Following a fire onboard Adora Mediterranea on the morning of Wednesday, August 14, 2024, Adora Cruises has cancelled two sailings of the ship as repairs and cleanup are underway.
The fire in the ship’s engine room was caused by a failure of the air conditioning system, and three crew members were treated for smoke inhalation injuries. At the time, the ship was docked in Jeju, South Korea.
Because smoke had spread into public areas of the vessel and further inspections needed to be completed, all guests onboard were accommodated in a local hotel that night, rather than staying onboard the ship.
Adora Mediterranea was certified as seaworthy and returned to her homeport of Tianjin, China on August 17 as scheduled, but skipped an interim port of call in Fukuoka, Japan.
In order to further repair the system and conduct comprehensive inspections, the cruise line has now opted to cancel the ship’s next two sailings, the August 17 and August 22 departures.
“We are very sorry to inform you that the air conditioning system of the [Adora Mediterranea] recently failed,” the notification read. “In order to ensure the comfortable experience of passengers, we will carry out a comprehensive inspection and maintenance of the air conditioning system. Therefore, we decided to cancel [two cruises.]”
Compensation Options
While this last-minute cancellation will naturally be disappointing to booked travelers, Adora Cruises is offering two compensation options for those whose cruise vacations are now canceled.
First, guests may change to any similar sailing departing before the end of 2025, with some exceptions. Special holiday sailings, for example, are not eligible for this substitution.
Guests’ stateroom type will be preserved, and they will also receive an onboard credit of 1,000 Hong Kong Dollars (approximately $129 USD) to use on their new sailing.
If, however, guests are unable to find a new sailing that suits their vacation plans or they simply prefer not to set sail after all, they will receive a full refund of their cruise fare and any related onboard expenses.
The cruise line will also reimburse any change or cancellation fees related to flights or hotels due to the change of plans, though some limits do apply for reimbursement purposes.
No information has been released about whether or not parts of the air conditioning system must now be replaced or if there are other repairs required due to damage from the fire.
The fire did impact approximately 50 square meters of the ship’s engine room, and it is likely that some panels, insulation, or other materials must be replaced.
Read Also: Are Cruises Safe? What You Need to Know About Fires and Other Safety Risks
Furthermore, if smoke odors are too extensive, it may be necessary to replace some parts of the ventilation structure or upholstery, carpeting, or other fabrics in impacted areas if a heavy smoke smell would be too intolerable for many guests.
According to Cruise Hive’s cruise ship tracking data, the 85,619-gross-ton, Spirit-class Adora Mediterranea is currently docked in Tianjin, where the repair work will likely be completed. There is no indication that the cruise line will be dry docking the vessel for any extended period or moving it elsewhere for more extensive repairs.
Adora Mediterranea is currently homeported from Tianjin, China. The ship offers regular itineraries with visits to Jeju and different ports of call in Japan, and can welcome 2,114 guests at double occupancy or up to 2,680 travelers when fully booked with all berths filled. Also onboard are approximately 900 international team members.
