One week ago, the luxury cruise liner Azamara Quest reached a Malaysian port. On the previous Friday, Day Five of a 17-night cruise through Asian waters, its 590 passengers went to their muster stations only to learn that a fire had broken out in the engine room, disabling much of the ship's power. They were adrift off the coast of Borneo.
That incident came on the heels of a similar one in February, when the fire-damaged Costa Allegra bobbed in the Indian Ocean for four days. Both follow the Costa Concordia's sinking, which claimed 32 lives.
It's enough to make a person consider the phrase "cruising for a bruising." Almost.
Aside from the Costa Concordia tragedy, which seems to have resulted from the captain's aberrant and irresponsible behavior, the two recent blazes could almost be heartening. They were, after all, contained, and not one life was lost.
According to Carolyn Spencer Brown, editor at CruiseCritic.com, the takeaway from this rash of bad news should be that the cruise line staffs are equipped to respond when things go wrong. "There are processes in place, there are safety procedures, and as shipbuilding has gotten more sophisticated, vessels have become even more safe."
According to the Cruise Lines International Association, 25 new ships will join the fleet of cruise ships in the next three years, continuing a growth trend in the industry. As the number of ships grows, so does the chance of a mishap.
Still, such news shouldn't keep cruisers from sailing. It didn't stop Spencer Brown, who replied to my questions from a ship.
Send your questions or tips to travel editor Kerri Westenberg at travel@startribune.com, and follow her on twitter @kerriwestenberg.
