Originally Posted by Intruder
A fire on a ship at sea is almost as bad, and has the potential to destroy even more cargo, kill more people, and sink a much larger vessel.
A ship has a pressurized fire main, usually a decent firefighting crew, and the ability to flood the burning compartment, if all else fails, without throwing away every ounce of its stability.
With the type of hazards we're discussing here, the slow boat is the safest way to go.