Norwegian Cruise Couple Stranded on African Island After Tour Overran

Table Of Content

• New train line proposed for Spanish coast linking seaside cities
• Watch: What's behind Russia's Arctic fleet and Putin's plans for the North Pole
• A luxury cruise ship is pulled free 3 days after running aground in Greenland
• Cruise ship runs aground in Greenland with 206 passengers onboard
• Norwegian Cruise Line passengers were stranded on a small African island after missing a deadline to re-embark

There are few hydrological surveys of the area where the cruise ship ran aground, making it difficult to assess the sea depths. The ships typically have the cultural town of Qaqortoq in South Greenland as a port of call and sometimes also the country’s biggest town and one of the world’s smallest capitals, Nuuk. The cruise line said the passengers missed the "all aboard time of 3 p.m. local time." It said it was a "very unfortunate situation" but that passengers were responsible for being on time. The grounded cruise ship might also get free on its own when the tide is high, Greenland television KNR reported. "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.

New train line proposed for Spanish coast linking seaside cities

The Ocean Explorer, carrying 206 passengers and crew on a voyage to observe rugged glacial terrain, ran aground in an area advertised as the largest and northernmost national park in the world. 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. 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.

Watch: What's behind Russia's Arctic fleet and Putin's plans for the North Pole

“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. A luxury cruise ship that ran aground in a remote part of Greenland with 206 people onboard has been pulled free by a fishing trawler. In the days before the ship was freed, Danish authorities scrambled to find solutions, including contacting nearby ships and dispatching local units. In an update Arctic Command posted to Facebook on Wednesday, it said the Tarajoq had arrived but failed in an early attempt to pull the cruise ship free at high tide. The Arctic Command had also called for a patrol vessel to aid the recovery of the cruise ship, but it was not on schedule to arrive until Friday.

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

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. 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.

Stranded luxury cruise ship MV Ocean Explorer is pulled free at high tide in Greenland - The Associated Press

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

Posted: Thu, 14 Sep 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]

The Ocean Explorer ran aground on Monday in Alpefjord in a national park 870 miles (1,400km) northeast of Greenland's capital Nuuk, the Danish military's Joint Arctic Command (JAC) said. The successful rescue operation took place on Thursday, three days after the MV Ocean Explorer ran aground with 206 people on board, authorities and the ship's owner said. The Danish military’s joint arctic command confirmed that the ship had been pulled free by the Tarajoq, a trawler and research vessel that made a failed attempted to do so on Wednesday. “We have just successfully become free now … we are absolutely elated,” Gina Hill, an Australian passenger onboard the ship, told Reuters on Thursday. The Ocean Explorer leaned to the side during the operation and passengers were not allowed to go outside, Hill said. Greenland cruises are the ideal way to see the world and you can see a selection of these cruises from Norwegian Cruise Line.

Cruise ship with 206 on board runs aground in Greenland - NBC News

Cruise ship with 206 on board runs aground in Greenland.

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

A walk through the colonial harbor district in Nuuk offers insights into the evolution of Greenland from a Danish colony to a self-governing entity. The local communities in Ittoqqortoormiit and Upernavik retain their traditional way of life, offering a glimpse into the harmonious co-existence of humans and nature. 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 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. “There are still no reports that human life or the environment is in acute danger,” Joint Arctic Command 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. Danish police have opened a preliminary investigation into the grounding to determine if there was any wrongdoing. “There have not been any injuries to any person onboard, no pollution of the environment and no breach of the hull,” SunStone said.

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Some cruise ships sail further north to Uummannaq, which is the essence of a real Arctic hunting town. The ship was freed by a fisheries research vessel at high tide, according to the cruise ship's owner, Copenhagen-based SunStone Ships, and the Joint Arctic Command, which coordinated the operation. The Ocean Explorer cruise vessel had been stuck since Monday in mud and silt in the Alpefjord national park, 870 miles (1,400km) north-east of Nuuk, the capital of Greenland. The cruise ship ran aground above the Arctic Circle Monday in Alpefjord, which is in the Northeast Greenland National Park. The park covers 972,000 square kilometers (603,973 square miles), almost as much land as France and Spain combined, and approximately 80% is permanently covered by an ice sheet, according to the Visit Greenland tourism board.

Jay and Jill Campbell, from Garden City, South Carolina, described their ordeal with a Norwegian Cruise Line ship in an interview with WPDE, their local ABC affiliate. "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." Brian Jensen, the head of operations for the Joint Arctic Command, said in the statement that the situation "is of course worrisome."

"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 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. The cruise ship and its passengers will now travel to a port where the damage to the vessel’s bottom can be assessed. Authorities were notified Monday afternoon local time that the ship ran around in the Alpefjord in Northeast Greenland National Park, known for picturesque glaciers, icebergs and muskoxen that roam the coast. Authorities said there have been no injuries aboard the Ocean Explorer and the incident does not pose a threat to the environment. Onboard an NCL ship, you'll find a wealth of amenities and services to enhance your Northern Europe cruise.

"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." 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. 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.

Greenland is a haven for adventurers, offering numerous opportunities for exploration and adventure. Embark on guided tours to explore the Sermermiut valley near Ilulissat, indulge in dog sledding experiences, or hike the Arctic Circle Trail. Off-board excursions provide the chance to kayak amidst towering icebergs, trek the challenging peaks of South Greenland, or witness the natural spectacle of calving glaciers. These expedition cruises are characterised by choosing atypical routes and landing sites, including small settlements or rarely visited natural attractions.

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. 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. The Ocean Explorer cruise vessel was refloated on Thursday, the Danish navy and ship owner said, after having been stuck since Monday in mud and silt in the Alpefjord national park, some 1,400km (870 miles) northeast of Greenland’s capital Nuuk. These cruise ships usually try to sail through Greenland’s perhaps most beautiful fjord, Prince Christians Sound in South Greenland – if the mouth of the fjord is not blocked by large icebergs. 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.

Please note that port orders, dates, and itinerary details, including content, are subject to change. The Campbells told the news outlet that the ninth passenger was late for another reason — an 80-year-old woman who got a concussion on the island and was hospitalized there. The couple says the tour overran, and its operator informed the captain that eight passengers were running late. But the Joint Arctic Command also noted in a subsequent statement that the Ocean Explorer was still stuck after a tide came in. The Joint Arctic Command said the earliest the Knud Rasmussen might reach the Ocean Explorer is Friday morning local time.