Empress of the North - taking on water

[gizmo]

Fox News had an alert that the Empress of the North - (Majestic line) is taking on water and sinking off the coast of Alaska. All passengers are leaving the ship.

 

JUNEAU, Alaska — A cruise ship ran aground in Icy Strait, and passengers were being transferred to other vessels early Monday, Coast Guard officials said.

 

The 299-foot Empress of the North, carrying 281 passengers, was listing 6 degrees after hitting Hanus Rock at the southern end of the strait about 15 miles southwest of Juneau, said Petty Officer Christopher D. McLaughlin at the Coast guard base in Kodiak.

 

A Coast Guard fixed-wing aircraft and helicopter were dispatched after an emergency radio message was received at 12:35 a.m. Alaska Daylight Time from the ship, operated by Majestic America Line of Seattle, McLaughlin said.

 

There were no reports of injury, nor was there any immediate word on damage, including whether the vessel was taking on water, and McLaughlin said the reason for the grounding was unclear.

[Krazy Kruizers]

WOW -- so terrible.

 

Thanks for the information.

[Lightsluvr]

Majestic America Lines.

 

Thanks for correcting your original post.

 

 

 

LL

[QueensChick]

It is Empress of the North, not Empress of the Sea.

 

I hope they have a safe evacuation and no one is hurt.

[Krazy Kruizers]

It's happening near Juneau - right at Icy Straight Point.

[Krazy Kruizers]

They are showing a picture of the ship as she looks - not from the sight.

[gizmo]

Sorry about that. Yes, Empress sof the North. I have asked the board monitor to change the title.

[Krazy Kruizers]

We saw the Empress of the North last year when we were at Icy Straight Point.

[DFW-Cruiser]

I trust everyone is safely removed and that there is no environmental damage as a result!!

 

Question: How does this affect the ability of other cruise lines to access the ports in Juneau? We're due there this time next week!

 

DFW Linda

[Lightsluvr]

I trust everyone is safely removed and that there is no environmental damage as a result!!

 

Question: How does this affect the ability of other cruise lines to access the ports in Juneau? We're due there this time next week!

 

DFW Linda

 

Juneau is miles away and this incident would not block any channels used by "real" cruise ships. You may get to see her high and dry on Point Galvertan. :eek:

 

LL

[Krazy Kruizers]

The Canal where this happened is quite wide. The other ships won't have any trouble getting around her.

[Copper10-8]

It is Empress of the North, not Empress of the Sea.

 

I hope they have a safe evacuation and no one is hurt.

 

 

Good point since there is a bit of a difference in the two! Hope everyone is OK!

[jtl513]

Icy Strait is a lot further than 15 miles from Juneau! As the crow flies, the entrance is about 35 miles away, and Hanus Rock at the far south end is about 55-58. (That's statute miles, not nautical.)

[DFW-Cruiser]

Thank you for the replies! Anything more of the Empress?

 

DFW Linda

[GreatToBeGrammy]

I'm supposed to be on that ship this coming Saturday for our dream Alaska cruise. I'm so glad everybody got off safely. We'll see what happens to the ship.

Grammy

[FIRELT5]

http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/05/14/alaska.ship.ap/index.html

[tomc]

When I heard "cruise ship" on the radio this morning, I was thinking HAL, NCL, CCL, etc. When I went onto cnn.com and saw it was a paddlewheel boat, with 280-some pax I thought, "Maybe that's the rescue boat."

 

I hope all are well and the vessel is ok and continues to give pleasure to many for a long time.

[fatcat04]

How terrible. I am glad to hear no one was hurt and only hope that the ship can be saved.

 

As my mom and dad are on a cruise ship (the Oosterdam) docking in Juneau TODAY, the "Cruise Ship Runs Aground off Alaska" headline on a famous no frills online news/gossip site scared the begessus out of me!!

[Jade13]

I'm supposed to be on that ship this coming Saturday for our dream Alaska cruise. I'm so glad everybody got off safely. We'll see what happens to the ship.

Grammy

 

Hope you are making other plans? It looks like a really nice ship.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Coming home from doing some chores, we heard on the car radio that everyone is still not off the ship.

 

Is this true?

[jtl513]

Coming home from doing some chores, we heard on the car radio that everyone is still not off the ship.

 

Is this true?

The article linked-to in bepsf/Brian's post "Another Grounding" said that all passengers were taken off safely by 7:00a and the ship was proceeding to Juneau with a Coast Guard escort.

[Nutrioso]

I was researching the various ships that do Alaska recently and discovered that this ship failed CDC inspection with only a 67% - have to have 85% to pass. Things aren't going well for her, are they? Isn't this the line that purchased the sailing line from HAL a couple of months ago?

[jtl513]

When I heard "cruise ship" on the radio this morning, I was thinking HAL, NCL, CCL, etc. When I went onto cnn.com and saw it was a paddlewheel boat, with 280-some pax I thought, "Maybe that's the rescue boat."

I'm with you ... calling this craft a ship is too generous in my book. :D Although it does have inflatable rafts, I don't think it carries any lifeboats, and therefore is itself a boat, IMO.

[bepsf]

Isn't this the line that purchased the sailing line from HAL a couple of months ago?

 

No - Windstar was purchased by Ambassadors International Cruise Group Company.

[Sunshine91]

John told me about this when he got home today.

 

My first thought was about the pax - hoping everyone was evacuated safely. My second was about the sensitive AK environmental conditions - hoping that there was no fuel spill. Looks like everything is OK.

 

I think the media use the term "cruise ship" for any vessel that carries pax. It could be an overnight car ferry in Europe & if there are pax aboard, the media will call her a cruise ship. More sensational that way. :rolleyes: