Disney Cruise Line’s newest vessel, the 144,000-gross-ton, 4,000-passenger Disney Treasure, has been making headlines since before her maiden voyage on December 21, 2024.
But no one expected this one, a scary headline for any cruise guest to read.
While the world was tuned into the Super Bowl on February 9, 2025, a passenger aboard the ship shared news that there had been a small fire.
“Please bare [sic] with me on posts. We had a medical emergency onboard in the family, there was a small fire on board, and the earthquake in the Caribbean that people were frantic about. It’s been a long day,” posted the Admin of Disney Cruise Line Community page.
The post came after a 7.6-magntiude earthquake struck the Caribbean near the Cayman Islands the evening of February 8, hours after Disney Treasure departed on a 7-night Western Caribbean cruise from Port Canaveral.
“Reporting in from The Treasure, we’re all here and still afloat,” shared another guest, providing more details. “When Captain Andy [McRonald] came on and rattled off the crew warning/instructions, I assumed medical emergency.”
However, the announcement had been a Code Red, with red indicating fire.
“The cruise director came on maybe an hour later while was doing Prima Notte at Palo and explained it was a small fire in one of the incinerators that the crew ably took care of,” the guest continued.
Other passengers confirmed the fire took place in an incinerator room and was quickly extinguished, with some making light of the location, posting, “A fire in an incinerator sounds like exactly what should be happening” and “small fires in the ‘incinerator’ would be, um, a pretty good spot for them.”
Disney Treasure is continuing on her voyage, unaffected by the incident with no operations compromised, and will arrive at her first call today, February 10, in Cozumel, Mexico.
The full itinerary includes a call in George Town, Grand Cayman, on February 11, days after the National Weather Service warned the island – and then cleared it – of possible tsunami surges following the large earthquake that took place deep in the floor of the Caribbean Sea.
The warnings also extended to Jamaica and the Bahamas, where the cruise ship is also calling before its voyage ends in Port Canaveral, Florida, on February 15.
The islands have been on heightened alert due to potential aftershocks. Since the original seismic event, a multitude of smaller shocks have taken place off the coast of southern Puerto Rico, ranging from 2.8 to 3.1 magnitude.
Not Common, But Not Uncommon
This is not the first time a small fire has taken place on a new and highly publicized vessel. In June 2024, just five months after its maiden voyage, Royal Caribbean’s massive Icon of the Seas had a small incident.
The world’s largest ship at 248,663 gross tons and carrying up to 5,610 passengers had been docked in Costa Maya, Mexico, when the incident briefly knocked out power and caused a slight delay in departure.
Read Also: Secret Emergency Codes on Cruise Ships Only Crew Members Know
A spokesperson from the cruise line told CNN that minor fires are “not common, but also not uncommon.”
In fact, Disney Cruise Line’s Disney Dream recently experienced a fire in the incinerator area in November 2024. That fire, however, forced passengers to evacuate the Vibe and Edge areas during an open house.
Fire at sea is a top concern for cruise ships. All cruise lines are readily prepared for emergencies like these with firefighting teams on standby 24 hours a day, fire extinguishers and sprinkler heads located throughout the ship, and smoke detectors installed in all staterooms.
