TAMPA, Fla. — A yacht carrying hundreds of passengers on a dinner and sight-seeing cruise Sunday was forced to return to dock in Tampa shortly after departure due to a fire on board, according to the yacht's parent company.
- Yacht StarShip had just left on 2 1/2 hour dinner, sight-seeing cruise
- Fire in yacht's engine room forced return
- Guests will get full refunds, no injuries reported
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According to a spokesperson from Yacht StarShip Cruise Events, a fire in the yacht's engine room prompted the captain and crew to take swift action.
"In an abundance of caution, Yacht StarShip's captain returned to the dock immediately and safely evacuated all passengers," said spokesperson Jennifer Richardson. "Safety is always our top concern at Yacht StarShip."
One passenger on board the yacht for this evening's cruise, LaToya Collins, said initially passengers weren't told why the yacht turned back to the dock.
"By the time we turned around, they didn't really tell us until we actually got towards the dock again that there was a small fire and we needed to evacuate," Jackson said.
All passengers were able to disembark safely. The only casualty was their Father's Day evening dinner at sea.
"You know, we're making memories and that's what we're about these days," Collins said. "Because you never know when it's your last, so we are about the memories, so this will definitely be in the books to come."
Yacht StarShip officials said all guests on board will receive a full refund and a voucher to cruise with them another time.