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

The Associated Press

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.

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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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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.

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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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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A fishing vessel in Greenland will try to free a cruise ship that ran aground with 206 people

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) — A fishing vessel owned by Greenland’s government will attempt to use a high tide to pull free a Bahamas-flagged luxury cruise ship carrying 206 people that ran aground in the world’s northernmost national park, authorities said.

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 scientific fishing vessel was scheduled to arrive later Wednesday and would attempt when the conditions were right to pull the 104.4-meter- (343-foot) long and 18-meter- (60-foot) wide MV Ocean Explorer free.

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.

Alpefjord sits in a remote corner of Greenland, some 240 kilometers (149 miles) away from the closest settlement, Ittoqqortoormiit, which itself is nearly 1,400 kilometers (870 miles) from the country’s capital, Nuuk.

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

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

“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.

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 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.

The weather in the region Wednesday featured sun, a clear blue sky and a temperature around 5 degrees Celsius (41 degrees Fahrenheit), 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.

The command, which was coordinating the operation to free the cruise ship, said the nearest Danish navy ship 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, including the Arctic Ocean in the north.

This version has been corrected to show the cruise ship is owned by a Danish group, not Norwegian.

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

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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.

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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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Business | Cruise ship that charges $33,000 per person is…

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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..

By Christian Wienberg, Ragnhildur Sigurdardottir and Danielle Bochove | Bloomberg

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.

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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Stranded luxury cruise ship pulled free after grounding in Greenland

The Ocean Explorer luxury cruise ship was aground Tuesday in northwestern Greenland. (SIRIUS/Joint Arctic Command via AP)

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.

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.

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.

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.

Related stories

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.

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

• Main content

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."

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.

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"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.

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

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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.

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.

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.

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.

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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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

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.

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.

More from Sky News: P&O cruise liner 'crashes into petrol tanker' Tiny Cornish port town hosts 60,000 tonne cruise ship

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".

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.

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."

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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.

Related Topics

Expedition cruise ship carrying 206 freed after running aground in Greenland

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.

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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].

Watch CBS News

Luxury cruise ship that ran aground in Greenland with over 200 people on board is freed

By Li Cohen

Updated on: September 14, 2023 / 8:37 PM EDT / CBS News

Officials said the expedition cruise ship that ran aground in northeast Greenland earlier this week with more than 200 people on board wouldn't be able to be rescued until Friday morning at the earliest – but help came early. On Thursday morning, the Joint Arctic Command said that it has been freed.

"Ocean Explorer has been pulled free this morning by the Natural Institute's fishing research ship TARAJOQ," the command said on Facebook Thursday morning, according to a translation. This was the fishing research ship's second attempt at freeing the vessel, the first of which occurred on Wednesday during high tide, but was unsuccessful. 

Ocean Explorer has been touted as a cruise ship "purpose-built for expedition travel to the world's most remote destinations." On the expedition website, it's been described as having "cutting-edge technology" and heralded for its "navigation capabilities." According to Aurora Expeditions, who is using the ship for its excursion, the Ocean Explorer is meant to accommodate 134 passengers with "state-of-the-art amenities." 

Then on Tuesday, with 206 people on board, the ship got stuck in Alpefjord, which is part of the the world's largest national park – the Northeast Greenland National Park. Officials were not concerned about any risk from the incident and said that while it is "worrisome," there was no "acute danger to human life or the environment."

No further information about the condition of those on board has been revealed upon the news of the ship's freedom from the area. 

• Cruise Ship

Li Cohen is a social media producer and trending content writer for CBS News.

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

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.

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 carrying 206 people runs aground in remote Greenland

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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.

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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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Cruise ship runs aground in Greenland with 206 passengers onboard

There are no reports of injuries on the Ocean Explorer, which was grounded in the remote Northeast Greenland National Park

A cruise ship with 206 passengers and crew onboard has run aground in north-west Greenland , and remained stuck even after high tide.

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”.

“Our units are far away, and the weather can be very unfavourable,” he said in a statement.

The closest Danish navy ship was about 1,200 nautical miles (1,380 miles or 2,200km) away, he said, adding it was heading to the site and could be expected at the grounded ship as soon as Friday.

The 104-metre (343ft) long and 18-metre wide Ocean Explorer ran aground on Monday in Alpefjord in the Northeast Greenland National Park. It is the world’s largest and most northerly national park and is known for icebergs and the musk oxen that roam the coast.

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. The other cruise ship was not identified.

The grounded cruise ship might also get free on its own when the tide is high, Greenland television KNR reported. “Regardless, the most important thing for us is that everyone gets to safety,” Jensen said.

Later on Tuesday the Joint Arctic Command said on its Facebook page that the ship was still stuck despite the tide.

“There are still no reports that human life or the environment is in acute danger,” 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, two semi-independent territories that are part of the Danish realm.

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