Fires are a cruise ship's worst nemesis: They spread quickly, and even on a vessel surrounded by water, they can be difficult to fight.
That's why cruise lines don't allow on board many items that seem innocuous. It makes sense that you can't have candles or torch-style lighters (regular lighters are allowed). But many passengers don't understand why they can't bring an iron, a surge protector or a coffee pot.
Related: Royal Caribbean makes controversial beverage policy very clear
All those items can catch fire, and while icebergs seem like the big bad wolf of the cruising world because of "Titanic," the final boss is fire.
When a fire hits, it can create a scary situation with consequences all over the ship. That's what happened on a Dec. 8 sailing of MSC Seashore. Cruise News Today's Doug Parker has the full story.
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MSC Seashore faces a fire
Transcript:
This is Cruise News Today with Doug Parker. Good morning, here's your cruise news for Tuesday, December 10.
Passengers aboard MSC Cruises' MSC Seashore experienced a scare on the first night of their cruise over the weekend when an electrical fire broke out just after leaving Port Canaveral on Sunday.
Now, the fire was reported in the emergency generator room on deck 18, leading to fire teams being dispatched.
MSC Cruises said in a statement on the evening of December 8 [that] a small electrical fire was reported in the emergency generator room on the upper deck of the ship and was swiftly extinguished with no injuries.
Some guests did report smoke and disruptions including elevator shutdowns and dining room closures as the ship was only able to operate on generator power.
Repairs were made at Ocean Quay on Monday and the ship returns to Port Canaveral on December 15.
Virgin Voyages' Scarlet Lady back after drydock; Princess sets record
And Virgin Voyages Scarlet Lady is back in service after a two-week dry dock at Fincantieri Shipyard in Palermo, Italy. Now the ship received upgrades including 24 new seriously sweet Rockstar quarters on deck 11.
It also got upgraded dining concepts in Razzle Dazzle called Lucky Lotus and six VIP cabanas overlooking the Aquatic Club. Public spaces like Grounds Club 2 were enhanced to include a full-service bar, and the casino was expanded with more slot machines.
Scarlet Lady is now sailing from Rome to Miami and will begin Caribbean and Bahamas cruises from South Florida beginning this weekend.
ALSO READ: Top travel agents share how to get the best price on your cruise
And Princess Cruises announced record-breaking bookings during this year's Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales. Now the cruise line reported a 32% increase compared to the same time in [2023] with Cyber Monday bookings soaring 136% year over year. Demand for 26 sailings were also up 66% over last year.
The company said its "better than best price" guarantee was a factor in the surge, which gives 120% of the fare difference if a lower one is found, in the form of onboard credit.
Tips at cruiseradio.net. Have yourself a great Tuesday. I'm Doug Parker with Cruise News Today.
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