Chinese Cruise Ships Look To Steer Clear Of Japan
By Ju-min Park, Hyunjoo Jin and Heekyong Yang SEOUL Nov 21 (Reuters) – Chinese cruise operators are scrambling to avoid Japanese ports as Beijing and Tokyo engage in a diplomatic dispute, which...
The Carnival Triumph cruise ship is towed towards the dock at the port of Mobile, Alabama, February 14, 2013. REUTERS/ Lyle Ratliff

By Kasia Klimasinska
(Bloomberg) — The fire on Carnival Corp.’s cruise ship Triumph was caused by a leak in a fuel oil return line, the U.S. Coast Guard said.
The U.S. investigation of the causes of the incident and the crew’s response to the fire will last about six months, Lieutenant Commander Teresa Hatfield, the Coast Guard’s Marine Casualty Investigation team leader, said during a conference call with reporters today.
The ship, which left Galveston, Texas, on Feb. 7 with more than 3,100 guests, caught fire Feb. 10 off the coast of Mexico and arrived in Mobile, Alabama on Feb. 14, after being stranded for four days. The Coast Guard will also try to find out why the ship remained disabled for so long, Hatfield said.
As of last week, a total of 14 Triumph voyages through April 13 had been canceled. Carnival, based in Miami, has said the incident will reduce earnings in the first half of fiscal 2013 by 8 cents to 10 cents a share.
Copyright 2013 Bloomberg.
Sign up for gCaptain’s newsletter and never miss an update
Subscribe to gCaptain Daily and stay informed with the latest global maritime and offshore news
Essential news coupled with the finest maritime content sourced from across the globe.
Sign Up