Fire On Board the Liberian Passenger Ship Ecstasy Miami, Florida-July 20, 1998: Marine Accident Report NTSB/MAR-01/01

On the afternoon of July 20, 1998, the Liberian passenger ship Ecstasy had departed the Port of Miami, Florida, en route to Key West, Florida, with 2,565 passengers and 916 crewmembers on board when a fire started in the main laundry shortly after 1700. The fire migrated through the ventilation system to the aft mooring deck where mooring lines ignited, creating intense heat and large amounts of smoke. As the Ecstasy was attempting to reach an anchorage north of the Miami sea buoy, the vessel lost propulsion power and steering and began to drift. The master then radioed the U.S. Coast Guard for assistance. A total of six tugboats responded to help fight the fire and to tow the Ecstasy. The fire was brought under control by onboard firefighters and was officially declared extinguished about 2109. The major safety issues discussed in this report are as follows: adequacy of management safety oversight, adequacy of the fire protection systems, adequacy of passenger and crew safety, and adequacy of engineering system design. As result of its investigation of this accident, the Safety Board makes recommendations to the U.S. Coast Guard, American Classic Voyages, Carnival Corporation, Inc., Carnival Cruise Lines, Crystal Cruises, Disney Cruise Line, Norwegian Cruise Line, Orient Lines, P&O Princess Cruises International, Ltd., Radisson Seven Seas Cruises, Regal Cruises, Renaissance Cruises, Inc., Royal Olympic Cruises, Royal Caribbean Cruises, Ltd., and Silversea Cruises, Ltd., ABB, Inc., and the International Association of Classification Societies.