The Carnival Splendor’s current Mexico cruise has been canceled because of an engine room fire early Monday.
The fire was extinguished, but the ship is stranded. Carnival said on Tuesday morning that tugboats were headed to the ship to tow the vessel to Ensenada, Mexico. The Splendor is off the coast of Mexico, approximately 200 miles south of San Diego.
The tugs are expected to reach the ship around midday Tuesday local time.
Auxiliary generators are running, Carnival said, but air conditioning, hot food service and telephones are not available.
On Monday night, the ship’s engineers were able to restore toilet service to all cabins and public bathrooms, as well as cold running water, the cruise line said.
Regular announcements apprising guests of the fire began at approximately 6.30 a.m. on Monday, Carnival said.
Passengers were initially asked to move from their cabins to the ship’s open areas on the upper decks. As of Tuesday, passengers have access to their cabins and are able to move about the ship, Carnival said.
Customers will get a full refund along with reimbursement for transportation costs. Additionally, they will receive a complimentary future cruise equal to the amount paid for the current voyage, Carnival said.
"We know this has been an extremely trying situation for our guests, and we sincerely thank them for their patience," said Gerry Cahill, president and CEO of Carnival Cruise Lines. "Conditions onboard the ship are very challenging, and we sincerely apologize for the discomfort and inconvenience our guests are currently enduring. The safety of our passengers and crew is our top priority, and we are working to get our guests home as quickly as possible."
The U.S. Navy diverted the USS Ronald Reagan from its training position to help deliver supplies to the Splendor. The vessel is picking up about 35 pallets of supplies at a base near San Diego that will be delivered by helicopter to the Splendor.
The Carnival Splendor was on the first leg of a seven-day Mexican Riviera cruise that departed Sunday, Nov. 7, from Long Beach, Calif. Monday was a scheduled day at sea. The ship’s normal itinerary includes stops in Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlan and Cabo San Lucas.
The ship, which measures 113,000 gross registered tons and entered service in July 2008, is carrying 3,299 guests and 1167 crew.