MSC Cruises has confirmed a minor electrical fire onboard MSC Seashore on Sunday.
The cruise line reported that it originated in the generator room, and no one had been hurt.
“On the evening of December 8, a small electrical fire was reported in the emergency generator room on an upper deck of the ship and was swiftly extinguished, with no injuries reported,” a spokesperson shared.
The Seaside EVO-class cruise ship had just left Port Canaveral and was on its way to Ocean Cay in the Bahamas when, at around 7:30 p.m., passengers noticed smoke.
According to accounts sent to the Cruise Radio tip line, the elevators, dining rooms, and pool deck were temporarily shut down, internet access was affected, the air conditioning in some areas was turned off, and the ship switched to generator power. Fortunately, the fire was quickly contained and extinguished.
One Reddit user wrote, “I was standing right under the smoke stack when there were 2 huge bangs followed by lots of ‘sizzling’… Then lots of smoke that smelled exactly like an electrical fire.”
Another shared on Facebook, “…[the fire] was put out very quickly but the electrical shorts caused problems through the ship with lighting, elevator operations, and the smells.” The writer added that maintenance employees worked through the night and the following day to fix the damage.
Despite the setback, the vessel proceeded to Ocean Cay as planned and received additional repairs. It is scheduled to leave Ocean Cay at noon on Tuesday.
From MSC Cruises’ resort, the sailing will continue to Mexican destinations, Cozumel and Costa Maya, before ending its voyage in Florida on December 15.
Cruise Ship Fires Are More Dangerous
Another fire broke out on an MSC Cruises vessel this year. Last June, MSC Armonia experienced a blaze from its laundry room as it approached Venice.
Fires are particularly dangerous onboard cruise ships because of their tight and confined spaces, the number of at-risk passengers, limited escape routes, flammable materials, and electrical complexity. Unlike land-based fires, cruise ships must rely on their onboard firefighting teams and equipment.
Cruise lines mitigate these risks with advanced fire detection systems, suppression technologies (like sprinklers), safety drills, and trained emergency response teams.
MSC Seashore entered service in 2021.
