Stunned passengers on a Carnival cruise ship watched flames pour out of a funnel after a lightning strike near the Bahamas.
Video captured the harrowing scene Saturday aboard the Carnival Freedom.
Passenger Heath Barnes said the ship was supposed to port at Princess Cay, but could not dock due to high winds.
On-and-off heavy rains kept people off of the decks for extended periods, Barnes said. Then, around 3 p.m., he experienced intense lightning and very loud thunder.
A few minutes later he said his "nephew and 2 of his friends came running into the cabin and said, 'The ships on fire'."
That's when they went on their balcony and captured video of the fire.
In an announcement to passengers, the crew said the ship was turned to head into heavy rains to help put out the fire.
Passengers were told to stay off the decks due to the blaze and were warned that the portside portion of the funnel had fallen onto deck 10.
There were no injuries reported and the passengers were told that the fire did not have any operational impact on the vessel.
Barnes said it was later confirmed that the fire was caused by a lightning strike.
"My 18th cruise with Carnival this was the most interesting one," Barnes said. "It's not their fault it's Mother Nature."
This is the second time the same ship has caught fire in less than two years. The Carnival Freedom had a fire while docked in Grand Turk in May 2022, according to WFLA-TV.
