During yesterday’s congressional hearing, US Coast Guard Rear Admiral Joseph Servidio testified regarding the Grandeur of the Seas fire back in May. While still no cause was given, he was able to elaborate as to why it got to be so large. According to his written testimony, a piece of firefighting equipment used to direct water throughout the system, called a deluge system valve, was inaccessible due to the vicinity of the fire. There was also an open deck hatch that allowed the fire to spread as well.
The Rear Admiral also stated that they will be launching careful inspections of all of Royal Caribbean’s Vision-class ships, the class that the Grandeur belongs to. Legend of the Seas, Splendour of the Seas, Grandeur of the Seas, Enchantment of the Seas, Rhapsody of the Seas, and Vision of the Seas make up the class.
The fire on the Grandeur of the Seas occurred on May 27th and she returned to service out of Baltimore on July 12th.