By
Rebecca Gibson |
On 18 February, Carnival Cruise Lines president and CEO Gerry Cahill made a statement on behalf of the cruise line regarding the Triumph engine fire crisis.
Carnival Triumph was left without power after a fire broke out in the engine room on 10 February, during a four-day cruise which departed Galveston on 7 February.
Although the fire was extinguished by the automatic suppression systems, the engine was left non-operational and drifting in the Gulf of Mexico.
The cruise line originally intended to tow Triumph to Progreso, Mexico, which was the closest port to the ship after the fire. However, strong currents forced the ship 90 miles north of Progreso and the ship arrived in Mobile, Alabama on 14 February.
In his address, Cahill said: "All of us at Carnival deeply regret the hardship our guests had to face during their days on board the ship. Our number one concern was to ensure the safety and welfare of our guests and crew and to get them home as soon as possible. Our shipboard and shore side teams worked tirelessly to take care of them and minimise their discomfort and inconvenience. We also focused on making sure their loved ones had a direct link to our Family Support Center where they could obtain round the clock information on their family and friends on board.
"Now that all the guests are safely home, our efforts are firmly focused on the ongoing investigation into the root cause of the fire and what measures we can take to ensure this does not happen again. These efforts are taking place in collaboration with the U.S. Coast Guard, the National Transportation Safety Board, the Bahamian Flag Authority and other independent parties. We know, however, that preliminary investigations indicate the cause of the fire was the result of a leak in the fuel return line for the number 6 diesel generator.
"The safety and security of our guests remains of the utmost importance to all of us here at Carnival. All our ships are safe and secure. All of them meet, and in many areas exceed, all regulatory standards. I promise we will continue to investigate in order to understand what took place and to learn what steps we can take to improve going forward."