Cruise ship carrying 206 people runs aground in Greenland and rescue will not arrive until Friday

Table Of Content

• Nine people injured after a Russian strike on the Ukrainian city of Odesa
• As the climate crisis threatens life on Greenland, football gives some hope
• Fishing trawler frees stranded luxury cruise ship in Greenland
• By Visit Greenland
• Stranded luxury cruise ship MV Ocean Explorer is pulled free at high tide in Greenland
• A cruise ship passenger was rescued by the Coast Guard after hours in Gulf waters

According to Greenland travel site Visit Greenland, the remote area is an area considered an "Arctic Desert" because annual rainfall is so low. The Ocean Explorer expedition has been touted as a cruise ship "purpose-built for expedition travel to the world's most remote destinations," complete with "cutting-edge technology" and its "navigation capabilities." "A cruise ship in trouble in the national park is obviously a worry. The nearest help is far away, our units are far away, and the weather can be very unfavourable," JAC head of operations Commander Brian Jensen said in the statement.

Nine people injured after a Russian strike on the Ukrainian city of Odesa

Dozens of cruise ships sail along Greenland's coast every year so passengers can admire the picturesque mountainous landscape, waterways packed with icebergs of different sizes and glaciers jutting out into the sea. The cruise ship ran aground Monday above the Arctic Circle in Alpefjord in Northeast Greenland National Park, the world's northernmost national park. Alpefjord is about 240 kilometers (150 miles) from the closest settlement, Ittoqqortoormiit, which is nearly 1,400 kilometers (870 miles) from the country's capital, Nuuk. A luxury cruise ship that was stuck in a remote part of Greenland for three days after running aground with 206 people on board has been pulled free by a fishing trawler. A cruise ship with 206 passengers and crew on board has run aground in northwestern Greenland - and rescuers will not arrive until Friday at the earliest, authorities said.

As the climate crisis threatens life on Greenland, football gives some hope

Officials said there is no evidence the ship had suffered serious damage as a result of the grounding. For an increasingly large number of polar cruisers, Greenland and Svalbard in Norway have become the most popular destinations for Arctic tourism. Aurora Expeditions, the ship’s operator, said there is no immediate danger to anyone on board or to the surrounding environment, and there are enough supplies aboard the ship to last until the Danish naval vessel that has been diverted to help arrives.

Fishing trawler frees stranded luxury cruise ship in Greenland

“There have not been any injuries to any person onboard, no pollution of the environment and no breach of the hull,” SunStone said in a statement. There are few hydrological surveys of the area where the cruise ship ran aground, making it difficult to assess the sea depths. The Joint Arctic Command said the ship grounded in Alpefjord, part of the Northeast Greenland National Park, the world's largest national park, on Tuesday.

Cruise ship carrying 206 people runs aground in Greenland - NECN

Cruise ship carrying 206 people runs aground in Greenland.

Posted: Tue, 12 Sep 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]

The Joint Arctic Command said the earliest the Knud Rasmussen might reach the Ocean Explorer is Friday morning local time. Brian Jensen, the head of operations for the Joint Arctic Command, said in the statement that the situation "is of course worrisome." While officials said the situation remains "difficult," they've "gained assurance that the crew and passengers of Ocean Explorer are in good condition," according to a translation. The ship was designed with luxury, offering "state-of-the-art amenities," including an onboard gym, jacuzzi, lounges, a spa, an atrium, a library and more.

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Greenland, a semi-sovereign territory of Denmark in the north Atlantic with a population of just 57,000, attracts tourists with its rugged landscape and a vast ice cap that covers much of the island. On Wednesday, a research ship owned by the Greenland government unsuccessfully attempted to pull the ship off ground during high tide. A cruise ship in the bay in front of the town Ilulissat (a.k.a. Jakobshavn), Disko Bay, Greenland. The ship's owner said several other vessels had rushed to the scene "and offered their assistance, which however, was not needed." It said it had also "arranged additional tug assistance in case it was needed, however, this has now been canceled." The ship has a gym, a Jacuzzi and spacious suites that are 640 square feet, offering guests two large master bathrooms, one master bedroom and expansive views of the sea. The Ocean Explorer had been traveling toward Northeast Greenland National Park when it ran aground on Monday, officials said.

"The nearest help is far away, our units are far away, and the weather can be very unfavorable," Jensen said. "However, in this specific situation, we do not see any immediate danger to human life or the environment, which is reassuring." The Ocean Explorer is among an "award-winning Infinity-class of vessels," according to Aurora Expeditions, which offers excursions on the vessel. The Joint Arctic Command says that when they came across the vessel, there were 206 people onboard. "We also sincerely appreciate the patience and understanding of our passengers during this process. We remain committed to assisting them as the situation progresses."

A cruise ship passenger was rescued by the Coast Guard after hours in Gulf waters

It was unclear what caused the ship to run aground near Greenland, which is part of Denmark but has autonomy over most domestic affairs. Officials said there were no indications that the ship had suffered serious damage to its foundation. Browse culture and nature (outdoor, hunting, fishing, cruises) related activities, as well as combination of both types. Explore Scoresby Sund in East Greenland on an Expedition Micro Cruise with just 12 guests on a modern expedition ship with expert guides. This applies to, for example, Ilulissat with the UNESCO-protected ice fjord, and also occasionally to Qeqertarsuaq on the formerly volcanic Disko Island, where dog sledding on Lyngmarksbræen is possible during the summer.

The research vessel that pulled the cruise ship belongs to the Greenland Institute of Natural Resources, a government agency, it said. Some cruise ships sail further north to Uummannaq, which is the essence of a real Arctic hunting town. The Ocean Explorer will be taken to a port to assess any damage, while the passengers will be flown home, said SunStone Maritime Group, which owns the cruise vessel.

"However, in this specific situation, we do not see any immediate danger to human life or the environment, which is reassuring," he added. The primary mission of the Joint Arctic Command is to ensure Danish sovereignty by monitoring the area around the Faroe Islands and Greenland, including the Arctic Ocean in the north. Greenland is a semi-independent territory that is part of the Danish realm, as are the Faroe Islands.

Crew members attempted to float clear of land at several high tides but were unsuccessful because the boat is held in place by suction from mud, Jensen told Bloomberg. The cruise liner began its current trip on Sept. 2 in Kirkenes in Arctic Norway and was due to return to Bergen, Norway, on Sept. 22, according to SunStone Ships. Cmdr. Brian Jensen of the Joint Arctic Command told Greenland broadcaster KNR that the ship is likely to go to Iceland, the closest place with large ports. The primary mission of the Joint Arctic Command is to ensure Danish sovereignty by monitoring the area around the Faeroe Islands and Greenland, two semi-independent territories that are part of the Danish realm. Photos of the stuck Ocean Explorer on Wednesday showed a blue-and-white ship floating in waters with frosted mountain peaks in the distance.

"There have not been any injuries to anybody onboard, no pollution of the environment and no breach of the hull,” SunStone Ships said in a statement. Cmdr Brian Jensen of Denmark’s Joint Arctic Command said that nobody on board was in danger and that no damage has been reported, but added that officials “take this incident very seriously”. Rescue efforts aren't expected to reach the scene until Friday, but a military flight over the ship confirmed its hull is intact, there is no oil spilling from the vessel, and there have been no injuries. "Now it is exciting to find out what the condition of the ship is," Jensen was quoted as saying by KNR. "They are in the process of investigating whether the ship is intact and seaworthy and ready to sail on." “There are still no reports that human life or the environment is in acute danger,” Joint Arctic Command said.

The coastal ship Sarfaq Ittuk sails from southern Greenland up along Greenland’s west coast to Disko Bay. Cruise ship tourism in Greenland is still in its infancy, and there are lots of places in the country that cruise ship guests have not yet seen. “We have just successfully become free now … We are absolutely elated,” Gina Hill, an Australian passenger on board the ship, told Reuters on Thursday. The Joint Arctic Command confirmed that the ship had been pulled free by the Tarajoq, a trawler and research vessel that made a failed attempt to do so on Wednesday. The Ocean Explorer ship was pulled loose by research vessel Tarajoq, which is run by the Greenland Institute of Natural Resources, the Danish military’s Joint Arctic Command said on Facebook.