According to this Yahoo News story, Holland America Line’s Westerdam was forced to return to Seattle Saturday after what was referred to as a small fire occurred in one of the boiler rooms. The fire was extinguished, but the ship returned to Seattle in cooperation with the U.S. Coast Guard for a check up. The article notes that the ship was likely to sail again on Sunday, and quick check of marinetraffic.com shows the ship is underway, and headed for Alaskan waters.
According to reports from passengers on board the ship posting to this Cruise Critic thread, they turned around about an hour into the voyage. They were kept abreast of what was happening, and did not see or smell smoke. The fire apparently reignited at least one time after being extinguished.
Fire on any ship at sea is a major concern, but it looks like this was handled well. Reports around the internet indicate that passengers on this voyage are going to miss Sitka as a result of the delay, but are receiving some compensation on board for the delay. The best compensation – no one was hurt, and vacation continues.
-MJ, June 30, 2014
