July is one of the most preferred months for cruising the Caribbean, as the prices are surprisingly low, the traffic has thinned out and the islands are peaceful. These might have been the reasons for which 4,454 passengers decided to aboard Royal Caribbean’s “Freedom of the Seas”. Little that they know that a fire was going to break out.
The fire started in a mechanical area on the 9-year-old ship around 9:15 a.m. as the vessel was pulling into Falmouth, Jamaica. Freedom of the Seas left Cape Canaveral on Sunday with 4,454 passengers and 1,428 crew on board. No passengers were reported hurt, but one crew member suffered first-degree burns. All systems on the ship were functioning, according to a spokeswoman.
Fire suppression systems were “immediately activated,” according to a statement from the Miami-based cruise line, and extinguished the blaze within an hour and a half. An investigation into the cause of the fire is ongoing. Guests were sent to their assembly stations “in an abundance of caution,” the statement said. Some passengers tweeted pictures of crowds packed together, many wearing orange life vests, and photos from Falmouth showed smoke billowing from the top of the vessel. Passengers were allowed to disembark in Falmouth around 1 p.m. Read more here.
The following is the Florida-based company’s official statement regarding the incident:
On July 22, 2015, Freedom of the Seas experience a fire in a mechanical space as the ship was pulling into Falmouth, Jamaica. The ship’s fire suppression system was immediately activated, which contained and extinguished the fire. In an abundance of caution, the Captain mustered all guests at their assembly stations. The ship is currently alongside in Falmouth and all systems are functioning.
Freedom of the Seas is currently on a seven-night sailing that departed Cape Canaveral, Florida, on Sunday, July 19, and includes port calls to Labadee, Haiti; Falmouth, Jamaica; George Town, Grand Cayman, Cozumel, Mexico.
If you or any person you know has been a victim or has lost a beloved due to the negligence of another on a cruise ship, do not hesitate to call the attorneys at Friedland | Carmona. Attorney Jonathan Friedland and his team handle all types of negligence, product liability, personal injury, negligent security, slip/trip and fall, and car accident and cruise ship accident cases throughout the state of Florida, including Boca Raton, Homestead, North Miami, South Miami, Miami Beach, Coral Gables, Pembroke Pines, Hialeah, Kendall, Aventura, Fort Lauderdale, and Palm Beach. Call the Miami personal injury attorneys today and let our family take care of your family.