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| Photo by Freeimages.com/Andrew Bailey |
Carnival Cruise Lines is flying guests home from St. Thomas following an engine fire onboard the Carnival Liberty, USA Today reports. Flights home began on Wednesday from St. Thomas, where the ship had been docked since the Monday fire.
Update as of September 10, 11:30 am: According to the latest statement from Carnival, several hundred guests were transported from St. Thomas by air Wednesday. Scheduled flights continue, and the ship remains in port. Charter flights are being utilized based on the limited availability of commercial flights.
Carnival Liberty will depart St. Thomas once the U.S. Coast Guard has fully completed their activities on board. All future cruises, including the next voyage departing Sunday, September 13, are scheduled to operate as planned.
The original story continues below.
According to the Carnival blog, Carnival Liberty was sailing a seven-day Caribbean cruise out of San Juan when the fire occurred. All guests are being provided with a full refund of their cruise, as well as a 50 percent discount on a future cruise. This is in addition to a $150 per person credit that has already been applied to guests' shipboard accounts.
There were no injuries to guests or crew as a result of the fire, which was extinguished by the ship's automated suppression system.
Keep visiting www.travelagentcentral.com for further updates on this developing story.