Two crew members are dead after ‘engine room EXPOSION’ on cruise in the Bahamas after setting sail from Florida

• The 2,100 capacity Nieuw Amsterdam was docked at Half Moon Cay in the Bahamas when the tragedy occurred  
• Passengers were informed by an announcement from the captain on Friday afternoon
• Maritime blogger Jim Walker said the men were trapped in the engine room after the explosion of a steam compensator

A luxury Holland America cruise from Florida to the Bahamas ended in horror for the crew when two of them were killed on board.

The 2,100-seat Nieuw Amsterdam had docked at Half Moon Bay in Little San Salvador when the ‘incident’ took place in what the company described as an ‘engineering space’ on Friday.

The ship had left Fort Lauderdale on March 16 for a seven-night trip 

Florida maritime lawyer Jim Walker was sent a photo of what crew members said was the aftermath of an explosion in a steam compensator while the men were working nearby.

He said the explosion released steam into the engine room where the two men were trapped and scalded to death.

Travel blogger Laine Doss was on board when the news was announced to passengers.

‘Today, at 3pm, when the Captain asked for our attention, I was convinced it was a weather announcement,’ she wrote.

‘Instead, he announced that two crew members were killed in an engine room accident.

‘I was working on my computer at the Ocean Bar, a lovely venue with panoramic views. Suddenly, the convivial chatter and clink of glasses turned somber as we heard the captain’s voice break as he announced the news.

‘One woman started crying. The rest of us lifted our glasses in tribute.’

In a statement the cruise line said authorities had been notified, the cause of the accident was being investigated, and crew members were being offered counseling.

‘All of us at Holland America Line are deeply saddened by this incident and our thoughts and prayers are with our team members’ families at this difficult time,’ they added.

‘The safety, security and welfare of all guests and crew are the company’s absolute priority.’

‘The staff is keeping smiles on their faces and making sure their passengers are getting great service, but it must be so difficult for them, they are truly professionals,’ wrote passenger Bonnie Shapiro on Facebook.

The ship has suffered a series of accidents including a grounding at Santa Cruz Huatulco, Mexico in 2017 when strong winds broke her mooring lines, and being struck by sister ship MS Oosterdam two years later while docking in Vancouver, Canada.

Walker said the crew members were from the Philippines and their families were likely to receive little compensation.

‘Holland America says that it notified ‘the appropriate authorities’ and is currently investigating the incident,’ he noted.

‘They did not identify the investigating agency nor state whether it will release additional information.

‘Cruise lines which perform investigations following accidents of this type keep their finding and conclusions secret.’