# Cruise ship Royal Princess engine room fire last night off Port Said



## shamrock

Last night as Royal Princess was departing Port Said, a fire broke out in the engine room. Princess are updating press releases on their website regarding this incident, it is known that one passenger was taken to the ship's medical facility with chest pains during muster. No other injuries have so far been reported.

The ship returned to Port Said and will remain there until at least Saturday June 20th to allow inspection and possible repairs to be done. As to the impact on her current itinerary and that of future itineraries, it is too early to say.

Princess will be offering compensation for lost holidays due to this problem.

http://www.princess.com/news/article.jsp?newsArticleId=na1031

Personally I just think it was a good job that the ship wasn't too far out at sea when the fire broke out and that they were able to get back into port safely.


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## gaelsail

shamrock said:


> Personally I just think it was a good job that the ship wasn't too far out at sea when the fire broke out and that they were able to get back into port safely.


Agreed, they also seem to be handling the situation well and keeping people informed with information as it becomes available?


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## shamrock

Princess are updating their website from their Santa Clarita HQ in California. They have a tab link on their website homepage that takes you to the above link which is unfortunately dependent on the Californian time zone, so as yet has not been updated today so far.

The ship is still scheduled to remain in Port Said until tomorrow at least for the required inspections to be carried out. 

Earlier in the year another cruise line, Costa Crociere, had a similar problem with one of it's ships, Romantica, off Montevideo. She ended up repositioning empty to Genoa and cancelling 3 or 4 cruises including the scheduled transatlantic as a consequence of a fire in the engine room. Hopefully Royal Princess won't be so badly damaged that it will impact her itineraries, but obviously that still remains to be seen.


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## shamrock

From various sources across the net - news sites, discussion boards etc - it does appear that the damage is significant. Reports from family members of those on the ship have said that the ship is running on emergency power/lighting, no aircon and very little amenities available.

The passengers were able to return to their cabins at approximately 4am local time this morning and the ship had been anchored offshore for several hours. She is now on her way into port although unsure at this point if under her own power or with tug assistance...the latter being the most likely.

Princess are sending specialist teams to Port Said to deal with the passengers and other teams are en-route to handle the inspection of the damaged areas & equipment in order to assess whether or not the ship can continue on her schedule. It does seem very unlikely that the ship will be serviceable, but that is still to be confirmed.

Her last view on the bridgecam is below, but it was early this morning when still at anchor.


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## shamrock

A passenger is using Twitter to relay what is happening with Royal Princess. The current cruise has indeed been cancelled due to the damage done by the fire, the ship is now alongside in Port Said. Princess are in the process of organising transport for passengers back home. Services on board have been restored. The Twitter reports can be found here..with several photos taken during the emergency and since...

http://twitter.com/gregsurratt


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## shamrock

Update from Princess...



> 6/19/2009
> 
> Royal Princess Updates (latest 12:00 pm PDT)
> 
> 
> Royal Princess Update - 12:00 pm PDT
> 
> Following the engine room fire that occurred yesterday, June 18, we have spent the day thoroughly reviewing the condition of the engines and assessing the damage. Unfortunately, the impact is more extensive than originally thought and the ship must be moved to a shipyard to complete the necessary repairs.
> 
> We regret that the remainder of the current cruise, and the following cruise departing June 25, must be cancelled. We understand that this is a disappointing development, and we sincerely apologize to our passengers for the disruption to their vacation.
> 
> We will be providing the affected passengers on both voyages a full refund of their fare, plus a future cruise credit equal to 25% of the cruise fare paid for these sailings. We are currently securing flights home for all passengers currently onboard Royal Princess, and they will be returning home over the weekend. Passengers' homeward flights, transfers and associated hotel accommodations will be at Princess' expense.
> 
> We deeply appreciate our passengers' patience and understanding during what is an unfortunate development.
> 
> For North America press inquiries:
> Julie Benson
> 661 753 1530
> 
> For UK press inquiries:
> Michele Andjel
> +44 7730 732072


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## shamrock

Since Royal Princess needs urgent repairs at a shipyard, where would she go?

Currently in Port Said, are there any yards close by or will she have to be towed to Piraeus or Genoa or Naples...or elsewhere?


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## Satanic Mechanic

shamrock said:


> Since Royal Princess needs urgent repairs at a shipyard, where would she go?
> 
> Currently in Port Said, are there any yards close by or will she have to be towed to Piraeus or Genoa or Naples...or elsewhere?



Depends what she needs done, what facilities she needs etc. The big decider is if she needs dry docked.


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## Splinter

shamrock said:


> Since Royal Princess needs urgent repairs at a shipyard, where would she go?
> 
> Currently in Port Said, are there any yards close by or will she have to be towed to Piraeus or Genoa or Naples...or elsewhere?


 

Hellenic shipyard Skaramanga outside Piraeus has all the facilities needed,
it was owned by Niarchos long ago.


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## Billieboy

*Dockyards*



Splinter said:


> Hellenic shipyard Skaramanga outside Piraeus has all the facilities needed,
> it was owned by Niarchos long ago.


Good yard that, been there a few time, mostly to discuss repair programmes with Herr Koppen, of International Operations, great guy, drank three shifts of Hyundai engineering managers under the table in 36 hours prior to signing for a series of three ships.(Pint) 

It's probably the only yard in the eastern Med that could handle this particular vessel.


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## fred henderson

Royal Princess was built by Chantiers de l’Atlantique in 2001 as R Eight; the final ship in a series financed by a group of French Banks, with all eight ships being placed on lease to Renaissance Cruises. For modern cruise ships they are unusually small at only 30,277 grt. The ships were Renaissance’s second attempt to establish a cruise business and it was also a financial disaster. Renaissance tried to adopt a new cruise philosophy based on airline operational practice. Apart from being small, all eight ships had absolutely identical internal decor, identical cabins and the ships had numbers instead of names. They tried to only accept direct bookings and ignore travel agents. R One was delivered in 1998 and R Eight entered service just before Renaissance filed for bankruptcy.

The contract price for the eight ships was reported as $200 million each. It is believed that the Carnival Group bought R Three and Four for only $75 million each and the brand new Eight for just over $100 million. Renaissance proved to be an early sub-prime borrower. Eight was initially operated by the Swan Hellenic brand, before joining her two sisters in the Princess fleet.

The eight ships have a novel machinery layout. The diesel-electric power installation utilises four Wärtsilä 12V32E diesel engines fitted line abreast in the main engine-room aft, but the drives from these pass forward through a bulkhead to an adjacent generator and propulsion room. Here they are coupled to the main alternators, which supply both hotel services and the two propulsion motors. The shaft lines from the two propulsion motor pass back between each pair of diesel engines to drive two fixed pitch propellers. The engine room is fitted with both water fog and CO₂ fire extinguishing systems.

Fred(Thumb)


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## Splinter

Billieboy said:


> Good yard that, been there a few time, mostly to discuss repair programmes with Herr Koppen, of International Operations, great guy, drank three shifts of Hyundai engineering managers under the table in 36 hours prior to signing for a series of three ships.(Pint)
> 
> It's probably the only yard in the eastern Med that could handle this particular vessel.



Went there on the Tanker Bideford in '62, dry docked, bottom and hull paint round, turbines overhauled and plate work cut out and replaced, if I remember rightly it took about ten days working 24/7.

And of course during this time we tried to drink Greece dry.

Ray.


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## shamrock

There are a variety of rumours flying as to what caused the fire on Royal Princess, however none have been confirmed and are unlikely to be until the ship is under repair in the yard. The main offender(s) seems to be the fuel pump/lines. Perhaps someone with knowledge of fuel systems on ships might be able to enlighten as to how/why a fire could start in the fuel pump and/or lines and what sort of damage could potentially be caused.


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## Billieboy

*Fire!*



shamrock said:


> There are a variety of rumours flying as to what caused the fire on Royal Princess, however none have been confirmed and are unlikely to be until the ship is under repair in the yard. The main offender(s) seems to be the fuel pump/lines. Perhaps someone with knowledge of fuel systems on ships might be able to enlighten as to how/why a fire could start in the fuel pump and/or lines and what sort of damage could potentially be caused.


Fine mist leaks, hairline fractures on fuel lines, are possible causes, On UMS vessels the fuel system has a sort of double piping which contains leaks and flashes alarms, (hopefully), so that action can be taken before fuel ignites outside the engine. Lagging/lub oil fire, is another possibility. Strange that there is a repair period required, as it would have had to have been an extremely serious fire to cancel a voyage.


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## shamrock

The current cruise was on day 6 of a 12 day when the fire broke out. This cruise has been halted and all passengers transferred to hotels in Cairo for flights home today & tomorrow - all at Princess expense. The next cruise due to start on June 25 has been cancelled since the initial inspections after the fire was put out has exposed more significant damage than first anticipated.

Earlier in the year Costa Romantica had a similar fire off Montevideo, there were 4 cancelled cruises, including the transatlantic repositioning which was done empty from Montevideo to Genoa after basic repairs had been completed.

Romantica was left without sanitary, aircon and all electrical systems after her fire. Passengers aboard Royal Princess have spoken of losing the same amenities/functions on her after the fire the other evening. The damage may not be to the fuel systems per se but to ancilliary systems, perhaps?


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## shamrock

A passenger on another Princess ship 'Crown Princess' has reported that someone, possibly a smoker, had a fire in their cabin on June 19th when underway towards Cork.

After the fire aboard Star Princess that wiped out almost 100 or so cabins a couple years ago, the smoking rules were changed but some passengers still try and evade them.


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## Coastie

I remember that fire, I saw it on tv it was horriffic viewing.


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## shamrock

Coastie said:


> I remember that fire, I saw it on tv it was horriffic viewing.


Star Princess fire report...

http://www.maib.gov.uk/cms_resources/Star Princess.pdf

Some of the photos in the report are quite graphic.

YouTube footage of the Star Princess fire at it's height...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IfiFtheA0BU


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## shamrock

Since Royal Princess is under the Bermudan flag registry, will there be an official MAIB investigation into this fire - especially since it has cancelled at least 2 cruises?

Another rumour circulating, again not confirmed, is that the chief technical officer was hurt or lost during the fire. The rumour was started on another Princess ship, Dawn Princess, by crew.


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## shamrock

Royal Princess' bridgecam is up and running again. It had been offline for a couple of days.


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## Coastie

The Star Princess was also Bermudan flagged and there was a MAIB investigation on her, according to the report anyway.


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## shamrock

Well from a very good friend of mine comes a hint as to the cause of the Royal Princess fire.

Apparently the word circulating the Princess engine rooms is that a fuel pump exploded...



> The guy on the ship said a good source said it was a fuel pump explosion and that the passengers were lucky. Fuel oil doesn't explode at room temperature. The flash point is too high. An overheated fuel pump is another story.


Now, not being into fuel pumps etc on ships...just how possible would this be...and are there implications in respect to the other sister ships that are identical to Royal?


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## shamrock

The Crown Princess cabin fire on June 19th was indeed down to a smoker....again from the same source as above...



> We heard an announcement that said "immediate containment in room---" Later we were in the Sky Walker lounge and the head of passenger services was there to chit chat again and he volunteered the information
> 
> Story is- woman smoking in her room was collecting her ashes in a napkin and wrapping them up to put in the trash can. Destroyed her room. She is being escorted off tomorrow and charged for the repair of the room. He then told us about the sensors to pick up candles and then smoke!! The sprinklers due more damage than fire."


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## Iain B

shamrock said:


> Since Royal Princess is under the Bermudan flag registry, will there be an official MAIB investigation into this fire - especially since it has cancelled at least 2 cruises?
> 
> Another rumour circulating, again not confirmed, is that the chief technical officer was hurt or lost during the fire. The rumour was started on another Princess ship, Dawn Princess, by crew.


The MAIB only have the authourity to carry out investigations on UK flag vessels, wherevere they are and on any flag vessel if it is in a UK port (subject to any involvement of the flag state). If you see the MAIB web site you will see references to other investigations being carried out by the flag state with the 'support' of the MAIB.

Other Red Ensign Group Flag (Isle of Man, Bermuda etc.) Usually try to keep the UK (i.e. MCA and MAIB) out of their business as much as they can, so they can maintain their own independence.

In the case of the fire on the Star Princess this was a joint investigation (for political reasons and also involved the American NTSB (National Transport Safety Board).

This one may go the same way, after all the MAIB are better at politics than they are at investigations. 

Iain


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## shamrock

Princess used to be based in the UK but is now based in California, so I guess there is a chance that the NTSB might be involved and could invite the MIAB into the investigation since Bermuda is a UK territory still...Royal being Bermudan flagged?


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## Coastie

Iain B said:


> The MAIB only have the authourity to carry out investigations on UK flag vessels, wherevere they are and on any flag vessel if it is in a UK port (subject to any involvement of the flag state). If you see the MAIB web site you will see references to other investigations being carried out by the flag state with the 'support' of the MAIB.
> 
> Other Red Ensign Group Flag (Isle of Man, Bermuda etc.) Usually try to keep the UK (i.e. MCA and MAIB) out of their business as much as they can, so they can maintain their own independence.
> 
> In the case of the fire on the Star Princess this was a joint investigation (for political reasons and also involved the American NTSB (National Transport Safety Board).
> 
> This one may go the same way, after all the MAIB are better at politics than they are at investigations.
> 
> Iain



Thanks Ian.


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## shamrock

Royal Princess' CTO is safe and well, despite rumours of his passing that had gone around the other Princess fleet. He is apparently back at his post after receiving treatment for smoke inhalation.

Still no word as yet in regards to which yard will be taking the ship for repairs or whether she can manage getting there under her own power or will require assistance.

The general concensus is that a fuel pump did 'explode' somehow. Investigations are ongoing as to why/how it happened and to evaluate the full impact of damage done so that a better estimate of repair time required.


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## shamrock

After initial possibilities of repairing the ship in situ at Port Said, the ship will now be repositioned to Hellenic Shipyard in Piraeus for full repairs to be undertaken. This will not be a drydock repair however at this stage the July 7th cruise could be pulled dependent on how the repairs go and if further damage is discovered. The journey will take 3 days from Port Said to Piraeus.


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## shamrock

fred henderson said:


> Royal Princess was built by Chantiers de l’Atlantique in 2001 as R Eight; the final ship in a series financed by a group of French Banks, with all eight ships being placed on lease to Renaissance Cruises. For modern cruise ships they are unusually small at only 30,277 grt. The ships were Renaissance’s second attempt to establish a cruise business and it was also a financial disaster. Renaissance tried to adopt a new cruise philosophy based on airline operational practice. Apart from being small, all eight ships had absolutely identical internal decor, identical cabins and the ships had numbers instead of names. They tried to only accept direct bookings and ignore travel agents. R One was delivered in 1998 and R Eight entered service just before Renaissance filed for bankruptcy.
> 
> The contract price for the eight ships was reported as $200 million each. It is believed that the Carnival Group bought R Three and Four for only $75 million each and the brand new Eight for just over $100 million. Renaissance proved to be an early sub-prime borrower. Eight was initially operated by the Swan Hellenic brand, before joining her two sisters in the Princess fleet.
> 
> The eight ships have a novel machinery layout. The diesel-electric power installation utilises four Wärtsilä 12V32E diesel engines fitted line abreast in the main engine-room aft, but the drives from these pass forward through a bulkhead to an adjacent generator and propulsion room. Here they are coupled to the main alternators, which supply both hotel services and the two propulsion motors. The shaft lines from the two propulsion motor pass back between each pair of diesel engines to drive two fixed pitch propellers. The engine room is fitted with both water fog and CO₂ fire extinguishing systems.
> 
> Fred(Thumb)


Sources from inside Princess have confirmed that two of the four engines were disabled in the fire. The ship is going to be under her own power back to Piraeus where repairs will be done at Hellenic Shipyard. The next cruise is due to depart on July 7th.


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