Last February, Miami-based Carnival Cruise Lines' 700-foot Celebration cut a Cuban freighter in half in a collision off Cuba, killing three Cuban sailors. In March 1988, an engine fire broke out on SeaEscape's Bahamian cruise ship, the Scandinavian Star. Automatic fire extinguishers and the emergency generator failed. The National Transportation Safety Board said many foreign-flag cruise ships that sail from U.S. ports have serious safety problems and the potential for a catastrophic accident is significant. Before long, two explosions rocked the vessel. A year later, another foreign ship collided with a Panamanian-flagged cargo vessel near Puerto Rico.
Last February, Miami-based Carnival Cruise Lines' 700-foot Celebration cut a Cuban freighter in half in a collision off Cuba, killing three Cuban sailors. In March 1988, an engine fire broke out on SeaEscape's Bahamian cruise ship, the Scandinavian Star. Automatic fire extinguishers and the emergency generator failed. The National Transportation Safety Board said many foreign-flag cruise ships that sail from U.S. ports have serious safety problems and the potential for a catastrophic accident is significant. A year later, another foreign ship collided with a Panamanian-flagged cargo vessel near Puerto Rico.