A machine room fire aboard Adora Mediterranea while the ship was docked in Jeju, South Korea injured three crew members. While damage was done to the ship, the vessel has been certified as safe to sail and has resumed sailing to return to her homeport in China.
The incident happened on Wednesday, August 14, 2024, while the ship was enjoying a port of call visit to Jeju. According to The Korea Times, the fire was reported to the local Jeju Coast Guard at 8:37 a.m. with smoke billowing from the ship’s starboard side.
The fire was extinguished by the onboard safety systems, including the ship’s sprinklers, shortly thereafter.
Approximately 50 square meters of the vessel’s machine room – more commonly known as the engine room – was burned, which included the ceiling and adjacent pipes. The overall extent of the damage has not been announced, but it appears that no critical onboard systems have been impacted.
Three crew members were treated for smoke inhalation, but no other severe injuries were reported. The names and positions of the crew members have not been released.
There is no indication that any guest areas were involved, though the smoke did penetrate through to guest areas. Many passengers were already off the ship enjoying a day in Jeju at the time of the fire.
Some of those still onboard were evacuated until the situation was under control, but no guest injuries were reported.
Announcements were made onboard to keep guests apprised of the situation, and an explanatory letter was also delivered to guests’ staterooms.
“We are very sorry to inform you that today … the air conditioning system failed during the stopover of the Mediterranea in Jeju, South Korea,” the letter read. “The [ship] is undergoing relevant maintenance, which will have an impact on the follow-up itinerary of this cruise.”
Adora Mediterranea was thoroughly inspected and certified safe to resume her cruise by marine safety officers, though her departure from Jeju was delayed. All guests were accommodated in hotels in Jeju on Wednesday night, without charge.
The ship remained docked in Jeju for further repairs and inspections on Thursday, which cancelled the planned call to Fukuoka, Japan.
Adora Cruises arranged a complimentary tour of Jeju for all guests for the unexpected extra day in port, giving everyone the opportunity to enjoy the unique culture and customs of the island.
Furthermore, all hotel service fees for the cruise have been waived, and guests will receive a 50% refund of their cruise fare for the disruption to the voyage.
Cruise travel protection is also in place for all guests and they will receive 400 RMB (one of China’s official currencies; approximately $56 USD) for the cancelled port visit to Fukuoka.
On her current sailing, the 85,619-gross-ton, Spirit-class Adora Mediterranea is hosting 2,430 passengers as well as 736 international crew members. The ship’s maximum capacity is 2,680 travelers if fully booked with all berths filled. Built as Costa Mediterranea when she entered service in 2003, the ship joined Adora Cruises in 2023 after extensive renovations.
The ultimate cause of the fire is still under investigation but is related to the failure in the air conditioning system. Undoubtedly additional precautions are in place to prevent any further incidents.
The ship is currently homeported from Tianjin, China, offering regular itineraries with visits to Jeju and different ports of call in Japan.
Fires on Cruise Ships
Small fires do happen on cruise ships. Electrical shorts, overheating equipment, or mechanical malfunctions are typical causes, but other potential causes can be accidents in the kitchen or even lightning strikes, such as a fire to the whale tail funnel of Carnival Cruise Line’s Carnival Freedom in March 2024.
Interestingly, the Carnival Freedom fire was less than a year after the ship’s funnel was previously damaged in a different fire. That first incident was related to soot buildup and other causes, but was not a result of any safety malfunction.
Read Also: Are Cruises Safe? What You Really Need to Know, Including Fire Safety Risks
It should be noted that fires can occur on any cruise ship at any time. In fact, one of the newest cruise ships in the world, Royal Caribbean International’s Icon of the Seas, had a small engine room fire in June that resulted in a brief power loss.
Cruise ship crews undergo regular training to deal with all types of emergencies, including fires, and all cruise ships have dedicated fire response teams onboard.