Carnival Corp. CEO Arnold Donald publicly stood behind by Carnival Cruise Lines, which is battling allegations that it knew of fire risk on the Carnival Triumph before it lost power after an engine room fire in February.

The charges were made in a lawsuit filed on behalf of dozens of passengers on that ill-fated cruise, as well as in an unflattering report on CNN.

In a conference call Thursday with financial analysts, Donald said some of the language quoted in the broadcast was not from Carnival’s ticket contract.

“They pulled some information out of context,” he said. “It’s a frivolous suit. We stand behind our product. … Our ships are safe, sound and seaworthy.”

A Houston attorney filed a lawsuit that charges that Carnival did not install spray shields designed to prevent fires if an engine’s flexible fuel hose leaks onto hot spots.

Carnival has admitted the fire was caused by a leak in a flexible fuel hose, but it was one that had just been replaced six months earlier.

“The accident in this situation was just that — an accident,” a Carnival statement said. “To claim otherwise is simply unfounded and inconsistent with the facts.”