According to the reports, a luxury cruise ship carrying over 200 passengers and crew members finds itself stranded in a remote area of Greenland after running aground. The cruise ship operator reassured that all passengers were safe and well, but rescue assistance would reach the vessel on Friday. This three-week cruise, which commenced on September 1, was initially scheduled to return to port on September 22, with passengers paying as much as $33,000 for the voyage, according to the reports.
According to Forbes, the expedition cruise ship named the Ocean Explorer became grounded on Monday around noon, more than 850 miles from Nuuk, the capital of Greenland. The Joint Arctic Command (JAC) of Denmark received a distress call stating that the Ocean Explorer was stuck in the Alpefjord in Northeast Greenland, unable to free itself despite the Tuesday tides.
The ship’s operator, Aurora Expeditions, assured that there’s no immediate danger to those on board or the surrounding environment, and the ship is well-stocked with supplies. Brian Jensen from the Danish military’s Joint Arctic Command emphasized that while help is far away, they don’t see any immediate danger to human life or the environment but are closely monitoring the situation.
Adding to the situation’s complexity, several COVID cases have been reported on board, mainly among elderly passengers, most of whom are Australian, as per The Sydney Morning Herald.
An inspection vessel named the Knud Rasmussen is enroute to the stranded cruise ship and is expected to arrive on Friday morning. The Joint Arctic Command has also requested a nearby cruise ship to remain nearby to assist if the situation changes, as per the reports.