Passengers aboard Royal Caribbean’s Grandeur of the Seas experienced a tense moment last night after alarms sounded and crew members responded to what the captain later confirmed was an engine-room fire.
One guest shared on Reddit that alarms and announcements began shortly before the ship reached Belize. Crew members were heard referencing an issue on Deck 1 as emergency teams responded.
The captain updated passengers approximately 30 minutes later. He explained that there had been an engine-room fire that was successfully extinguished by the ship’s built-in suppression system. The ship never lost power and continued operating normally.
Another cruiser posted to Facebook described the alert as a “BRAVO, BRAVO, BRAVO” call, which is emergency code for a fire onboard. The passenger also reported that the captain later clarified the source as a fire in the ship’s incinerator, which the automatic system extinguished. Emergency crews remained on standby afterward as a precaution.
Despite the scare, the ship remained fully operational and has been anchored safely off the coast of Belize today as scheduled. Several guests praised the crew for addressing the situation directly rather than allowing speculation to spread.
Fire is one of the most serious safety risks for cruise ships. This is why modern cruise ships are engineered with layered, highly sophisticated fire-prevention and suppression systems.
Additionally, cruise ships are divided into fire-resistant zones and equipped with heat and smoke detectors. Systems for protection include automatic sprinklers, CO₂ suppression systems, and trained firefighting teams on board 24/7.
Even small fires are treated with the highest urgency, and crew members regularly drill to contain incidents quickly. This is why most onboard fires, like the one reported on Grandeur of the Seas this week, are extinguished almost immediately.
Grandeur of the Seas experienced a serious fire in 2013
This is not the first time Grandeur of the Seas has dealt with a fire at sea. In May 2013, the ship experienced a significant blaze while sailing to CocoCay as part of a Bahamas itinerary.
The fire broke out in the aft mooring area around 2 a.m. and spread vertically across multiple decks. Crew members activated firefighting systems immediately, and the fire was fully extinguished within a few hours.
While no passengers or crew were seriously injured, the damage was extensive enough that the ship cancelled the remainder of the sailing. Grandeur of the Seas returned to Freeport for evaluation. Royal Caribbean later flew passengers home and issued full refunds, along with future cruise credits.
“In an abundance of caution, the captain deemed it necessary to muster all guests at their assembly stations. All 2,224 guests and 796 crew have been accounted for, and there have been no injuries of guests or crew reported.”
“The safety of our guests and crew is our top priority, and we will continue to focus on their needs and concerns,” according to a statement from the company,” said Royal Caribbean in a statement at the time.
The 2013 incident became one of the line’s most widely reported shipboard fires of the decade. Luckily, Monday night’s fire incident was far smaller in scale, fully contained by automated systems, and did not disrupt the ship’s essential operations.
Grandeur of the Seas current itinerary
Royal Caribbean’s Grandeur of the Seas is currently sailing a 7-day round-trip cruise from Tampa. Ports of call include Belize City, Roatán, and Cozumel before returning to Florida on November 22, 2025.
The itinerary includes the following ports of call:
- Nov 15: Depart Tampa
- Nov 18: Belize City
- Nov 19: Roatán, Honduras
- Nov 20: Cozumel, Mexico
- Nov 22: Return to Tampa
About Grandeur of the Seas
Grandeur of the Seas is the oldest and smallest cruise ship in Royal Caribbean’s fleet. Lovingly referred to as “Lady G”, Grandeur of the Seas is part of the six-ship Vision class and entered service in 1996.
She measures around 73,000 gross tons, making her a smaller cruise ship by today’s standards. Grandeur of the Seas holds around 2,400 passengers at full capacity with 760 crew members.
Currently, Grandeur of the Seas sails round-trip itineraries from Tampa, Florida. Known for her smaller size, Lady G features a classic and intimate cruise experience. The ship has received notable refurbishments in 2012, and again after the 2013 fire with updated cabins, public areas, and several onboard venues.
Grandeur of the Seas was originally scheduled to depart Royal Caribbean’s fleet; however, the pandemic reversed these plans. She has continued to sail for the cruise line for Caribbean itineraries.
Candid Cruise and Travel will update this story if more information becomes available.
