Royal Caribbean cruise ship catches fire
Passengers from the cruise ship Costa Concordia on the island of Giglio.
Cruise vacations might be marketed to wealthy, older suburban folks looking to relax, but in reality they seem to be turning into life-or-death adventure camping trips at sea.
The latest cruise disaster came in the form of a fire. Passengers on Royal Caribbean's Grandeur of the Seas were awakened this morning after a fire broke out on one of the ship's decks. Luckily, no injuries were reported, and the ship is still on its way to the Bahamas.
Particularly impressive is that the captain handled the fire with what appears to be sound judgment. "In an abundance of caution, the captain deemed it necessary to muster all guests at their assembly stations," the company said in a statement to ABC News.
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Yes, checking on your guests after the ship catches fire does seem to be abundantly cautious, or at least more cautious than abandoning your guests on a sinking ship, as the former captain of Carnival's Costa Concordia ship is accused of doing.
Ironically, the Grandeur of the Seas ship had just went through a nearly $50 million renovation, the Associated Press reported.
Last year, Richard Fain, chief executive of Royal Caribbean Cruises, defended big cruise ships after experts warned that they are fundamentally dangerous. "The truth is that the newer, bigger ships are as safe or safer than any comparable smaller ships," Fain told the Financial Times.
Earlier this year, the Carnival cruise line canceled 12 of its trips after a series of smaller cruise disasters followed the Costa Concordia tragedy.
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