June 18th-- The Fire Aboard the Royal Princess-- Part 8

Around midnight, after almost four hours, passengers were allowed to go to decks 9 and 10. I heard that they had gotten the air conditioning going in the interior areas, plus, this is where the pool area was located, so, at least there was open air. Throughout the time they were up there, we saw groups of crew members carrying water, pop, and food up there.

It seemed to take a long time for all the people at Muster B on the 5th deck to exit and climb the stairs. The people with mobility problems did not have to go up the stairs, thankfully, but I did hear that the crew was considering helping them up. Instead, those that remained were able to go out on the promenade again.

The muster area was really trashed by this time. Urinals in the bathrooms were ok, but the toilets were near overflowing. I felt sorry for the ladies.

Around 1:30, we were told we could return to our staterooms, although there was no electricity and the toilets wouldn't flush. Thankfully, we were on a balcony, so could open the sliding glass door for the breeze.

The poor crew must have been up all night. They are to be commended for their efforts and training which were really put to the test. Plus, the fire could have been much more serious, but the efforts to contain it were successful.

This Could Have Been a Lot More Serious. --RoadDog