The Coral Adventurer, a cruise ship operated by Coral Expeditions, recently ran aground on a coral reef near Papua New Guinea. At the time, it was carrying 80 passengers and 44 crew members onboard. This attack took place only 30 kilometers from Lae, the country’s second-largest city. It happened on the vessel’s inaugural voyage after a life-saving passenger rescue. The cruise ship has been glued to a six-degree list to port since Saturday morning. The cumulative impact of this disaster has triggered the longest-lasting disaster response ever.
Authorities first received reports of the grounding at approximately 6:57 am local time on October 25. The grounding comes after the shocking discovery of an 80-year-old passenger from Sydney. His body was discovered on remote Lizard Island during a field trip on October 26. It is understood the passenger had been abandoned by the Coral Adventurer earlier in the day’s tour. In light of this tragic incident, the cruise company canceled the tour and disembarked participants early.
In light of these developments, passengers have been promised that they will be flown back to Cairns. A tugboat was deployed on Sunday to help with refloating the vessel, but preliminary attempts have so far been unsuccessful. The cruise company is continuing to work with local authorities to aid in the refloat efforts.
“Coral Expeditions continues to work with local authorities to refloat the Coral Adventurer.” – spokesperson for Coral Expeditions
Besides the grounding, Coral Expeditions assured that there were no passenger or crew injuries reported. They have confirmed that early inspections show no damage to the vessel itself.
“To date, initial inspections indicate no damage to the vessel, with further comprehensive inspections of the hull and marine environment to be conducted as standard procedure once the vessel is refloated.” – spokesperson for Coral Expeditions
Coral Expeditions was the first to acknowledge that it was not winning. They acknowledged that they have not lived up to their guests’ expectations of an amazing experience.
“Acknowledging that we have not been able to deliver the exceptional experience expected by our guests on this occasion, Coral Expeditions has decided to end the tour.” – spokesperson for Coral Expeditions
Work to refloat the Coral Adventurer is well underway. Passengers, too, have been left hanging as they wait to return home after their trips were most often put in chaos. There is still much promise in the cruise company’s seven-point plan to restore safety and satisfaction following this unexpected occurrence.