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Stranded luxury cruise ship MV Ocean Explorer is pulled free at high tide in Greenland

A view of the Ocean Explorer, a Bahamas-flagged Norwegian cruise ship with 206 passengers and crew, which has run aground in northwestern Greenland is pictured on Tuesday, Sept. 12, 2023. The 104.4-meter (343-foot) long and 18-meter (60 foot) wide Ocean Explorer ran aground on Monday in Alpefjord in the Northeast Greenland National Park. Another attempt to pull free a luxury cruise ship with 206 people that ran aground in the world’s northernmost national park has failed by using the high tide. It was the third attempt to free the MV Ocean Explorer. (SIRIUS/Joint Arctic Command via AP)

A view of the Ocean Explorer, a Bahamas-flagged Norwegian cruise ship with 206 passengers and crew, which has run aground in northwestern Greenland is pictured on Tuesday, Sept. 12, 2023. The 104.4-meter (343-foot) long and 18-meter (60 foot) wide Ocean Explorer ran aground on Monday in Alpefjord in the Northeast Greenland National Park. Another attempt to pull free a luxury cruise ship with 206 people that ran aground in the world’s northernmost national park has failed by using the high tide. It was the third attempt to free the MV Ocean Explorer. (SIRIUS/Joint Arctic Command via AP)

A view of the Ocean Explorer, a Bahamas-flagged Norwegian cruise ship with 206 passengers and crew, which has run aground in northwestern Greenland, on Tuesday, Sept. 12, 2023. The 104.4-meter (343-foot) long and 18-meter (60 foot) wide Ocean Explorer ran aground on Monday in Alpefjord in the Northeast Greenland National Park. It’s the world’s largest and most northerly national park and is known for icebergs and the musk oxen that roam the coast. According to authorities no one on board was in danger and no damage has been reported. (SIRIUS/Joint Arctic Command via AP)

An aerial photo shows the Ocean Explorer, a Bahamas-flagged Norwegian cruise ship with 206 passengers and crew, which has run aground in northwestern Greenland, on Tuesday, Sept. 12, 2023. The 104.4-meter (343-foot) long and 18-meter (60 foot) wide Ocean Explorer ran aground on Monday in Alpefjord in the Northeast Greenland National Park. It’s the world’s largest and most northerly national park and is known for icebergs and the musk oxen that roam the coast. According to authorities no one on board was in danger and no damage has been reported. (Danish Air Force/Joint Arctic Command via AP)

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COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) — The luxury cruise ship MV Ocean Explorer was successfully pulled free on Thursday, three days after running aground in Greenland with 206 people on board, authorities and the ship’s owner said.

The ship was freed by a fisheries research vessel at high tide, said the cruise ship’s owner, Copenhagen-based SunStone Ships, and the Joint Arctic Command, which coordinated the operation.

“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. The research vessel which pulled the cruise ship belongs to the Greenland Institute of Natural Resources, a government agency, it said.

It said the cruise ship and its passengers will now travel to a port where the damage to the vessel’s bottom can be assessed, and the passengers will be taken to a location from where they can be flown home. There was no immediate comment from the tour company that organized the trip, Australia-based Aurora Expeditions.

The cruise ship ran aground Monday above the Arctic Circle in Alpefjord in Northeast Greenland National Park, the world’s northernmost national park. The park is nearly the size of France and Spain combined, and approximately 80% is covered by an ice sheet . 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.

The Bahamas-flagged cruise ship has passengers from Australia, New Zealand, South Korea, the United Kingdom and the United States. It has an inverted bow, shaped like the one on a submarine, 77 cabins, 151 passenger beds and 99 beds for crew, and several restaurants.

Earlier Thursday, Aurora Expeditions said three passengers had COVID-19.

“These passengers are currently in isolation. They are looked after by our onboard doctor, medical team and crew, and they are doing well,” it said in a statement. Others on the MV Ocean Explorer are “safe and healthy,” it said.

Australian newspaper The Sydney Morning Herald quoted a retiree from Australia who is on the ship, Steven Fraser, as saying: “Everyone’s in good spirits. It’s a little bit frustrating, but we are in a beautiful part of the world.”

Fraser told the newspaper that he had come down with COVID-19 on the ship.

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.

“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.”

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.”

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.

Danish broadcaster DR said there were 400 cruises in Greenland in 2022 and 600 cruises in 2023.

The Danish Maritime Authority asked police in Greenland to investigate why the ship ran aground and whether any laws had been violated, a police statement said, adding that no one has been charged or arrested. An officer has been on board the ship to carry out “initial investigative steps, which, among other things, involve questioning the crew and other relevant persons on board,” it said.

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.

The primary mission of the Joint Arctic Command is to ensure Danish sovereignty by monitoring the area around the Faeroe 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 Faeroe Islands.

cruise ship runs aground in iceland

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A Luxury Cruise Ship, Stuck Off Greenland’s Coast for 3 Days, Is Pulled Free

The Ocean Explorer had been traveling toward Northeast Greenland National Park when it ran aground on Monday, officials said. The ship was pulled free on Thursday.

The Ocean Explorer ship floats on blue waters near a frosted mountain.

By Eduardo Medina

A luxury cruise ship that had been stuck for three days after running aground off the coast of Greenland was pulled free on Thursday morning, the authorities said.

The ship, the Ocean Explorer, had been carrying 206 passengers and crew members and was headed toward Alpefjord, in a remote corner of Greenland. The ship’s destination was the Northeast Greenland National Park, the world’s northernmost national park, which is home to icebergs, glaciers and high mountains.

The Joint Arctic Command, which is part of Denmark’s defense forces, and SunStone Maritime Group , the coordinators of the rescue operation, said in statements on Thursday that the ship had been pulled free by a vessel named Tarajoq.

There were no reported injuries on board the ship, and there was no threat to the environment. The ship’s operator, Aurora Expeditions, a cruise company based in Australia, said in a statement on Thursday that “all onboard are safe” and that it appreciated “the patience and understanding of our passengers during this process.”

“We are waiting on the relevant authorities for advice regarding our next steps,” the company said.

The rescue came after an unsuccessful attempt on Wednesday, in which a fishing research vessel owned by the government of Greenland tried and failed to pull free the Ocean Explorer at high tide. Bad weather also slowed the government’s rescue operations, officials said.

Before the ship was freed, the Joint Arctic Command had said that “the crew and passengers are in a difficult situation, but after the circumstances, the atmosphere on the ship is good and everyone on board is fine.”

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.

Cruises around Greenland have become increasingly popular with tourists seeking adventure and comfort aboard ships packed with amenities.The Ocean Explorer, built in 2021, was made to “travel to the world’s most remote destinations,” according to Aurora Expeditions’ website .

Prices for a 17-day expedition that tours Greenland start at more than $15,000 per person. 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 .

Photos of the stuck Ocean Explorer on Wednesday showed a blue-and-white ship floating in waters with frosted mountain peaks in the distance.

Extreme cold did not appear to be a major issue for stranded passengers on Wednesday: The temperature in the area was around 2.2 degrees Celsius, or about 36 degrees Fahrenheit, that night.

Jenny Gross contributed reporting.

Eduardo Medina is a reporter covering breaking news. More about Eduardo Medina

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A luxury cruise ship is pulled free 3 days after running aground in Greenland

The Associated Press

cruise ship runs aground in iceland

The Ocean Explorer, a Bahamas-flagged Norwegian cruise ship with 206 passengers and crew, which had run aground in northwestern Greenland, is pictured on Tuesday SIRIUS/Joint Arctic Command/AP hide caption

The Ocean Explorer, a Bahamas-flagged Norwegian cruise ship with 206 passengers and crew, which had run aground in northwestern Greenland, is pictured on Tuesday

COPENHAGEN, Denmark — The luxury cruise ship MV Ocean Explorer was successfully pulled free on Thursday, three days after running aground in Greenland with 206 people on board, authorities and the ship's owner said.

The ship was freed by a fisheries research vessel at high tide, said the cruise ship's owner, Copenhagen-based SunStone Ships, and the Joint Arctic Command, which coordinated the operation.

"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. The research vessel which pulled the cruise ship belongs to the Greenland Institute of Natural Resources, a government agency, it said.

It said the cruise ship and its passengers will now travel to a port where the damage to the vessel's bottom can be assessed, and the passengers will be taken to a location from where they can be flown home. There was no immediate comment from the tour company that organized the trip, Australia-based Aurora Expeditions.

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The cruise ship ran aground Monday above the Arctic Circle in Alpefjord in Northeast Greenland National Park, the world's northernmost national park. The park is nearly the size of France and Spain combined, and approximately 80% is covered by an ice sheet. 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.

The Bahamas-flagged cruise ship has passengers from Australia, New Zealand, South Korea, the United Kingdom and the United States. It has an inverted bow, shaped like the one on a submarine, 77 cabins, 151 passenger beds and 99 beds for crew, and several restaurants.

Earlier Thursday, Aurora Expeditions said three passengers had COVID-19.

"These passengers are currently in isolation. They are looked after by our onboard doctor, medical team and crew, and they are doing well," it said in a statement. Others on the MV Ocean Explorer are "safe and healthy," it said.

Australian newspaper The Sydney Morning Herald quoted a retiree from Australia who is on the ship, Steven Fraser, as saying: "Everyone's in good spirits. It's a little bit frustrating, but we are in a beautiful part of the world."

Fraser told the newspaper that he had come down with COVID-19 on the ship.

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.

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"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."

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."

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.

Danish broadcaster DR said there were 400 cruises in Greenland in 2022 and 600 cruises in 2023.

The Danish Maritime Authority asked police in Greenland to investigate why the ship ran aground and whether any laws had been violated, a police statement said, adding that no one has been charged or arrested. An officer has been on board the ship to carry out "initial investigative steps, which, among other things, involve questioning the crew and other relevant persons on board," it said.

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

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

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.

The primary mission of the Joint Arctic Command is to ensure Danish sovereignty by monitoring the area around the Faeroe 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 Faeroe Islands.

  • cruise ships

Rescue efforts underway for luxury cruise ship that ran aground in Greenland

Several Americans are onboard, according to the State Department.

LONDON -- A luxury cruise ship carrying 206 passengers has run aground off the coast of Greenland.

The Ocean Explorer, a 343-foot long and 60-foot wide ship, ran aground on Monday near Alpefjord in the Northeast Greenland National Park -- a 375,000-square-mile area that is the most northerly national park in the world.

There have been no reports of damage to the ship.

MORE: Cruise line apologizes after dozens of whales slaughtered in front of passengers

"Arctic Command has been in contact with the cruise ship Ocean Explorer, which has stated that they are still grounded in the National Park," the Joint Arctic Command said in a statement posted on social media. "This means that the tide, which came during the day local time, did not provide the desired help to sail on. Arctic Command is still in contact with relevant ships in the vicinity, which could be able to help the cruise ship free."

PHOTO: An aerial photo shows the Ocean Explorer, a Bahamas-flagged Norwegian cruise ship with 206 passengers and crew, which has run aground in northwestern Greenland, on Tuesday, Sept. 12, 2023.

Tarajoq, a Greenland Institute of Natural Resources fishing research ship, arrived at the site on Tuesday and attempted to pull the boat out. The attempt was unsuccessful.

Now the Knud Rasmussen, a Danish Navy ship, was headed to The Ocean Explorer for assistance.

"The crew in Knud Rasmussen is doing their best to get there as soon as possible. Due to the weather in the area where Knud Rasmussen is, the ship has had to slow down a bit," Joint Arctic Command said in a statement Wednesday.

The U.S. State Department confirmed there were "several" Americans onboard the cruise ship, but did not have further details.

"Our staff in Greenland and Denmark, as well as here in the United States, are in contact with local authorities and other partner organizations," a State Department spokesperson said in a statement.

The cruise ship -- belonging to Ulstein Group in Ulsteinvik, southern Norway -- had its maiden voyage only two years ago in 2021, according to AE Expeditions. It features a gym, jacuzzi and off-boat excursions and offers state-of-the-art amenities and “maximum passenger comfort," according to its website.

PHOTO: View of the Ocean Explorer, a luxury cruise ship carrying 206 people that ran aground, in Alpefjord, Greenland, Sept. 12, 2023.

“Accommodating just 134 expeditioners, the Ocean Explorer was purpose-built for expedition travel to the world’s most remote destinations. This small ship is outfitted with the latest cutting-edge technology, sustainability and navigation capabilities,” AE Expeditions says on its website detailing the vessel.

MORE: Search suspended for man overboard on cruise ship hundreds of miles away from Hawaii

Meanwhile, authorities have been in contact with another cruise ship in the area and it had been asked to remain nearby to assist should the situation develop, according to AP, and rescue efforts are currently underway on multiple fronts.

"The most important thing for us is that everyone gets to safety," Jensen told the AP.

The National Park is so remote that only a limited number of people get the chance to visit each year, according to Greenland's tourist board, and more people summit Mount Everest every year than there are visitors in The Northeast Greenland National Park.

ABC News' Shannon Crawford contributed to this report.

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Stranded luxury cruise ship MV Ocean Explorer is pulled free at high tide in Greenland

Greenland ship aground.

COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) — The luxury cruise ship MV Ocean Explorer was successfully pulled free on Thursday, three days after running aground in Greenland with 206 people on board, authorities and the ship's owner said.

The ship was freed by a fisheries research vessel at high tide, said the cruise ship's owner, Copenhagen-based SunStone Ships, and the Joint Arctic Command, which coordinated the operation.

"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. The research vessel which pulled the cruise ship belongs to the Greenland Institute of Natural Resources, a government agency, it said.

It said the cruise ship and its passengers will now travel to a port where the damage to the vessel’s bottom can be assessed, and the passengers will be taken to a location from where they can be flown home. There was no immediate comment from the tour company that organized the trip, Australia-based Aurora Expeditions.

The cruise ship ran aground Monday above the Arctic Circle in Alpefjord in Northeast Greenland National Park, the world’s northernmost national park. The park is nearly the size of France and Spain combined, and approximately 80% is covered by an ice sheet . 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.

The Bahamas-flagged cruise ship has passengers from Australia, New Zealand, South Korea, the United Kingdom and the United States. It has an inverted bow, shaped like the one on a submarine, 77 cabins, 151 passenger beds and 99 beds for crew, and several restaurants.

Earlier Thursday, Aurora Expeditions said three passengers had COVID-19.

“These passengers are currently in isolation. They are looked after by our onboard doctor, medical team and crew, and they are doing well,” it said in a statement. Others on the MV Ocean Explorer are “safe and healthy,” it said.

Australian newspaper The Sydney Morning Herald quoted a retiree from Australia who is on the ship, Steven Fraser, as saying: “Everyone’s in good spirits. It’s a little bit frustrating, but we are in a beautiful part of the world.”

Fraser told the newspaper that he had come down with COVID-19 on the ship.

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.

“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.”

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.”

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.

Danish broadcaster DR said there were 400 cruises in Greenland in 2022 and 600 cruises in 2023.

The Danish Maritime Authority asked police in Greenland to investigate why the ship ran aground and whether any laws had been violated, a police statement said, adding that no one has been charged or arrested. An officer has been on board the ship to carry out “initial investigative steps, which, among other things, involve questioning the crew and other relevant persons on board,” it said.

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.

The primary mission of the Joint Arctic Command is to ensure Danish sovereignty by monitoring the area around the Faeroe 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 Faeroe Islands.

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Luxury cruise ship that ran aground in Greenland is freed after three days

Cruise ship floating in water with mountains in the background

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The luxury cruise ship MV Ocean Explorer was “successfully” pulled free in Greenland on Thursday, three days after running aground with 206 people on board, authorities and the ship’s owner said.

The ship was freed by a fisheries research vessel at high tide, said the cruise ship’s owner, Copenhagen-based SunStone Ships, and the Danish Joint Arctic Command, which had been coordinating the operation .

“There have not been any injuries to anybody on board, no pollution of the environment and no breach of the hull,” SunStone Ships said in a statement. The research vessel that pulled the cruise ship belongs to the Greenland Institute of Natural Resources, a government agency, it said.

It said the cruise ship and its passengers will travel to a port where the damage to the vessel’s bottom can be assessed, and the passengers will be taken to a location from where they can be flown home. There was no immediate comment from the tour company that organized the trip, Australia-based Aurora Expeditions.

The cruise ship ran aground above the Arctic Circle on Monday in Alpefjord, which is in Northeast Greenland National Park. The park encompasses almost as much land as France and Spain combined, and about 80% is permanently covered by an ice sheet . Alpefjord sits about 150 miles away from the closest settlement, Ittoqqortoormiit, which itself is nearly 870 miles from the country’s capital, Nuuk.

The Bahamas-flagged cruise ship has passengers from Australia, New Zealand, South Korea, Britain and the U.S. It has an inverted bow, shaped like the one on a submarine. It has 77 cabins, 151 passenger beds and 99 beds for crew, and several restaurants.

This Aug. 16, 2010, image provided by NASA Earth Observatory shows a piece of the Petermann Glacier that cracked in Greenland. A study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences on Monday, May 8, 2023, found that tides and climate change are rapidly melting ice in the grounding line zone of the Petermann Glacier. That’s the point where glaciers go from being on land to floating on water. (Jesse Allen and Robert Simmon/NASA Earth Observatory via AP)

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Earlier Thursday, Aurora Expeditions said that three passengers had COVID-19.

“These passengers are currently in isolation. They are looked after by our onboard doctor, medical team and crew, and they are doing well,” Aurora Expeditions said in a statement. The others on the MV Ocean Explorer are “safe and healthy,” it added.

The Sydney Morning Herald quoted a retired Australian couple, Steven Fraser and Gina Hill, as saying there were “a lot of wealthy older people” on board.

“Everyone’s in good spirits. It’s a little bit frustrating, but we are in a beautiful part of the world,” Fraser told the paper, adding that he himself had come down with COVID-19 on the ship.

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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.

“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.”

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.”

Dozens of cruise ships sail along Greenland’s coast every year for passengers to admire the picturesque, sometimes-barren mountainous landscape, with fjords and waterways packed with icebergs of different sizes and glaciers jutting out into the sea.

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Danish broadcaster DR said that there were 400 cruises in Greenland in 2022 and 600 cruises in 2023.

The Danish Maritime Authority asked police in Greenland to investigate why the ship ran aground and whether any laws had been violated. So far, no one has been charged or arrested. According to the daily, citing a police statement, an officer had been on board the cruise ship to carry out “initial investigative steps, which, among other things, involve questioning the crew and other relevant persons on board.”

The cruise liner began its latest trip Sept. 2 in Kirkenes, in Arctic Norway, and was due to return to Bergen, Norway, on Sept. 22, according to SunStone Ships.

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.

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Cruise ship Ocean Explorer may be stranded in Arctic for days after running aground

A view from the air of the blue and white coloured Ocean Explorer

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Richard Milne , Nordic and Baltic Correspondent

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A Danish rescue boat could take more than three days to rescue a cruise ship that has run aground off the coast of Greenland, underscoring the environmental risks from the growing popularity of Arctic tourism.

Ocean Explorer, a cruise ship with 206 people on board, became stuck in Alpefjord off Greenland’s remote east coast on Monday, and a high tide on Tuesday failed to free the vessel.

Joint Arctic Command, the Danish military unit responsible for protecting Greenland , said that if the weather remained fine, the nearest rescue boat — which was 2,200km away when the incident occurred — could reach the cruise ship by Friday at the earliest.

Greenland is an autonomous part of Denmark and depends on Copenhagen for defence and foreign policy.

Danish authorities said nobody was injured on board the Ocean Explorer, and that weather conditions were at present “favourable”. They have asked another cruise ship to remain in the area to offer assistance if needed, while the Icelandic coastguard may also help out.

GM140905_23X Greenland MAP

Arctic experts have long been worried about the possibility of an accident involving a cruise, both in terms of the vast distances involved in any rescue and the burden it could place on limited local health and transport infrastructure.

Cruises to Greenland, Iceland, the Svalbard archipelago off the north coast of Norway and other parts of the Arctic — as well as the Antarctic — are becoming increasingly popular.

In 2019, a larger cruise ship, the Viking Sky, ran into trouble off the west coast of Norway, well below the Arctic Circle, with six rescue helicopters making 30 trips to the vessel.

Peter Holst-Andersen, head of the Arctic Council’s Emergency Prevention, Preparedness and Response Working Group, said afterwards that the Viking Sky incident was a severe warning for the Arctic region.

“It happened in a densely populated area with a lot of rescue capabilities relatively close to the ship. Had a similar disaster happened in most other places in the Arctic the result would most likely have been catastrophic,” he said in 2019.

He added: “No one would have had sufficient resources to react so effectively and promptly in the high north.”

The Arctic is the most rapidly warming region of the world and tourists are flocking there to see the fragile, icy landscape and its wildlife.

Ocean Explorer is operated by Australian company Aurora Expeditions, which is advertising a “Jewels of the Arctic” 14-day cruise that costs from A$22,000 to A$42,000 per person (US$14,000 to US$27,000).

“All passengers, the expedition team and crew on board are safe and well. Importantly, there is no immediate danger to themselves, the vessel, or the surrounding environment,” Aurora said in a statement.

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Stranded cruise ship the Ocean Explorer freed three days after running aground in Greenland

The ship, which has passengers from around the world on board, was pulled free from mud and silt by a fishing vessel.

Thursday 14 September 2023 14:04, UK

Ocean Explorer. Pic: AP

A luxury cruise ship has been freed after it ran aground in northwestern Greenland.

The Ocean Explorer - which has 206 passengers on board - got stuck in mud and silt on Monday in Alpefjord, a national park 870 miles (1,400km) northeast of Greenland's capital Nuuk, the Danish military's Joint Arctic Command (JAC) said.

After three failed attempts to free the ship, it was "successfully" pulled free by a fishing vessel, Tarajoq, at high tide.

SunStone Ships, the vessel's owner, said the ship will be taken to a port to assess any damage, while the passengers will be flown home.

"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.

Ocean Explorer. Pic: AP

Before the rescue, the JAC had sent its larger inspection vessel, Knud Rasmussen, to the site, which was expected to arrive on Friday evening .

'Everyone's in good spirits'

The Ocean Explorer, which is operated by Australia-based Aurora Expeditions, left the Norwegian port of Bronnoysund on 6 September, according to tracking data from MarineTraffic.com.

The ship has 77 cabins, 151 passenger beds and 99 beds for crew.

There are also several restaurants, an infinity pool and a two-level lounge with a piano bar and panoramic windows at the bow of the ship, according to Ulstein, the company that built it.

Pic: Copernicus EU

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Some of those on board are from Australia, UK, New Zealand, US and South Korea, and were described by passengers Steven Fraser and Gina Hill as "a lot of wealthy older people".

Ship tracking data

Earlier on Thursday, the retired couple from Australia told the Sydney Morning Herald that "everyone's in good spirits".

"It's a little bit frustrating, but we are in a beautiful part of the world," Mr Fraser was quoted as saying.

Mr Fraser said he was one of a number of passengers who had tested positive for COVID, but there is a doctor on board.

Ocean Explorer. Pic: AP

Lisa, another passenger, told CNN that her biggest fear at the moment is running out of alcohol, but if the worst did happen, she had a back-up plan.

"I had swimming lessons before I came and I'm a good swimmer," she said.

"So look out: I could be swimming back to Iceland."

Ocean Explorer. Pic: AP

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cruise ship runs aground in iceland

Members of the Sirius Dog Sled Patrol - a Danish naval unit that conducts long-range reconnaissance and enforces Danish sovereignty in the Arctic wilderness - were in the vicinity of the stranded ship.

They visited on Tuesday and reported that everyone on board was fine and no damage to the vessel had been reported.

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A fish trawler's attempt to free a luxury cruise ship that ran aground two days ago in a remote part of Greenland has failed, leaving the vessel and the 206 people on board still stranded, Denmark's armed forces said on Wednesday.

The Ocean Explorer has since Monday been stuck in mud and silt in the Alpefjord national park, some 1,400 kilometres northeast of Greenland's capital Nuuk, the Danish military's Joint Arctic Command (JAC) said.

The large trawler sought to pull the cruise ship free during Wednesday's high tide, but the attempt ultimately failed, the JAC said in a statement.

Armed forces personnel stationed in Greenland have inspected the Ocean Explorer and spoken to those on board, concluding that they were in good condition.

"The crew and passengers are in a difficult situation, but under the circumstances the atmosphere on the ship is good and everyone on board is doing well," the JAC said.

The Danish navy's Knud Rasmussen patrol vessel was expected to arrive at the Alpefjord site on Friday afternoon, the JAC said.

"If everything goes well, they will help the ship get out of this emergency that they're in at this moment. But it depends on how everything looks when they arrive on Friday so we need to see how it goes," a JAC spokesperson said.

The passengers and crew remained safe on board, Australian cruise operator Aurora Expeditions said earlier.

"There is no immediate danger to themselves, the vessel or the surrounding environment," Sydney-based Aurora said in a statement.

Photos taken by the Danish military showed the Ocean Explorer sitting upright in calm waters with the sun shining.

Earlier, Capt. Flemming Madsen of the Danish Joint Arctic Command told The Associated Press that the passengers and crew on the ship stranded in northwestern Greenland were doing fine and "all I can say is that they got a lifetime experience."

The Ocean Explorer's crew made two failed attempts to get the ship to float free on its own during high tide.

Dozens of cruise ships sail along Greenland's coast every year so passengers can admire the picturesque mountainous landscape with fjords, musk oxen, and the waterways packed with icebergs of different sizes and glaciers jutting out into the sea.

Madsen, of Denmark's Joint Arctic Command, said the passengers on the Ocean Explorer were "a mix" of tourists from Australia, New Zealand, Britain, the United States and South Korea.

Greenland is a semi-independent territory that is part of the Danish realm, as are the Faeroe Islands.

The boat in the middle of the water prior to the incident.

The weather in the region Wednesday featured sun, a clear blue sky and a temperature around 5 C, according to the Danish Meteorological Institute.

The Ocean Explorer was built in 2021 and is owned by Copenhagen SunStone Ships, which is part of Denmark's SunStone Group. It has an inverted bow, shaped like the one on a submarine. It has 77 cabins, 151 passenger beds and 99 beds for crew, and several restaurants, according to the Sunstone Group website.

The Joint Arctic Command said there were other ships in the vicinity of the stranded cruise liner and "if the need arises, personnel from the Sirius Dog Sled Patrol can be at the accident site within an hour and a half."

On Tuesday, members of the Sirius Dog Sled Patrol, a Danish naval unit that conducts long-range reconnaissance and enforces Danish sovereignty in the Arctic wilderness, visited the passengers and explained the situation, "which calmed them down as some were anxious," Madsen, who was the on-duty officer for the Joint Arctic Command, said.

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The command, which was coordinating the operation to free the cruise ship, said the nearest Danish navy ship was about 2,000 kilometres away. It was heading to the site and could be expected to reach the grounded ship as soon as Friday.

The primary mission of the Joint Arctic Command is to ensure Danish sovereignty by monitoring the area around the Faeroe Islands and Greenland, including the Arctic Ocean in the north.

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Expedition cruise ship carrying 206 freed after running aground in Greenland

cruise ship runs aground in iceland

An expedition cruise ship that got stuck in a remote part of Greenland with hundreds of people on board was freed Thursday.

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 .

The vessel ran aground earlier this week in Alpefjord in the Northeast Greenland National Park. The tide previously failed to free the ship, the Joint Arctic Command said on Tuesday.

Operator Aurora Expeditions said that all on board are safe and there is no environmental damage. "We are waiting on the relevant authorities for advice regarding our next steps," the company said in an emailed statement.

"We would like to extend our deepest gratitude to the management and team of the Tarajoq vessel, for assisting us during this challenging time, and our team who have worked tirelessly to ensure the safety and comfort of our passengers," the statement continued. "We also sincerely appreciate the patience and understanding of our passengers during this process. We remain committed to assisting them as the situation progresses."

Photos shared by Joint Arctic Command on Facebook earlier in the week showed the ship – which is carrying 206 passengers and crew members – on calm water in sunny weather conditions. Officials said there is no evidence the ship had suffered serious damage as a result of the grounding.

Cruise ship medical facilities: What happens if you get sick or injured (or bitten by a monkey)

Denmark’s Danish Maritime Authority has asked police in Greenland to investigate why the ship ran aground and whether any laws had been violated, a police statement said, adding that no one has been charged or arrested. An officer had been on board the ship to carry out “initial investigative steps, which, among other things, involve questioning the crew and other relevant persons on board,” it 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.

Contributing: The Associated Press

Nathan Diller is a consumer travel reporter for USA TODAY based in Nashville. You can reach him at [email protected].

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Luxury cruise ship charging $33k per person stranded in freezing arctic.

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Fjord-gaddeboudit!

A luxury cruise ship that charged passengers $33,000 has run aground in a remote area of Greenland — and will be stranded for days in the freezing Arctic waiting for help to arrive, according to reports.

Aurora Expeditions’ Ocean Explorer, an Australia-based cruise operator carrying 206 passengers and crew, got stuck Monday while navigating through Alpefjord in Northeast Greenland National Park, the world’s northernmost park situated between two glaciers.

To make matters worse, several cases of COVID have been reported on board among the mostly elderly passengers, most of whom are Australian, according to The Sydney Morning Herald.

“We do have a couple of cases of COVID, but there’s a doctor on board,” Steven Fraser told the outlet, adding he contracted the virus aboard the ship.

Fraser, a retired Aussie traveling with his wife, and the rest of the passengers may have to wait several more days before being rescued.

The earliest a vessel can reach the Ocean Explorer is Friday morning, according to Danish authorities.

Representatives for Aurora Expeditions did not immediately respond to The Post’s request for comment.

Ocean Explorer, a cruise ship operated by Aurora Expeditions, was 11 days into a month-long voyage when it grounded in a remote area of Northeast Greenland National Park on Monday afternoon.

The three-week cruise left on Sept. 1 and was slated to return to port on Sept. 22.

Aurora Expeditions, which specializes in polar trips , touts the Ocean Explorer as a 342-foot Nordic vessel with 10 different types of suites and staterooms, each spanning anywhere from 122 to 600 square feet, as well as a gym, wellness center and spa, glass atrium and observation deck.

The ship, which was completed in 2021, was “purpose-built for expedition travel to the world’s most remote destinations” that’s “outfitted with the latest cutting-edge technology.”

“It’s a cruise that a lot of wealthy older people do because they can get out into these wilderness areas,” Fraser told the Australian news site.

Denmark’s Joint Arctic Command (JAC) said that its closest inspection vessel, Knud Rasmussen, could get to Ocean Explorer by Friday morning.

The Ocean Explorer hasn’t been able to free itself since it ran aground around nearly 900 miles from Greenland’s capital, Nuuk.

As of Tuesday morning, Arctic Command’s closest inspection vessel, Knud Rasmussen, was 1,200 nautical miles (1,381 land-measured miles) from the cruise ship, JAC said.

Denmark’s Joint Arctic Command (JAC) said in a statement that no one on board has been injured, and the ship hasn’t sustained any damage, according to Arctic Command Commander Captain Brian Jensen.

Jensen said it’s possible that Ocean Explorer could free itself once the tide becomes high.

The stranded ship was reportedly built to withstand Greenland's unforgiving polar conditions. However, it hasn't been able to free itself from the ocean floor in Alpefjord's waters, which is situated between two glaciers.

JAC shared another update on Wednesday morning confirming that Ocean Explorer is still stuck, though “the atmosphere on the ship is good and everyone on board is fine.”

Fraser, one of 90 Australians aboard, told The Morning Herald that the crew had already attempted to lighten the ship and dig itself out from the ocean floor, which is a mix of sediment, sand and silt left by a nearby glacier.

“They’ve offloaded the anchor … and they’ve taken the lifeboats, so they’re floating in the water but they’re still attached to the boat, just to try and lighten the load a bit,” Fraser told The Morning Herald.

Aurora Expeditions charges passengers nearly $40,000 for its month-long cruises. Tickets for an upcoming 12-day voyage to Antarctica will run travelers $13,395 each.

On Aurora Expeditions’ website, 30-day cruises will run passengers as much as $38,895 per person.

It’s next voyage, a 12-day trip set to depart from Argentina on Oct. 30 and travel throughout Antarctica, costs $13,395 per passenger.

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Ocean Explorer, a cruise ship operated by Aurora Expeditions, was 11 days into a month-long voyage when it grounded in a remote area of Northeast Greenland National Park on Monday afternoon.

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Business | Cruise ship that charges $33,000 per person is stuck in Greenland’s Arctic

The ocean explorer became stuck at about noon on monday roughly 870 miles northeast of greenland’s capital..

cruise ship runs aground in iceland

A luxury cruise ship carrying more than 200 people — primarily Australians — is stuck in remote northeastern Greenland after two failed attempts to free it from the muddy seabed.

The Ocean Explorer became stuck at about noon on Monday in the Alpefjord, roughly 870 miles (1,400 kilometers) northeast of Greenland’s capital, Nuuk. The closest vessel available to help with rescue efforts is only expected to reach the scene on Friday.

Troops from Denmark’s Arctic Special Forces elite unit Sirius, which patrols the vast area by dog sled, have now visited the ship and confirmed that all passengers are safe, Denmark’s military’s Joint Arctic Command said on Wednesday. In neighboring Iceland, the coast guard is on standby with a vessel if needed, local authorities said.

A couple of people on board the ship have tested positive for Covid-19 and have isolated, the Sydney Morning Herald reported, citing passengers at the ship. No one is in a serious condition, the people told the newspaper. The Joint Arctic Command didn’t comment on the report.

The ship has at least twice tried to use high tide to float clear, but the mud — a mix of sediment, sand and silt left by a nearby glacier — is creating a strong suction that’s holding it in place. A nearby fishing ship may attempt to help the cruise ship at the next tide, the Associated Press reported on Wednesday.

The Joint Arctic Command has also told another cruise ship in the vicinity of the Ocean Explorer to stay in the area in case the situation escalates. A Danish naval ship already at sea off the coast of southwest Greenland has been diverted and should reach the area by Friday morning.

“The crew and passengers are in a difficult situation, but given the circumstances, the atmosphere on the ship is good and everyone on board is doing well,” the Joint Arctic Command said in its statement, citing reports from the Sirius troops. The patrol will stay on land in the area so they can reach the ship within 90 minutes.

An aerial photo shows the Ocean Explorer, a Bahamas-flagged Norwegian cruise ship with 206 passengers and crew, which has run aground in northwestern Greenland, on Tuesday, Sept. 12, 2023. The 104.4-meter (343-foot) long and 18-meter (60 foot) wide Ocean Explorer ran aground on Monday in Alpefjord in the Northeast Greenland National Park. It's the world's largest and most northerly national park and is known for icebergs and the musk oxen that roam the coast. According to authorities no one on board was in danger and no damage has been reported. (Danish Air Force/Joint Arctic Command via AP)

The passengers and crew on board number 206, according to the command, and local media in Greenland have reported that about 170 are paying passengers, with rest making up the crew.

The ship is stuck offshore Greenland’s national park, the world’s largest, covering 972,000 square kilometers (375,000 square miles). It’s a protected area with animals including polar bears, musk oxen and walrus. There are no human inhabitants except for workers at weather stations and the small unit of Denmark’s Arctic Special Forces.

Greenland has extensive home rule but is part of the Kingdom of Denmark.

“All passengers, the expedition team and crew onboard are safe and well,” Aurora Expeditions, the ship’s Sydney-based operator, said in a statement. “Importantly, there is no immediate danger to themselves, the vessel, or the surrounding environment.”

Aurora Expeditions specializes in polar trips, including a 30-day cruise costing more than $33,000 per person for viewing wildlife, including polar bears, beluga whales and walruses, according to its website.

Greenland, like many Arctic countries, is becoming increasingly concerned about the logistics of mounting expensive rescue operations in remote areas.

The number of cruise ships around the world’s largest island has jumped 50% in the past year to 600, Brian Jensen of the Joint Arctic Command said by phone. Last year, the Joint Arctic Command did one medical evacuation and so far this year it has done five, he said.

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Over 200 people are stuck in a remote part of Greenland after their luxury cruise ship ran aground. Their rescuers in the Arctic say the 'nearest help is far away.'

  • Aurora Expeditions' Ocean Explorer cruise ship is stuck in Greenland after running aground.
  • The luxury cruise was carrying 206 passengers when it was grounded.
  • Denmark's Joint Arctic Command said the earliest its closest ship can arrive is Friday.

Insider Today

A luxury cruise carrying 206 passengers is now stuck in a remote part of Greenland, an autonomous Danish territory, after it ran aground.

"On Monday afternoon West Greenlandic time, the Arctic Command received a message that the cruise ship Ocean Explorer was grounded in the Alpefjord in Northeast Greenland, and that the ship is not immediately able to be freed by its own help," Denmark's Joint Arctic Command said in a statement on Tuesday.

Brian Jensen, the head of operations for the Joint Arctic Command, said in the statement that the situation "is of course worrisome."

"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."

"Of course, we are following the situation closely and take this incident very seriously," he continued.

According to the Joint Arctic Command's statement on Tuesday morning, their closest ship, the inspection vessel Knud Rasmussen, is approximately 1,200 nautical miles away from the Ocean Explorer.

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The Joint Arctic Command said the earliest the Knud Rasmussen might reach the Ocean Explorer is Friday morning local time.

Satellite view of the Ocean Explorer – the cruise ship aground in the Alpefjord (East Greenland) with 206 people on board – as seen by @CopernicusEU Sentinel-2 yesterday. Not a very friendly place to be stuck at, but the good news is that the fjord is largely free of icebergs. pic.twitter.com/HV7KwiPvzS — Bert Wouters (@bert_polar) September 12, 2023

The Joint Arctic Command said it has asked a nearby cruise ship to remain in the area to provide assistance in case the situation changes.

Jensen also outlined a few scenarios in which the Ocean Explorer could be dislodged.

"They can either try to get out on their own help when the tide becomes high, they can get help from a nearby cruise ship, they can get assistance from Knud Rasmussen, or they can get help of one of our collaborators," Jensen said.

But the Joint Arctic Command also noted in a subsequent statement that the Ocean Explorer was still stuck after a tide came in.

A representative for Aurora Expeditions, the cruise ship's operator, told Insider that everyone on board the vessel was safe and well.

"We are actively engaged in efforts to free the MV Ocean Explorer, from its grounding," the representative said. "Our foremost commitment is to ensure the vessel's recovery without compromising safety."

Representatives for the Joint Arctic Command did not immediately respond to requests for comment from Insider sent outside regular business hours.

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Luxury cruise ship carrying 206 people runs aground in remote Greenland

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Cruise ship that touts its "navigation capabilities" runs aground in Greenland with more than 200 onboard

By Li Cohen

September 13, 2023 / 9:04 AM EDT / CBS News

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." 

But on Tuesday, it ran aground in a national park in northeast Greenland . 

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. According to Greenland travel site Visit Greenland , the remote area is an area considered an " Arctic Desert " because annual rainfall is so low. 

There was no damage to the vessel that could cause a risk to the environment. 

"A cruise ship in trouble in the National Park is of course worrisome," Arctic Command Commander Capt. Brian Jensen said in a statement, adding, however, that the units available to help were not able to do so immediately and that the weather in the area can be "unfavorable," according to a translation. "... In the specific situation, however, we do not see acute danger to human life or the environment, which is reassuring." 

378714906-682395853916462-4061919892768433527-n.jpg

The closest ship available to help the vessel can be there no sooner than Friday morning, assuming the weather holds up, the command said, but officials said they were in contact with another cruise ship to standby should they be needed. 

As of Wednesday morning Eastern time, the cruise ship was still grounded, officials said.

The Ocean Explorer is among an "award-winning Infinity-class of vessels," according to Aurora Expeditions , which offers excursions on the vessel. According to the company, the Ocean Explorer is meant to accommodate 134 expeditioners. The Joint Arctic Command says that when they came across the vessel, there were 206 people onboard. 

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. 

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 atmosphere on the ship is good and everyone on board is fine," the Joint Arctic Command said on Facebook . 

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Li Cohen is a senior social media producer at CBS News. She previously wrote for amNewYork and The Seminole Tribune. She mainly covers climate, environmental and weather news.

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Luxury cruise ship stranded in Greenland with Covid-positive passengers is finally pulled free

cruise ship runs aground in iceland

COPENHAGEN, Denmark — The luxury cruise ship MV Ocean Explorer was successfully pulled free on Thursday, three days after running aground in Greenland with 206 people on board, authorities and the ship’s owner said.

The ship was freed by a fisheries research vessel at high tide, said the cruise ship’s owner, Copenhagen-based SunStone Ships, and the Joint Arctic Command, which coordinated the operation.

“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. The research vessel which pulled the cruise ship belongs to the Greenland Institute of Natural Resources, a government agency, it said.

It said the cruise ship and its passengers will now travel to a port where the damage to the vessel’s bottom can be assessed, and the passengers will be taken to a location from where they can be flown home. There was no immediate comment from the tour company that organized the trip, Australia-based Aurora Expeditions.

The cruise ship ran aground Monday above the Arctic Circle  in Alpefjord  in Northeast Greenland National Park, the world’s northernmost national park. The park is nearly the size of France and Spain combined, and approximately 80% is covered by  an ice sheet . 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.

The Bahamas-flagged cruise ship has passengers from Australia, New Zealand, South Korea, the United Kingdom and the United States. It has an inverted bow, shaped like the one on a submarine, 77 cabins, 151 passenger beds and 99 beds for crew, and several restaurants.

The ship was freed later on the same day by the Tarajoq, a fisheries research vessel at high tide, said the cruise ship's owner, Copenhagen-based SunStone Ships, and the Joint Arctic Command, which coordinated the operation.

Earlier Thursday, Aurora Expeditions said three passengers had Covid-19.

“These passengers are currently in isolation. They are looked after by our onboard doctor, medical team and crew, and they are doing well,” it said in a statement. Others on the MV Ocean Explorer are “safe and healthy,” it said.

Australian newspaper The Sydney Morning Herald quoted a retiree from Australia who is on the ship, Steven Fraser, as saying: “Everyone’s in good spirits. It’s a little bit frustrating, but we are in a beautiful part of the world.”

Fraser told the newspaper that he had come down with Covid-19 on the ship.

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.

“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.”

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.”

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.

Danish broadcaster DR said there were 400 cruises in Greenland in 2022 and 600 cruises in 2023.

The Danish Maritime Authority asked police in Greenland to investigate why the ship ran aground and whether any laws had been violated, a police statement said, adding that no one has been charged or arrested. An officer has been on board the ship to carry out “initial investigative steps, which, among other things, involve questioning the crew and other relevant persons on board,” it said.

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.

The primary mission of the Joint Arctic Command is to ensure Danish sovereignty by monitoring the area around the Faeroe 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 Faeroe Islands.

cruise ship runs aground in iceland

The Associated Press

NBC New York

Norwegian cruise ship with 206 people onboard runs aground in Greenland

The ship has made two failed attempts to float free on its own when the tide is high., by jan m. olsen | associated press • published september 13, 2023 • updated on september 13, 2023 at 10:12 am.

Authorities said Wednesday that a fishery vessel will attempt to use the high tide to pull free a Bahamas-flagged Norwegian cruise ship carrying 206 people that ran aground in northwestern Greenland .

Capt. Flemming Madsen from the Danish Joint Arctic Command told The Associated Press that those on board were doing fine and ”all I can say is that they got a lifetime experience.”

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A scientific fishing vessel owned by the Greenland government was scheduled to arrive later Wednesday and together with the high tide would attempt to pull the 104.4-meter (343-foot) long and 18-meter (60 foot) wide MV Ocean Explorer free.

The cruise ship, 104.4 meters (343 feet) long and 18 meters (60 feet) wide, ran aground on Monday in Alpefjord in the Northeast Greenland National Park — the world’s largest and most northerly national park, known for icebergs and the musk oxen that roam the coast.

The Alpefjord sits in a remote corner of Greenland, some 240 kilometers (149 miles) away from the closest settlement, Ittoqqortoormiit which is nearly 1,400 kilometers (870 miles) from Nuuk, the Greenland capital, and across from the ice sheet that covers the world’s largest island.

Dozens of cruise ships sail along Greenland’s coast every year so that passengers can admire the picturesque mountainous landscape with fjords, the waterways packed with icebergs of different sizes and glaciers jutting out into the sea.

Get Tri-state area news and weather forecasts to your inbox. Sign up for NBC New York newsletters.

In a statement, Australia-based Aurora Expeditions which operates the ship, said that all passengers and and crew onboard were safe and well and that there was “no immediate danger to themselves, the vessel, or the surrounding environment.”

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“We are actively engaged in efforts to free the MV Ocean Explorer from its grounding. Our foremost commitment is to ensure the vessel’s recovery without compromising safety," the statement said.

Madsen said the passengers were “a mix” of tourists from Australia, New Zealand, Britain, the United States and South Korea.

The people onboard “are in a difficult situation, but given the circumstances, the atmosphere on the ship is good and everyone on board is doing well. There are no signs that the ship was seriously damaged by the grounding,” the Joint Arctic Command said Wednesday.

On Tuesday, members of the Sirius Dog Sled Patrol, a Danish naval unit that conducts long-range reconnaissance and enforces Danish sovereignty in the Arctic wilderness, paid them a visit and explained the situation “which calmed them down as some were anxious,” said Madsen who was the on-duty officer with the Joint Arctic Command.

Greenland is a semi-independent territory that is part of the Danish realm, as are the Faeroe Islands.

The Joint Arctic Command said Wednesday that there were other ships in the vicinity of the stranded cruise liner and “if the need arises, personnel from the Sirius Dog Sled Patrol can be at the accident site within an hour and a half.”

The command said the nearest Danish navy ship, the patrol ship Knud Rasmussen, was about 1,200 nautical miles (more than 2,000 kilometers or 1,380 miles) away. It was heading to the site and could be expected to reach the grounded ship as soon as Friday.

The primary mission of the Joint Arctic Command is to ensure Danish sovereignty by monitoring the area around the Faeroe Islands and Greenland.

Based in Nuuk, the command oversees the waters around the Faeroe Islands in the east and the sea around Greenland, including Arctic Ocean in the north, and has three larger patrol ships of the Knud Rasmussen class that have a landing platform for helicopters, although the ships do not have choppers.

The ships’ tasks include fisheries inspections, environment protection, search and rescue, sovereignty enforcement, icebreaking, towage and salvage operations and carry out police tasks.

cruise ship runs aground in iceland

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A luxury cruise ship is pulled free 3 days after running aground in Greenland

  • The Associated Press

caption: The Ocean Explorer, a Bahamas-flagged Norwegian cruise ship with 206 passengers and crew, which had run aground in northwestern Greenland, is pictured on Tuesday

COPENHAGEN, Denmark — The luxury cruise ship MV Ocean Explorer was successfully pulled free on Thursday, three days after running aground in Greenland with 206 people on board, authorities and the ship's owner said.

The ship was freed by a fisheries research vessel at high tide, said the cruise ship's owner, Copenhagen-based SunStone Ships, and the Joint Arctic Command, which coordinated the operation.

"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. The research vessel which pulled the cruise ship belongs to the Greenland Institute of Natural Resources, a government agency, it said.

It said the cruise ship and its passengers will now travel to a port where the damage to the vessel's bottom can be assessed, and the passengers will be taken to a location from where they can be flown home. There was no immediate comment from the tour company that organized the trip, Australia-based Aurora Expeditions.

The cruise ship ran aground Monday above the Arctic Circle in Alpefjord in Northeast Greenland National Park, the world's northernmost national park. The park is nearly the size of France and Spain combined, and approximately 80% is covered by an ice sheet. 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.

cruise ship runs aground in iceland

The Bahamas-flagged cruise ship has passengers from Australia, New Zealand, South Korea, the United Kingdom and the United States. It has an inverted bow, shaped like the one on a submarine, 77 cabins, 151 passenger beds and 99 beds for crew, and several restaurants.

Earlier Thursday, Aurora Expeditions said three passengers had COVID-19.

"These passengers are currently in isolation. They are looked after by our onboard doctor, medical team and crew, and they are doing well," it said in a statement. Others on the MV Ocean Explorer are "safe and healthy," it said.

Australian newspaper The Sydney Morning Herald quoted a retiree from Australia who is on the ship, Steven Fraser, as saying: "Everyone's in good spirits. It's a little bit frustrating, but we are in a beautiful part of the world."

Fraser told the newspaper that he had come down with COVID-19 on the ship.

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.

"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."

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."

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.

Danish broadcaster DR said there were 400 cruises in Greenland in 2022 and 600 cruises in 2023.

The Danish Maritime Authority asked police in Greenland to investigate why the ship ran aground and whether any laws had been violated, a police statement said, adding that no one has been charged or arrested. An officer has been on board the ship to carry out "initial investigative steps, which, among other things, involve questioning the crew and other relevant persons on board," it said.

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.

The primary mission of the Joint Arctic Command is to ensure Danish sovereignty by monitoring the area around the Faeroe 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 Faeroe Islands. [Copyright 2023 NPR]

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Luxury Cruise Ship Carrying 206 People Runs Aground in Remote Greenland

COPENHAGEN (Reuters) -A luxury cruise ship carrying 206 people has run aground in remote eastern Greenland with the nearest help by sea days away, the Danish military's Joint Arctic Command (JAC) said on Tuesday.

The Ocean Explorer ran aground on Monday in Alpefjord in a national park some 1,400 km (870 miles) northeast of Greenland's capital Nuuk, the JAC said in a statement.

There were no reports of injuries, JAC said.

"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.

"However, in this specific situation, we do not see any immediate danger to human life or the environment, which is reassuring," he added.

A spokesperson for Australian cruise operator Aurora Expeditions said in an emailed statement everyone on board was safe and well.

The JAC said its nearest unit was an inspection vessel some 1,200 nautical miles away at the time of the incident, meaning it could reach the grounded ship by Friday morning local time at the earliest.

The Arctic command said it had asked a cruise ship located nearer to the Ocean Explorer to stay in the area so that it would be able to assist in case the situation changes.

Completed in 2021, the Ocean Explorer can accommodate up to 134 passengers and offers trips to "some of the most wild and remote destinations on the planet", Aurora Expeditions said on its website.

(Reporting by Louise Breusch Rasmussen, editing by Terje Solsvik and Nick Macfie)

Copyright 2023 Thomson Reuters .

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Stromness (Orkney Island Scotland)

Cruise port schedule, live map, terminals, news.

Stromness cruise port

Region Ireland - UK - British Isles

Local Time 2024-06-08 07:23

Port Stromness cruise ship schedule shows timetable calendars of all arrival and departure dates by month. The port's schedule lists all ships (in links) with cruises going to or leaving from Stromness, Orkney Island Scotland. To see the full itineraries (ports of call dates and arrival / departure times) and their lowest rates – just follow the corresponding ship-link.

Stromness is a port town on Orkney Island (Scotland), located on island's southern part and with population around 2,000. Stromness is approx 26 km (16 mi) from Kirkwall and approx 15 km (9 mi) from Finstown. NORTHLINK FERRIES (with MV Hamnavoe ) link Stromness to Scrabster (mainland Scotland's north coast). The cruiseferry terminal is operated by Serco NorthLink Ferries.

The old town is clustered along the main street, flanked with craft shops and stone-built houses, with cobbled streets branching off it.

Orkney Island features 100–500 ft high cliffs and fertile lowlands (Hoy Sound). The rocks are of great geological interest.

The Stromness branch of Orkney library is in a building gifted to the library service by Marjory Skea (later Corrigall) in 1905. Writer George Mackay Brown (1921-1996) was born and lived most of his life here. He is buried in town's cemetery (overlooking Hoy Sound).

As a shore excursion option is offered the tour to the Ring of Brodgar - a Neolithic stone circle (UNESCO site) located approx 6 mi (10 km) northeast of Stromness. By diameter (104 m / 341 ft) Brodgar is ranked the 3rd-largest stone circle in the British Isles - after Avebury (Wiltshire, 332 m / 1088 ft) and Stanton Drew (Somerset, 112 m / 368 ft). Another popular tour is to the UNESCO site Skara Brae - a stone-built village (8 houses) on Bay of Skaill (Mainland's west coast).

Stromness cruise terminal

Ferries and cruise ships dock at Stromness Ferry Terminal in Port Stromness - a natural deepwater harbour. The terminal is located approx 30 km (19 ml) from Kirkwall Airport (Orkney's main airport).

The passenger terminal is accessible by:

  • Bus - buses (operated by Stagecoach) stop opposite the terminal. A bus service connects Stromness with evening ferries to and from Hatston.
  • Flights - Kirkwall Airport is served with regularly scheduled Stagecoach buses from Stromness to Kirkwall (and to the airport). Interisland services (domestic flights) are offered by Loganair Ltd (Scottish regional airline).
  • Sea - Orkney Ferries (Scottish ferry company operating interisland services in Orkney Islands) offers regularly scheduled passenger shipping service from Stromness to Graemsay and Hoy islands, plus all other interisland ferry services.

Stromness Ferry Terminal offers the following facilities and amenities - Ticket Sales, Tourist Information, Luggage area (lockers), Vending Machines (hot / cold drinks), Lift, Baby Change Rooms, Disabled Access, Accessible Toilet, Restrooms (male and female), short term parking (at the terminal) and long-stay parking (on Ferry Road).

Check-in for morning crossings open 60 min prior departure. Passengers booked with overnight cabin check in and board for morning departure from Stromness (6:30 am) between 9:30-11:30 pm the previous evening. For all other crossings, check-in open 90 min prior departure. Car drivers must check in at least 1 hour prior departure.

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