NTSB Determines Cause of a Cruise Ship Striking a Pier in Alaska

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• The Ocean Explorer became stuck at about noon on Monday roughly 870 miles northeast of Greenland’s capital.
• Royal Caribbean cancels second Alaska sailing after technical issue
• dead, 2 more hurt in solo car crash in Buena Park
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While Radiance of the Seas does have an additional radar scanner and camera on the stern of the vessel, both used for maneuvering and to see objects astern, neither was used during the incident. The investigation by the NTSB attributed the collision primarily to the overreliance on the incomplete electronic charts by the master and the bridge team. There was also a crucial misunderstanding between the master and a crew member about the ship’s clearance from the pier during rotation. 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. The ship is stuck offshore Greenland’s national park, the world’s largest, covering 972,000 square kilometers (375,000 square miles).

The Ocean Explorer became stuck at about noon on Monday roughly 870 miles northeast of Greenland’s capital.

Glacier Bay used to rely on the state’s Ocean Ranger program for these inspections, but the program was defunded before the pandemic. The 90,090-grt ship, with wall-to-wall glass and abundant open and sheltered pools and deck spaces, has been sailing these waters for the better part of its service career. The earliest a vessel can reach the Ocean Explorer is Friday morning, according to Danish authorities. During the approach, the master of Radiance of the Seas relied heavily on incomplete Electronic Navigational Charts (ENC). The vessel began its rotation too close to the pier, colliding with the mooring dolphin and breaking three piles the dolphin was secured with.

Royal Caribbean cancels second Alaska sailing after technical issue

The only people from the cruise who remain in Seward are choosing to stay, the representative said, adding that there are no longer crowds of cruise passengers frequenting the town. There were local tourism companies, such as Seward Ocean Excursions that were completely booked with the extra people in town Saturday, Seward mayor Sue McClure said. A lead reservation agent with Kenai Fjords Tours said that they were overwhelmed by extra visitors on Saturday, saying that they had more than double the people they usually get on a Saturday during this time of year.

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That would appear to paint a bleak picture for Alaska’s cruise industry, particularly for Skagway, which welcomed more than one million cruise passengers in 2019. While the ship is recognizable in Southeast Alaska, it isa relative newcomer to Seattle after being based in Vancouver for several seasons. Serenade of the Seas carries predominantly vaccinated passengers on this first sailing, though those under the age of 16 are permitted onboard without having been vaccinated.

This means the ship would have to leave Seward by this afternoon to make it to Vancouver on time for the next scheduled cruise. Four days past-cancellation, the Royal Caribbean cruise ship Radiance of the Seas is still docked in Seward, Alaska, due to engine problems. We were just finishing our first day in Fairbanks on our cruise tour when the text messages started coming in from Celebrity informing us that our cruise has been cancelled. What we've been told, as of now, is that we will continue the land portion of the tour in Denali & most probably be taken to Anchorage instead of Seward. They will give you 100% back of what you paid (they would have to - they didn't provide the services promised) and a credit toward a future cruise.

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The minimum vaccination age will drop to 12 years of age as of Aug. 1. Royal Caribbean International became the first big-ship cruise line to embark on a return to Alaska Monday, ending a 21-month draught in tourism for Southeast Alaska brought on by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Cruise Critic reports. Despite stringent regulations in the maritime industry, this incident underscores how human error and communication gaps can lead to significant repercussions. It is an important reminder of the crucial role of communication in ensuring the safety and efficiency of the cruise industry. The failure of Sitka Port to report the pier extension to the hydrographic authority was also noted as a significant contributing factor.

Customs and Border Protection, was nearly 40 percent lower than what it would have been if the ships were full when they pulled into the borough, a Gold Rush-era destination nestled in a valley by the Tongass National Forest. Local time, Serenade of the Seas let its lines go and eased out into Elliot Bay before increasing speed, bound for the waters of Puget Sound, the Pacific Ocean and Alaska. On board, public rooms are spotlessly clean and fresh, and staterooms are well-looked after.

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"The Ruby Princess is about 950 feet long and about 115,000-tons," Captain Allan Post with the Texas A&M Maritime Academy pointed out. "With that much weight and that much sail area, the vessel is affected by wind, by current, and by the technical abilities of its design," he said on Friday as repairs were being made. The delayed 10-day sailing will now be a 7-day cruise returning to San Francisco on Sunday, July 16.

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The Celebrity Eclipse has a capacity of 2,850 people, but the company has not said how many people are on board. "(They are) exhausted, trapped, frustrated and saddened that the trip has turned into this," she said in the message prior to the ship's departure. ABC7 News reporters Tim Johns, Suzanne Phan, Melanie Woodrow, Amanda del Castillo and Cornell Barnard contributed to this report. "Actually, I just walked down because I wanted to see the state of repairs and was pleasantly surprised it looks great to me," said passenger Alexandra Shannon. To decide whether they will stay on the ship to to continue the trip or leave.

In neighboring Iceland, the coast guard is on standby with a vessel if needed, local authorities said. The luxury cruise ship stranded for days in the freezing Arctic after running aground off the coast of Greenland was freed Thursday amid fears of a potential COVID-19 outbreak on board. The cruise line is offering full refunds and future cruise credit to impacted guests. Cruise Radio prioritizes well-balanced cruise news coverage and accurate reporting, paired with ship reviews and tips.

The line said, “Repairs are underway and we are progressing to resolve the issue. At this time, we intend to sail as planned on September 8,” read a recent notice from the cruise line. A letter distributed to passengers cites issues with the vessel’s propulsion system as the reason for cancellation.

On May 9, 2022, the cruise ship Radiance of the Seas crashed into the Sitka Sound Cruise Terminal pier, causing a minor hull indentation and significant damage to the terminal pier. The unfortunate incident disrupted larger cruise ship traffic to the terminal for the rest of the 2022 season and caused significant financial damage. Contributing was the Sitka Sound Cruise Terminal not reporting the extension of the pier into the waterway to the appropriate hydrographic authority in order to update the relevant navigational chart. The program’s defunding put the park and cruise companies in a tight spot because they signed a decade-long contract that legally commits them to inspections. "This short cruise season means the difference between reopening or closing for good for so many small, locally owned businesses," said Alaska Travel Industry Association President and CEO Sarah Leonard on July 9. We are grateful to our congressional delegation, governor and legislators for their hard work to bring cruise ships back to the state this year."

The potential incidents that can lead to financial and operational consequences can be significant. Surprisingly, this was already the second call for Radiance of the Seas to Sitka in 2022, with no incidents reported during the first call. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has conducted a thorough investigation and released its report on the incident. The report provides a fascinating view of how one human error and a seemingly inconsequential decision can quickly evolve and cause millions of dollars in damage. 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.

On May 9, 2022, during a cruise in Alaska, the 90,090 gross ton, 2,143-guest Radiance of the Seas approached the Sitka Cruise Terminal Pier. The master of the Radiance of the Sea requested the pilots onboard, of which there were four, that he and his crew moor and unmoor the ship. This would refamiliarize them with Alaskan ports— the pilots agreed.

Thankfully they no longer have the problems that plagued their ships for several years. To test its protocols out, Serenade of the Seas embarked on a simulated voyage for the U.S. That sailing – which stopped in Ketchikan, greeted by Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski – proved Royal Caribbean's protocols were effective in mitigating the spread of COVID-19, and the ship was issued with a certificate to begin revenue passenger voyages. A technical glitch delayed embarkation at the terminal, which was slow but well-organized.

The cruise ship Radiance of the Seas was docking at the Sitka Sound Cruise Terminal on May 9, 2022, when it struck and damaged a mooring dolphin. The mooring dolphin sustained damage to three of the four pilings supporting it. There were no reported injuries to the 1,375 passengers, 782 crew and four pilots on board.