jjcollins
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Aug 26, 1999
- Messages
- 1,394
PORT CANAVERAL, Fla. -- The departure of a Disney ship was delayed over the weekend while workers tried to make repairs after a fire broke out in a smokestack during a cruise.
Coast Guard officials were on board the Disney Magic to make sure it was safe to sail.
Hundreds of passengers were aboard the ship when the blaze sparked early Thursday morning, sending many of them running from their beds. Passengers were told to put on their life jackets while the crew battled the blaze.
"In the morning, we were [awakened] to a red alert," a passenger said.
Flames sparked in one of the ship's two smokestacks, buckling the outside of it. Crews used a huge crane to make repairs, and the Coast Guard spent Saturday inspecting the ship to be sure it was safe to sail.
The ship was about 200 miles off the coast of San Juan, Puerto Rico when the fire started. Crew members fought the blaze with water hoses and had it extinguished within an hour.
A section of the aft part of the Magic was closed following the blaze.
Although some passengers said the fire was a frightening experience, interviews provided by Disney with passengers indicated they didn't have a problem.
"Everyone was really relaxed," according to a passenger interviewed by Disney.
"We don't want to leave," according to another passenger in a Disney interview.
Despite the fire, passengers aboard the Magic were able to complete their cruise and return safely back to Port Canaveral. Disney will reimburse passengers $100 for the disruption.
There were no injuries reported in the fire or any indication of what caused the blaze. The ship departed Saturday night about 4 1/2 hours late.
jj.........
Coast Guard officials were on board the Disney Magic to make sure it was safe to sail.
Hundreds of passengers were aboard the ship when the blaze sparked early Thursday morning, sending many of them running from their beds. Passengers were told to put on their life jackets while the crew battled the blaze.
"In the morning, we were [awakened] to a red alert," a passenger said.
Flames sparked in one of the ship's two smokestacks, buckling the outside of it. Crews used a huge crane to make repairs, and the Coast Guard spent Saturday inspecting the ship to be sure it was safe to sail.
The ship was about 200 miles off the coast of San Juan, Puerto Rico when the fire started. Crew members fought the blaze with water hoses and had it extinguished within an hour.
A section of the aft part of the Magic was closed following the blaze.
Although some passengers said the fire was a frightening experience, interviews provided by Disney with passengers indicated they didn't have a problem.
"Everyone was really relaxed," according to a passenger interviewed by Disney.
"We don't want to leave," according to another passenger in a Disney interview.
Despite the fire, passengers aboard the Magic were able to complete their cruise and return safely back to Port Canaveral. Disney will reimburse passengers $100 for the disruption.
There were no injuries reported in the fire or any indication of what caused the blaze. The ship departed Saturday night about 4 1/2 hours late.
jj.........
, everything went smoothly. Apparantly there were already a couple of nearby cruise ships sailing alongside in no time, with something like (I'm going from memory here) another 8 or so cruise ships heading in her direction as well, all incase of evacuation. Happily it wasn't neccessary, and general consensus seems to be that the Disney Crew couldn't have handled the situation any more perfectly than they did 
