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

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

The 2,100-seat Nieuw Amsterdam was docked in Half Moon Bay in Little San Salvador when the “incident” occurred Friday in what the company described as a “technical area.”

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

Maritime lawyer from Florida 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 burned.

The aftermath of the explosion in the ship’s engine room that led to the deaths of the two men

Maritime lawyer and blogger Jim Walker said a steam bellows (pictured) on a steam compensator failed, leading to the explosion

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

“When the captain called for our attention at 3pm today, I was convinced it was a weather report,” she wrote.

“Instead, he announced that two crew members had died in an accident in the engine room.

‘I was working on my computer in the Ocean Bar, a beautiful location with panoramic views. Suddenly the pleasant chatter and clinking of glasses turned somber as we heard the captain’s voice break as he announced the news.

‘A woman started crying. The rest of us raised 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 the families of our team members during this difficult time,” she added.

“The safety, security and well-being of all guests and crew are the company’s absolute priority.”

“The staff smiles and makes sure their passengers get good service, but it must be so hard for them, they are true professionals,” passenger Bonnie Shapiro wrote on Facebook.

The ship has had a series of accidents, including a stranding in Santa Cruz Huatulco, Mexico in 2017 when strong winds broke her mooring lines, and two years later it was struck by sister ship MS Oosterdam while docked in Vancouver, Canada.

The ship was docked in Half Moon Cay in the Bahamas when the tragedy occurred

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

“Holland America says it has informed ‘the appropriate authorities’ and is currently investigating the incident,” he noted.

“They have not identified the investigating agency or indicated whether it will release additional information.

‘Cruise lines that investigate these types of accidents keep their findings and conclusions secret.’