ENSENADA, Mexico, Nov. 9 (UPI) -- A U.S. Navy aircraft carrier has been sent to help a cruise ship stalled and stranded by fire off the California coast, authorities said.
Responding to a Coast Guard request, the carrier USS Ronald Reagan was diverted Tuesday from training maneuvers to rendezvous with the Carnival cruise ship Splendor, The San Diego Union-Tribune reported.
The Splendor reported it was dead in the water early Monday about 150 nautical miles southwest of San Diego and asked the Coast Guard for assistance.
The Navy is flying 35 pallets of needed supplies to the Reagan from North Island Naval Air Station near San Diego. Helicopters were to transfer the supplies to the ship.
The 113,000-ton vessel, among the largest in the Carnival fleet, was dead in the water after a fire broke out Monday in the ship's aft engine room, USA Today reported.
Carnival officials said no one was injured in the blaze, but the ship's main generators were disabled and efforts to restart them failed. While the ship's auxiliary generators powered some critical systems, the fire knocked out the climate control and sewage disposal systems, officials said.
Power for the toilet system and cold running water to the passenger cabins was restored Tuesday morning.
Carnival said tugboats were towing the Splendor to Ensenada, Mexico, so passengers could disembark. The cruise line did not indicate how long the procedure would take, USA Today said.
The U.S. Coast Guard and the Mexican navy sent aircraft and cutters to the area to help with the towing operation, Coast Guard officials told the Los Angeles Times.
"We know this has been an extremely trying situation for our guests and we sincerely thank them for their patience," Carnival President and Chief Executive Officer Gerry Cahill said in a statement. "Conditions on board the ship are very challenging and we sincerely apologize for the discomfort and inconvenience our guests are currently enduring."
The 2-year-old ship, with 3,299 passengers and 1,167 crewmembers on board, was on the first leg of a seven-day Mexican Riviera cruise that originated Sunday in Long Beach, Calif.
Carnival said passengers will receive a full refund for the cruise and would be reimbursed for transportation costs. Passengers also will get a credit for a future cruise equal to the amount paid for the current trip, Carnival said.
