The world’s largest cruise ship, the Icon of the Seas, experienced a small fire while in port in Costa Maya, Mexico. The crew’s fire teams quickly extinguished the fire, resulting in no injuries and minimal impact on board, as confirmed by operator Royal Caribbean.
The blaze caused a brief blackout until backup power was restored. Passengers reported experiencing power outages lasting 20-60 minutes with intermittent periods of power. Some passengers observed a small plume of black smoke coming from one of the vessel’s twin stacks.
Passengers were informed of the incident and kept updated but were not required to muster for emergency purposes. Despite the fire, the ship’s itinerary was not affected, and it continued its journey to Cozumel from Costa Maya.
Minor fires are common occurrences for maritime operators, including cruise ships. Earlier this year, a fire on the exhaust stack of Carnival Cruise Lines’ Carnival Freedom led to cancellations and vessel diversion for repairs.
Icon of the Seas is a new vessel that entered service on January 27. Measuring nearly 1,200 feet long and accommodating up to 7,600 passengers, it is larger than most American towns when at full capacity. The ship had previously lost power on May 19 during a similar incident at sea, resulting in temporary loss of propulsion.