Fatal ship fire alters historic world cruise
Oceania Cruises has canceled a significant portion of what was to be an historic, 180-day around the world cruise, while the 684-passenger Insignia undergoes repairs in San Juan. The ship was the scene of a fatal engine room fire earlier this month.
"We finished our initial repair assessment for Insignia and expect the ship will remain in San Juan for an estimated nine weeks to complete the required work," the line tells USA TODAY in a statement. "Due to the fact repair time is longer than we anticipated, we regrettably must modify our Around the World cruise and alter three Grand Voyages aboard Insignia."
The world cruise, which was to embark Miami on January 10, will now begin in modified form in Singapore on March 22, the line said. Fares for the cruise began at $41,999.
The Grand Voyages were sold as 90- to 128-day segments of the world itinerary.
Guests on the modified itineraries can choose to continue with the sailing and receive a full refund for the canceled cruise days, along with a 25% future cruise credit. For those continuing with their cruise, the line said it would provide complimentary business class airfare to Singapore and a one-night pre-cruise hotel stay.
Or they can opt out of the cruise altogether for a full refund and future cruise credit.
"We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience and greatly appreciate our guests' understanding," the line said.
The fire, which occurred while the ship was docked in Port Castries, St. Lucia on December 11, claimed the lives of two contractors and a crew member. Another crew member was injured.
The 656 passengers onboard at the time were safely evacuated from the ship and flown to Miami.
An investigation into the cause of the fire was conducted in St. Lucia by the Marshall Islands, where the ship is registered, with assistance from the U.S. Coast Guard and National Transportation Safety Board.
There has been no public report on what the investigation found.
The fire cut short a 10-day Caribbean cruise out of San Juan. A subsequent holiday cruise on the Insignia, scheduled to embark on December 17, was also canceled.