Carnival Cruise Ship Liberty Stuck In St. Thomas After Engine Fire

Are there worse things than not being on schedule? Yes, but at least the more than 3,000 passengers aboard the Carnival cruise ship Liberty have access to working toilets: after an engine fire broke out Monday morning, the 10-year-old vessel has remained docked in St. Thomas instead of continuing on its journey.

No one was injured in the Monday morning blaze, which was put out by the ship’s automated suppression system, Carnival says. But instead of departing St. Thomas on Monday afternoon as part of the seven-day cruise that began on Sunday, Liberty remained tied to the pier as of Tuesday morning, reports USAToday.

But again, it sounds like passengers can be grateful they aren’t adrift at sea, doing their bathroom business in garbage bags: the ship was evacuated on Monday and passengers weren’t allowed on the ship until Monday night, but Carnival says all hotel services are functional — air conditioning, elevators, galleys and yes, yes yes, the toilets.

“A team of experts is in the process of conducting a deeper technical assessment of the affected engine area,” Carnival said in a statement. “We apologize to our guests for the inconvenience and appreciate their patience.”

Carnival ship stuck in St. Thomas after fire [USA Today]

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