerned about the reliability of the ship if there's been a significant fire that may have damaged or destroyed other systems within its path.

I would feel better if DCL were now to issue a factual statement that doesn't just use the word "minimal" but that describes exactly what they found on Saturday when the ship was in port.

[DisneyKids]

"Again, I'm not concerned for my family's safety next week, but I am concerned about the reliability of the ship if there's been a significant fire that may have damaged or destroyed other systems within its path. "

I would think that if DCL and the Coast Guard agree that the ship is sea worthy and that all systems are a go, then we have to assume that it is. More detail would be nice, and perhaps comforting, but I think it sounds safe and that things are operating OK. Safety is a major concern for Disney as is the whole experience while being a guest. That would be damamged if problems still remained. I don't think they would take a chance.

[Joe & Joanne]

Hmmmmm?

[mikeymars]

Ten more cents: I'm with Garnet on this issue of "ahem....by the way, just exactly what were these "teens" doing out on deck at 4am?" I'm not implying that they caused the fire, and if they did discover it, fine, but come on people - anyone implying it's "business as usual" for teens on a cruise ship to be hanging around an open deck at that hour is stretching things. Also, as for this supposed "tradition" that teens stay up "all night" on the last night of the cruise, only one problem: Friday night is the last night of the cruise. The fire happened on THURSDAY night. :rolleyes:

[wdwgoose]

big or small i do believe the coast guard would have had to check the ship out being it sails from U.S.A. the ships now with all saftey equipment and state of the art ect. i believe its safer than drive on our roads anyways could have been from sout build up inside the stack just be on the aft. deck when the ship powers up or just cruiseing at 22 knotts you will get the ideal

on secound thought anyone want to trade cruises ????? we still have 52 days 21 hours 33 mins. till we leave :~{

gaRry

[johnf]

My God people get a life!! I've been following the threads about the fire for a few days now (I even started one) and all of you who are questioning why teens are on the deck at 4 am are WAY off base. I was on the 3/9 cruise and every teen that I saw on that ship were well behaved and polite. These were NOT trouble makers. My wife and I had our High Tea at Palo's on Thursday afternoon and sat next to the parents of the teen (17 year old) who reported the fire and according to them, their son had fallen asleep on the deck with some friends and immediately when they saw the fire did all that they could to get it reported. After he got the fire reported, he immediately called his parents' room to let them know he was ok.

I've said it once and I'll say it again...Disney did a FANTASTIC job about taking care of the problem and protecting the passengers. All I hear on this board is a lot of whining and complaining about a few minor inconveniences. THERE ARE NO GUARANTEES WHEN YOU TAKE A CRUISE! We were lucky that we weren't delayed in all in getting to Castaway Cay and that we didn't have to get off the ship. Captain Mateboer did a GREAT job and his crew performed like true professionals.

There is NOTHING wrong with teens being out all night if they want to as long as they don't disturb others. THEY ARE ON VACATION!!!!! If you don't trust your children - DON'T BRING THEM WITH YOU!

Ok.....I'll get off my soapbox now.

johnf
Palm Harbor, FL

[Matty02]

Ya Know, I just gotta thank JohnF...

I am a teen and having done a few Disney Cruises, there are nights that you are out late. I think there was one night that I made it to bed by 2am, and after that I was out later and later each night. Was I causing trouble? No. None whatsoever. The fact that teens are out doesn't mean that they started a fire. Maybe if they really did spot the fire, some of you on this board should be thanking them instead of accusing them. Remember that Disney said that the fire was first noticed by a castmember looking at a security camera. Why don't you all just give Disney the benefit of the doubt. For those of you who wonder how safe the boat is: Don't you think that sending out a boat that might sink is a little more liability than refunding all the cruises? Yeah. I am sure Disney would rather refund cruises than have their boat sink in the ocean.

Every cruise I have been on I have stayed out late and for some people on this board to say that teens who stay out late cause trouble just drives me nuts. There are night security patrols on the boat and ya know, they keep a good eye on what is happening. We saw the night security guard at least once every night, sometimes more. He was always VERY VERY nice to us, and never seemed to have a problem with us.

All teens don't cause trouble and I am glad some adults on this board are mature enough to realize that. For the rest of you, I am very sorry that you have such a sad outlook on teens, because really... there aren't as many bad ones as you seem to think.

[txtara]

DH here..and I agree w/JohnF..I myself was going to go to sleep on the upper decks..because of my back..by was just to chicken to..these are teenagers..and if there parents can afford this cruise and trust them..let it be.I walked around the deck at 1130p on the last night and saw lots of them hanging around and talking around the arcade quietly...I met alot of the teens that week..and they all seemed to be very nice....especially the ones hugging and paddling on CC..and I guess no-one here was ever a teen...its tough to be one these days..and they do deserve a vacation just like us..we flew back to dallas with a plane full of highland park school kids..they all knew my sister-in-law from hp middle..and the kids were in her gifted and talanted class..soo ease up...there are some good ones out there..:jester:

[@GoofyNut]

Matty02 .... I must commend you on your post. It is such a shame that a lot of adults have problems with some people (teens, minorities, etc) and never get over it. From then on they quickly judge all by the few troublemakers. I have to say I'm a middle aged person that has seen both the good and bad in all ages, colors, nationalities, etc ..... it's time we all stop typecasting.

I'm not going to object to anyone who wants to stay out late (or early) and enjoy every minute of their vacation or cruise. I remember many a vacation when I wanted to spend every last minuite with my new found friends .... we weren't hurting anyone or thing.

Disney ships have always been a place where you feel safe and can let your teens out on their own and have a good time. I's just possible that there is no place where they live that they can wander and enjoy just as safely.

It's nice that you enjoyed your cruise and met a lot of new friends. I hope you can take away many good memories and not let some "finger pointing" ruin things for you.

I'm sure Disney would never risk anyone's safety in sailing a ship that may in anyway be dangerous. I have faith in Disney cause on my last cruise I saw them in action when they had to take off one of their own for emergency medical surgery .... they were great.

OK - I vented, now I feel better. Let's all give Disney the benefit of the doubt and be glad no one was hurt. If the teens did spot the fire, praise them, don't condemn them.

[Matty02]

Thanks for those adults who are coming back and not insulting some of us. I also had an experience on a cruise where a girl was laying down at a dance and no one thought anything of it until she wouldnt wake up when the dance was over. Disney handled it great... i mean picture this: we all were friends and one of your friends won't wake up.

Our teen counselors called for help first and then one went took all of us out of the room and the other stayed with the girl and helped her younger sister in dealing with the problem. The ship doctor came and all ended up working out, but like it something I will never forget. Disney's staff did a great job of dealing with that situation... i mean there were a ton of kids crying and none of us could do anything... and of course there was the younger sister who was in tears.... so ya know... Disney knows how to handle things and make sure its done the right way.

Actually, on that same cruise I had a friends father pass away back home and two of the teen counselors went out of their way to make sure I was ok, because I was pretty shaken up after it happened. Heck, I was in the ocean, I couldn't do anything for the girl expect talk to her online... and a one of the Teen Counselors sat and talked with me. It was great.

Disney Is The Best! :cool:

[redpants]

Originally posted by Horace Horsecollar: "I would feel better if DCL were now to issue a factual statement that doesn't just use the word "minimal" but that describes exactly what they found on Saturday when the ship was in port."

Sorry to say, but Disney is very close-mouthed about maintenance/safety. The general public is not going to get any other info than "minimal damage" and that all is well, because that leads to too many cooks in the kitchen. What do you think would happen if they announced there was such-and such structural damage and so-and-so fire damage to part X, Y, and Z? Everyone and their brother would have some sort of opinion as to whether it was safe or not (hence, too many cooks in the kitchen).

Do you feel the same way when you are in the theme parks, and a ride, like Tower of Terror breaks down? Do you demand a detailed explanation as to the intricate workings and failings of the ride? No! And, even though that ride can be every bit as dangerous as a fire on a cruise ship, we just accept that it has been fixed, and then carry on.

I understand your concerns about the fire, but I think that you need to be a little more trusting of the staff of DCL, who have not only your best interests and safety at heart, but all the other guests and their crew as well.

[KenP]

The real reason Disney is not going to be open about what went wrong is because of all the bottom fishing trial lawyers. I don't blame Disney.

You can bet Disney is doing a complete _CLOSED DOOR_ investigation of the incident.

[mikeymars]

Originally posted by johnf
all of you who are questioning why teens are on the deck at 4 am are WAY off base.

Oh, please, we're not demonzing the kids (enough of these tangents about bigotry, etc. please!) nor implying they started the fire (and good for them if they did indeed discover it). We just disagree with those who imply that it's "100% normal" for teens to be doing whatever (sleeping? Ever hear of a bed?) out on deck at 4am. If that's there style, fine -- I never said they can't be there -- but it to imply it shouldn't raise any eyelids (or that the ones it does are in front of overly judgmental minds) is going a bit far.

We just disagree!

[mmouse37]

MIKEYMARS......I was well aware that the fire was on Thursday and not the LAST NIGHT OF THE CRUISE....I was just stating that the "tradition" of staying out late is for the last night of the cruise.

Your right in the fact that teens (young adults) being out at 4 am is not "normal" but this is not their "normal" lifestyle. It is vacation for pete's sake. I certainly would not let my teens stay out at all hours at home. They have so much day-to-day pressue as it is, being out late on vacation is not a big deal to me. And to clarify, I would not let them out this late on just any vacation or any cruise ship....I do trust Disney. Maybe I am naive, but after 5 DCL cruises and numerous trips to WDW I have a sense of security about them being on the ship.

They must be with other people, never alone anywhere on deck and as another poster mentioned, they are observed by the night staff to make sure nothing happens. If this was a problem I am sure Disney would have implemented a curfew. Maybe after this incident they will, only time will tell.

MJ

[tecdavidt]

As far as the fire is concerned, it looks like it was serious, BUT, everything is back to normal. Everything is on time, everything is open, and everything is once again MAGICAL. So all future cruisers should relax and get back to anticipating a fun cruise.

As far as rest of the bantering on this post .........to heck with it, I am on vacation!!!!!

Dave

Kathy here, after looking at the damaged funnel for the past few days, I would suggest maybe it was nothing more than a bad chimney fire, serious yes, but not different from one that we could have had at our own home. It will be interesting to finally find out the cause but it will be months. The day we sailed there were several insurance people inspecting the ship. As Dave said, all is back to normal and all are having a magical time. After all when on the Magic it is magical and on the Wonder it is wonderful. I should also add, the food is GREAT compared to our other 3 cruises!!! Kathy

[dianthus]

Dave - Glad to hear everything is fine on the ship and you guys are enjoying yourselves! That is the most important thing! I was worried that your group of cruisers would be effected, as you guys were the first to sail after the fire.

Have Fun!

:cool:

[dizneykids]

kathy...i agree...the food was absolutely incredible compared to previous cruises we've made. my only bad meal (if you can call it that) was the lobster on thursday...it was just a little bit tough.

btw, i have new menus from each of the restaurants if anyone wants to know what was offered when on the "fire" cruise...and NO, there were no marshmallows available :D

[Hopkins]

Dave and Kathy:

Since you are on the ship, find out what they are doing with all the trash that's being generated. Are the getting rid of it at each port? Saving it all up? Is there another incinerator? Is it working?

Thanks.
Tina
Magic Western 1/18/03:bounce:

[Tluvs2talk]

Dave And Kathy,
I just wanted to say thank you for keeping everyone informed while you are on your cruise. I hope you are having a great time!!

[peter pans family]

i was lucky i went on the cruise from 3/2-3/9!! i just heard about it and i was wondering how it happened and why??

[pgesler]

My family's vacations with Disney have been some of our best vacations but I can also say from a very recent experience on a Disney vacation that when it comes to possible liability on Disney's part - they will treat their guests as if they are afraid of something. The posts on this thread seem to support this conclusion.

I found that they are extremely helpful when the accident happens but later they treat you as if you don't exist.

When the fire happened everyone said what a great job the Captain and the Crew did - but now where is the information on how it started and the extent of the fire.

Come on DCL - tell us!

[Mickey4Me]

The real reason Disney is not going to be open about what went wrong is because of all the bottom fishing trial lawyers. As a trial lawyer myself, I have to say that I resemeble that remark! And I think I'm qualified to say the correct quote is "bottom FEEDING trial lawyers." :D

As the parent of a 17 yr old, I can't tell you how many weekends we've had a den full of girls spending the night whose heads never touch a pillow! I have no doubt that DD and friend will be up until the wee hours during our cruise. She's never given us a reason to distrust her, so I'm fine with that. I can even remember way back when I was that age and staying up all night was "fun". Sadly those days are long gone for me........

[gatour]

Just because there seems to be extensive damage to the top of the smokestack doesn't mean there is damge to the "core" of the ship. Some "junk" could have been caught up at the top and that is what caught fire. In addition the melted part could just the the "glamour" coat. IE, some relatively cheap sheet metal (think NASCAR race cars, the body can be banged up but the car is stiil racing because it is just sheetmetal), the internal (real) structure is still intact and safe. They then could still incinerate, and repair the damage based on some schedule.