Cruise passenger recounts 'chaotic' ordeal after World Legacy fire: 'We were wet, no food, no water'

What was meant to be a celebratory getaway with friends quickly turned into a nightmare for a passenger onboard the World Legacy when a fire broke out in the early hours of Feb 20.

Stomper Lee said he and his group boarded the ship on Feb 19 for a short festive cruise.

Photos he shared with Stomp show them enjoying themselves before the incident, including tossing yusheng to mark Chinese New Year.

While he was at the casino on Deck 3 with his friends on Feb 20 at about 4am, Lee said he heard the vessel’s horn sound seven short blasts followed by one long blast — the internationally recognised signal to abandon ship.

Shortly after, passengers were told to stop all activities and move towards Deck 7.

According to the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA), the Liberia-registered vessel was heading towards Singapore when a fire broke out at about 4am in a lounge on Deck 9. There were 271 passengers – including 139 Singaporeans – and 388 crew members onboard.

An Indonesian crew member later died. The Indonesian Embassy in Singapore said he was a 23-year-old laundry attendant aboard the ship.

He was found collapsed in the lobby of Deck 9 by firefighters, according to The Straits Times. Despite medical assistance, he was pronounced dead at 4.30am, with the cause of death determined as cardiopulmonary arrest secondary to asphyxiation.

MPA said all passengers were safely evacuated and four people were taken to hospital.

The vessel is anchored at Raffles Reserved Anchorage and the cause of the fire is under investigation.

Lee, who works in the marine industry and has experience in vessel salvage operations, said his professional background gave him some understanding of emergency procedures.

He said that upon reaching Deck 7, he noticed many passengers appearing confused and anxious.

“Some did not know how to wear their life jackets properly,” he recounted, adding that he helped several people secure theirs and encouraged others to remain calm.

He claimed that while waiting to be evacuated, passengers were made to stand for several hours on carpet soaked with firefighting water.

“We were wet, no food, no water, no access to the restroom,” he said, describing the situation as “chaotic” and “distressing”.

He added that passengers were unsure where their passports and belongings were, and were “ushered around not knowing where we were heading”.

Lee said some passengers attempted to retrieve their belongings after seeing others do so.

“All of our house keys and car keys were inside the room,” he said. He later managed to retrieve his mobile phone before disembarking.

The Stomper believes he had been standing for almost eight hours before being evacuated.

Another passenger told The Straits Times that she was standing from about 4.20am to 9.20am, and described the incident as “a truly terrible and traumatising experience”.

Lee sought medical attention on Feb 21.

A doctor’s memo seen by Stomp stated that he had likely sustained a right calcaneal bruise and foot dermatitis, attributed to prolonged standing in wet conditions.

An invoice showed he incurred $90 in medical expenses.

Lee said the cruise operator has reimbursed his medical bill but has not offered further compensation.

He said cruise packages for the sailing ranged between $110 and $200 per person, depending on room type. He has since submitted a formal claim seeking compensation for loss of use of his cabin and what he described as emotional distress.

In an email reply seen by Stomp, the operator apologised for the “distressing experience” and said reimbursement for medical expenses would be processed upon verification. It added that further compensation would be reviewed.

“I hope that the management will review the situation and implement improvements to prevent recurrence,” Lee said.

In response to a Stomp query, World Cruises said on Feb 27 that guests with upcoming affected sailings are being contacted directly and will receive full refunds.

“Investigations into the incident are ongoing, and we are cooperating fully with the relevant authorities,” a spokesperson added.