News stations in South Florida are reporting that a fire broke out early this morning aboard a Royal Caribbean cruise ship sailing off the Florida coast.
According to the U.S. Coast Guard, the fire broke out aboard the Royal Caribbean Grandeur of the Seas
The fire occurred on deck three on the 916-foot ship.
A NBC news station said that the fire was categorized as a “Class A” fire, meaning it broke out in solid combustible materials such as wood or plastic and did not involve fuel or other flammable liquids.
The cruise ship radioed for assistance. Another cruise ship, the Carnival Sensation, was on on standby to help the ship in case of evacuation. Passenger gathered at muster stations.
The fire was extinquished, although there are conflicting accounts of how long it took. A comment on the Cruise Critic site says that it took two hours to stop the fire.
A photo released by Royal Caribbean shows a huge fire and smoke residue on the stern of the cruise ship.
The Grandeur of the Seas was recently given a $48 million refurbishment and was based in Baltimore, according to the Royal Caribbean website.
The Grandeur was on its way to Coco Cay, Bahamas, when the fire broke out, according to a Royal Caribbean Cruises statement. The ship is now in Freeport, Bahamas, where it will be inspected.
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Photo below via ABC / cruise expert Professor Ross Klein: