Social media post sparks concern over fire on Disney cruise ship

On the same day an earthquake triggered a tsunami warning in the Caribbean, Disney Cruise Line’s newest ship, the Disney Treasure, faced another unexpected safety situation while en route to the western Caribbean.

The incident was very quickly handled by the cruise ship’s crew and it seems that there was really no cause for passenger alarm, but a passenger’s social media post about the incident now serves as a reminder for cruise passengers to think before they post.

In an Instagram story, a passenger shared a vague message about a small fire on board the ship. Since the post didn’t offer the additional context that the fire was quickly resolved and didn’t pose any threat to passenger safety, it sparked concern on social media.

“Please bare with me on posts,” @travelwithhunterk wrote in the Instagram story. “We had a medical emergency on board 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!”

A screenshot of the post was shared in the Disney Cruise Line Reddit community where other passengers who were currently sailing on the Disney Treasure shed more light on the situation, which involved a small fire in the ship’s incinerator area.

Disney Treasure passengers weren’t alarmed by the small fire

Onboard the ship, passengers heard the captain make a coded safety announcement directed to crew members.

“Currently sailing on the Treasure. There was an announcement while I was in the shops that was for the crew, I don’t recall exactly what it said. No one in the shop I was in panicked or reacted much,” wrote xmrsxrose262. “Later on the Captain came on and explained the previous announcement saying there was a minor incident in one of the incinerators, but the situation was under control. My husband and I exchanged WTF glances, but that was about it. So far everything has been okay.”

Another passenger provided more details about the situation on board the ship.

“Reporting in from The Treasure, we’re all here and still afloat,” confirmed TheLastGunslinger. “When Captain Andy came on and rattled off the crew warning/instructions I assumed medical emergency. 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.”

By making a public announcement to crew, the captain was following necessary safety protocols but there was no reason for passengers to be alarmed.

Cruise ship crew members are trained to respond to fires

In the thread, other Disney Cruise Line passengers aptly noted that the incinerator area is probably the least-concerning spot for a small fire to occur and that crew members are extensively trained to respond to fires.

In addition to conducting ongoing onboard safety training for all crew members, cruise lines provide advanced safety training to those assigned to specialized duties like onboard firefighting.

Although the small fire incident on the Disney Treasure was resolved before passengers were even aware that it occurred, it appears the explanation of the safety announcement may have caused some unnecessary concern among a small group of passengers like the individual who posted the Instagram story.

“No one dwelled on the announcement since we didn’t know what the code words meant; it was tragic funny that when the captain came on to explain later, he likely caused more anxiety by explaining there had been a fire,” explained Reddit user das_bookie. “But as everyone has said, if there’s going to be a fire, incinerator is the best place for it. I’m sure 99%+ of the passengers just moved on from this as we did.”