cruise ship grounded in alaska

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Stern-wheel cruise ship hits rock in Alaska, forcing evacuation of 248 passengers

Empress of the North , a 360-foot riverboat-style cruise ship, ran aground after striking an island about 49 miles west of Juneau, Alaska, on May 14.

After striking Rocky Island, a small outcrop in Icy Strait, the ship drifted toward Hanus Reef and grounded. There were 248 passengers and 33 crew aboard.

There were no injuries or pollution reported in connection with the accident, which occurred at about 0200.

The cruise ship notified the U.S. Coast Guard via radio of the grounding. Coast Guard Air Station Kodiak responded by launching a C-130 aircraft crew and also deployed an HH-60 helicopter crew from Cordova, Alaska. Good Samaritan vessels also responded, including the Alaska Marine Highway ferry Columbia and local fishing boats. The Coast Guard Cutter Liberty was also called to the scene along with a barge and tug to help with the evacuation of passengers.

The passengers, after being transferred to Liberty and Columbia , were taken to Juneau, where they arrived at 1030.

Shortly after the passengers were transferred, Empress of the North was able to work itself free using its own propulsion, and it returned to Juneau under its own power about 10 hours after grounding. All the crewmembers remained aboard for the trip to Juneau. From Juneau the Coast Guard escorted the ship to Auke Bay, where the Coast Guard surveyed the vessel for damage.

Investigators for the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) arrived the following day to conduct their own investigation.

Keith Holloway, an inspector for the NTSB, said the vessel was en route from Skagway to Glacier Bay when it struck Rocky Island, west of Admiralty Island. Rocky Island is marked by a lighted aid to navigation.

“After they hit the island, the Empress of the North drifted south toward Hanus Reef,” a small reef that is also lighted and awash at half-tide, Holloway said. “They drifted because they were not sure if they did any damage.”

After drifting 3.26 nautical miles, the vessel grounded on the reef. It was here that the distress call to the Coast Guard was made. Holloway said at the time of the grounding the wind and seas were calm. He also said visibility was not a factor in the grounding. “There was a third mate and a helmsman on the bridge standing the 12-to-4 watch when the vessel grounded,” Holloway said.

According to Christine Klimkowski, a former mate aboard a similar small southeast Alaska cruise ship, “For southeast Alaska (where they grounded), there is a lot of sea room. Even if he went between the island and the mainland, there would have been plenty of room … and it’s clear here this time of year.”

Klimkowski currently works as a third mate for Totem Ocean Trailer Express, Inc. (TOTE) in Tacoma, Wash.

Empress of the North is owned by Majestic America Line of Seattle, a company formed by the merger of American West Steamboat Co. and Delta Queen Steamboat Co. Since its launch in 2002, Empress of the North has had a history of groundings and allisions. Those incidents include:

• On Oct. 22, 2003, striking a navigation lock at the Ice Harbor dam on the Snake River near Pasco, Wash. The incident left the lock closed to all traffic for two days and recreational traffic for five weeks.

• On Nov. 27, 2003, grounding on the Columbia River near Dalles, Ore., when the vessel developed steering problems. One passenger and two crewmembers were injured.

• On March 24, 2006, grounding on a sandbar in the Columbia River while maneuvering to avoid a collision near Washougal, Wash. The accident forced the evacuation of 200 passengers and necessitated the removal of 20,000 gallons of diesel fuel before the vessel could be refloated with the aid of two tugs.

Other non-navigation related problems aboard the vessel include a failed health inspection by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention after passengers complained of vomiting and diarrhea. The CDC cited the vessel for poor hygienic food practices and improper food storage.

The most recent grounding remains under investigation by the Coast Guard and the NTSB.

By Professional Mariner Staff

Cruise ship gets OK to operate after grounding

The Coast Guard is allowing a cruise ship that became grounded in Alaska's Glacier Bay National Park to return to a dock near Juneau.

The Coast Guard says the 207-foot Spirit of Glacier Bay will be escorted to Auke Bay, about 13 miles north of downtown Juneau.

The ship carrying 51 crew and passengers became grounded on Monday. A Coast Guard response boat managed to tow the ship on a rising tide, and all passengers were taken off the ship. There were no injuries.

The Coast Guard said an inspection reported no breach of the external hull. However, the ship does have structural damage which must be corrected before it can again carry passengers.

Officials say the cause of the grounding remains under investigation.

Landslide Strands Cruisers in Alaska, Passengers Safely Returned

Andrea Santillan

• July 25, 2024

Two cruise lines had to find other ways for passengers to rejoin their ships after a landslide in Yukon, Alaska, blocked their route back.

Yukon Highways and Public Works said the landslide occurred on the South Klondike Highway last Tuesday, leaving debris 120 to 160 yards wide and 22 yards high. Rock and earth covered both lanes, including a section of the railroad track operated by the Yukon Route Railway. 

When local officials temporarily shut down 50 miles of road, around 150 passengers from Holland America Line’s (HAL) MS Koningsdam and 20 guests from Princess Cruises’ Discovery Princess found themselves stranded on the other side, unable to return to their vessels.

The tourists had earlier disembarked from their cruise ships at Skagway, Alaska, and were looking forward to touring Carcross, a community in Yukon, Canada, approximately 65 miles away.

Holland America and Princess Cruises get Creative

To help their guests rejoin their cruise ships, Holland America and Princess Cruises coordinated with authorities onshore and arranged buses to take them to a different pick-up area. Canadian and US officials kept the borders open so the passengers could re-enter Alaska and proceed to Haines where tender boats would take them to MS Koningsdam.

All the passengers arrived at the new meet-up point the following day. On Wednesday, HAL Vice President of Public Relations said, “The good news is that as of about 4:30 a.m. this morning Alaska time, everyone was back on the ship.”

Guests who weren’t part of the original Koningsdam cruise spent the night onboard. Coincidentally, Koningsdam and Discovery had scheduled visits to Ketchikan on Wednesday, July 25, allowing Discovery’s 20 passengers to catch up with their cruise.

The parent company, Carnival Corporation, owns HAL and Princess Cruises.

In early 2023, Skagway’s local government enacted measures to keep the local cruise port, Railroad Dock, safe from landslides . 

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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." 

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 . 

• Cruise Ship

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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Cruise ship pulled free after being stuck in mud for three days in remote Greenland

Topic: Maritime Accidents and Incidents

A luxury cruise ship that ran aground this week in a remote part of Greenland with 206 people on board has been pulled free by a fishing trawler. 

Key points:

• The ship ran aground 1,400km from Greenland's capital Nuuk
• 260 people, including 85 Australians, are aboard the ship
• It was pulled out by the fishing trawler that first failed in its first attempt to do so a day earlier

The Ocean Explorer cruise vessel had been stuck for three days in mud and silt in the Alpefjord national park, some 1,400 kilometres north-east of Greenland's capital Nuuk.

"We have just successfully become free now. … We are absolutely elated," Gina Hill, an Australian passenger on board the ship, told Reuters on Thursday.

The Ocean Explorer leaned to the side during the operation and passengers were not allowed to go outside, Ms Hill said.

Aboard the ship are 85 Australians, a Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade spokesperson 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 attempt to do so a day earlier.

The cruise ship had been stuck in silt and mud since Monday. ( Danish Air Force/Arctic Command via Reuters )

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 vessel.

"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.

Sydney-based Aurora Expeditions, which chartered the ship and organised the cruise, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Greenland, a semi-sovereign territory of Denmark in the North Atlantic Ocean with a population of 57,000, attracts tourists with its rugged landscape and a vast ice cap that covers much of the island.

Alaska considers new limits for cruise ship visitors in this popular port city

The visitor limit agreement would go into effect in 2026.

The pristine natural beauty of Alaska boasts breathtaking landscapes with vast national parks, glaciers and 6,640 miles of coastline that makes the destination particularly popular for cruises.

Now, the capital port city of Juneau, where crowds have been sailing in in record numbers, is considering a limit on large cruise ships with 250 passengers or more that would cap the number of daily visitors starting in 2026 to help combat overtourism.

New agreement in Alaska to limit cruise ship visitors

Last month, cruise lines including Carnival, Royal Caribbean and Norwegian signed an agreement with Juneau tourism officials to help manage the thousands of passengers getting off the boats at the same time and visiting the area.

While the numbers are subject to change, Sundays through Fridays, cruise crowds are expected to be capped at 16,000. That number will be limited to 12,000 on Saturdays.

The new agreement expands on last year's decision to implement a limit of five cruise ships per day in Juneau.

Juneau is home to some amazing outdoor attractions, such as whale watching and Mendenhall Glacier, but some local residents said they've had enough of the post-pandemic crowds.

"I personally came to the realization that Alaska was being sold as a friendly place and that my friendliness was a commodity for the cruise lines," resident Karla Hart told ABC News. "The idea is just one day every week to just take a pause -- to have our community back."

In 2023, a record 1.6 million cruise passengers visited Juneau, including Sarah Grathwohlwent, who was there for the first time earlier this spring and documented her journey on social media.

"It was beautiful to go and see a glacier -- was my first one," she said. "I'm not against limiting the amount of cruise ships, I think it would make it nicer for the locals who live there year round."

Overtourism around the world prompts new crowd management systems

Scott Keyes, travel expert and founder of Going.com, said that the challenges of overtourism are not isolated to Juneau.

"We have been setting new travel records every month so far in 2024, and there's no reason to think that's going to stop," he told ABC News.

In the U.S., Mount Rainier is among the National Parks that have begun implementing timed entry reservations to help manage large crowds. In Europe, hotspot destinations like Venice and Barcelona have implemented day trip fees for visitors .

Over the weekend in Barcelona, thousands of locals protested in the streets with water guns to take a stand against tourism, which they say has resulted in a higher cost of living for residents.

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Due to increased demand in Athens, Greece, the city is also studying limits on tourist capacity.

Experts believe that as more destinations see surges in visitors, local officials may implement restrictions to deal with crowds diplomatically.

"I'm all in favor of steps taken to try to make sure you're managing that properly and respecting the local environment and everything," Keyes said.

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

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.

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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Family of nine left stranded in remote Alaska after cruise ship departed without them

A family of nine found themselves stranded in Alaska after a mix-up with a local tour operator caused them to miss their scheduled cruise departure.

What was intended to be a memorable trip of a lifetime might now be recalled for very different reasons as the Gault family faced hefty costs to make their way back to Tulsa, Oklahoma, when the ship containing their clothes, passports and medication sailed off from Ketchikan port without them.

The family, comprising two parents, six children and a 78-year old grandmother, were also hit with an immediate fine of almost $9,000, working out at $971 per passenger, by Norwegian Cruise Lines for missing the vessel.

That fee stemmed from the US Customs and Border Protection’s Passenger Vessel Services Act, which they violated by not visiting a foreign port before they returned to the US .

The family’s nightmare started when they went on an excursion to see a lumberjack show when the ship they were travelling on, Norwegian Encore , docked in Ketchikan in Alaska .

After watching the show, the group tried to catch a bus back to the port by a local tour operator, but were told that the bus was full and they had to wait for another one.

“We go to get on the bus and one of the attendees is like, ‘The bus is full and you know, you got to wait for the next bus’,” Joshua recounted to KJRH .

However, that bus never came, and after frantically calling the port authority to arrange transportation, they finally arrived back at the docks to see Norwegian Encore sailing away — taking with it their passports, medication and clothes.

“We all had to quit cold turkey medication these last few days, because it was all on the cruise ship,” Joshua added.

Starnded in Ketchikan, a remote port located 300 miles from Alaska’s capital of Juneau with no accommodation or transportation, the family worked out how they could arrange transportation back to where they live in Tulsa. But as they looked into booking flights, they found that Joshua’s credit card had already been charged the customs fee of almost $9,000.

Joshua claims that they had to pay for flights for nine people, hotel stays along the way, and food. The trip ultimately took them several days in which they had cancelled flights and overnight airport stays, during which time some family members caught Covid.

After having arrived back in Oklahoma, Joshua added: “So yeah, we’re beat down right now. We’re unhealthy and beaten down.”

Cruise line officials said they would reimburse the family for the out-of-pocket expenses they incurred, the fee they incurred from US Customs and Border Patrol and a pro-rated refund for the two cruise days they missed.

A spokesperson for Norwegian Cruise Lines said: “On the afternoon of Friday, 12 July, a family of nine guests missed the ship’s all aboard time in Ketchikan, Alaska due to a misstep by a local tour operator. When the guests did not return to the ship at the published time, we attempted to contact them but were unable to reach them. As such, we alerted the local port agent in Ketchikan and requested that they assist the family with booking a hotel for the night.

“As the guests would be unable to downline in the next port of call, Victoria, British Columbia, the port agent also helped the guests with securing flights to Seattle the following day, 13 July.

“We will be reimbursing the family for all of the out-of-pocket expenses they incurred over these two days, as a result of missing the ship in Ketchikan, including meals, accommodations, etc. Reimbursements will be processed once receipts for these expenses are provided to us. Additionally, we have already initiated the process to refund the family for the fee imposed by the US Customs and Border Patrol, as a result of the guests not visiting a foreign port prior to returning to the US, as required when an itinerary originates from the US in accordance with the Passenger Vessel Services Act.

“In addition, these guests will be receiving a pro-rated refund for the two cruise days they missed. As a gesture of goodwill, the company will also be providing each of the nine guests with a future cruise credit in the form of a 20 per cent discount of their cruise fare that can be used towards their next voyage.”

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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.

The Ever Forward is finally free from the Chesapeake Bay — one month later

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

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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Cruise ship damaged in Alaska grounding heading south for repairs

The cruise ship Empress of the North must head south for repairs to the damage done when it hit a charted rock near Juneau earlier this...

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JUNEAU, Alaska — The cruise ship Empress of the North must head south for repairs to the damage done when it hit a charted rock near Juneau earlier this month.

Its Southeast Alaska cruises already have been canceled through June 23.

The Ketchikan shipyard, where the sternwheeler has been in dry dock for the past week, has another obligation and cannot complete the work, Alaska Ship & Dry Dock general manager Bob Burke said today. Workers are repairing the Seabulk Nevada, an oil spill response vessel that serves oil tankers in Prince William Sound, Burke said. That vessel has been out of commission since it struck a rock near the mouth of the Kenai River at the end of March.

“The complication is we already had a casualty here that we had to take off the dry dock in order to stabilize the Empress, but we have to finish the other casualty first and that extends the time too far out,” Burke said.

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He said a second dry dock is under construction but it will not be in service for at least two more months.

Burke said the shipyard will do a portion of the Empress of the North’s permanent repairs and stabilize the vessel for its passage south by the middle of next week.

Built in 2003 in an old-fashioned sternwheeler style, the Empress of the North is owned by Seattle-based Majestic America Line, a subsidiary of Ambassadors International Inc.

Spokeswoman Ann Marie Ricard did not have information on the extent of repairs or whether they will be made in British Columbia, Oregon or Washington state, but said she would know more about the schedule for getting the ship back in service in the next few days.

The company has canceled its sailings through June 23 so far. That’s a total of six cancellations since the May 7 accident.

She said passengers affected by the cancellations may rebook another trip later this season or be fully reimbursed. Passengers also are offered a 25 percent credit on future voyages with any ships in the company’s fleet.

The 360-foot ship ran aground on the submerged portion of a charted rock about 45 nautical miles from Juneau, forcing the early morning evacuation of 206 passengers and a portion of the 75 member crew.

The impact ripped several holes in the ship’s hull and damaged one of the propellers used in steering the ship.

The National Transportation Safety Board and Coast Guard are investigating.

The ship has been involved in two other groundings along the Columbia River in recent years. In November 2003, the ship developed steering problems near The Dalles, Ore., and ran aground, causing minor injuries to a passenger and two crew members.

In March 2006, it again ran aground on a sandbar near Washougal, Wash., while trying to avoid a barge. Nearly 200 passengers were evacuated.