Alaskan Cruise Ship Passengers Rescued

(AP)  A cruise ship ran aground off the Alaska coast early Monday, and it was taking on water as its passengers were transferred to nearby ships, Coast Guard officials said.

The company that operates the Empress of the North cruise ship said all the passengers have been safely taken off the ship and it's on its way back to Juneau under its own power.

Majestic America spokesman Dan Miller in Seattle said the damage will be assessed to determine whether the ship can resume its summer schedule of cruises out of Juneau.

There were no immediate reports of injuries.

The Empress of the North, carrying 281 passengers and crew, was listing 6 degrees after hitting a rock at the southern end of Icy Strait, about 15 miles southwest of Juneau, said Petty Officer Christopher D. McLaughlin at the Coast Guard base in Kodiak.

An emergency radio message came in from the ship at 12:35 a.m., and a Coast Guard aircraft and helicopter were sent out, McLaughlin said. Over the following hours, passengers were transferred from the Empress of the North to fishing vessels and other cruise ships that were in the area.

"Many Good Samaritan boats on scene are taking off passengers," McLaughlin said.

It wasn't immediately clear why the cruise ship ran around, he said.

(CBS)

Miller told CNN that about half the passengers had been removed from the ship by 6 a.m. and that they were being taken to Juneau. He said the ship had been stabilized. It had been on Day 2 of a seven-day trip, he said.

The Empress of the North has a three-story paddlewheel and galleries featuring Native American masks and Russian artwork, including Faberge eggs, according to its Web site.

The American-built ship is billed by the company as the only overnight paddlewheel vessel in use on Alaskan cruises. It also is used on cruises on the Columbia River between Washington state and Oregon.

According to the company's Web site, the Empress of the North is a "newly built" sternwheeler with a 24-hour bar and grill, a crew of 84, 112 staterooms for 223 passengers and "a robust modern diesel propulsion system."

McLaughlin said the Coast Guard's initial report listed the ship as 299 feet long, while the Web site gave the length as 360 feet.

[ftanis]

We just took this ship up the Columbia and Snake Rivers. It was a wonderful trip with an awesome friendly, professional and efficient crew. Many people on this cruise are elderly with mobility problems. The fact that theis crew got all passengers off safely is a testament to the quality of the personell on board. We are looking forward to cruisng with this company in Alaska next year with not one worry about our safety!

[vickijh]

It is comforting to know that the passengers are beinng quickly transferred to other ships and rescue boats. I only hope they are reunited with their luggage soon.

We have taken three cruises in the past three years and one of them was cruising Alaska on Norwegian Cruise Lines. It was incredibly beautiful and we had no problems...just fun, with wonderful memories. I would never be hesitant about taking another cruise, as I know that the ship's crew places high priority on passenger safety. While in Alaska, they once sent a scounting boat on ahead of our ship in search of ice bergs or other potential risks. We even recently discussed taking another cruise to Alaska soon. The neat hing is that once you're crusing the Inner Passage, you've got view on both sides of the ship. Each port is so picturesque that you can haardly wait to dock and disembark.

I wish all the passengers well who were victims of this recent scare, and hope they don't allow this incident to dwell on their minds too long.

Best wishes and smooth sailing to all cruisers,
vjh from Texas

[vet999999]

Somehow or another, I am sure someone will find a way to blame George Bush for this.

My gratitude to the Coast Guard and the "Many Good Samaritan boats on scene are taking off passengers,". This is the way this story should end. Great job by all.

[gsalem3633]

I would think that with the "Global Warming" effects, the sea lanes would be deeper, not so shallow that a ship would run aground.

[davidwayne20]

I have enjoyed two ocean cruises in the Carebean, and even after all of the stories the last few years, I would go again! well worth the $, It's about $80-$100 a day, all the food you can eat, fun and sun. Here in CT, a dinner out at one of the chains will run the same price.

[vampire1288]

SEEMS LIKE THE CRUISE SHIPS HAVE BEEN HAVING A ROUGH TIME OF IT, ESPECIALLY LATELY...AROUND INDIANA/KENTUCKY/OHIO WE HAVE THE RIVER BOAT CRUISES AND ONE OF THEM HAD A BAD FOOD SITUATION A FEW WEEKS AGO.. AND SEVERAL PEOPLE WERE HOSPITALISED IN HENDERSON, KY.. TOO MANY PEOPLE IN ONE PLACE TO SUIT ME, SO I STAY ON THE SHORE..