Coral Adventurer Grounds Off Papua New Guinea Coast

The Australian-flagged cruise ship Coral Adventurer ran aground along the Finschhafen Coast, east of Lae, Papua New Guinea, on December 27. Efforts to free the vessel using its own propulsion were unsuccessful, and the ship remains stuck.

The grounding was reported at about 5 am local time. After departing Cairns, the vessel was transiting past Dregerhafen Point when strong currents forced it onto a reef. As a result of the incident, the ship developed a list of around six degrees to port.

Initial checks found no signs of water entering the vessel and no apparent damage to the hull. The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) has launched a full investigation. There are about 80 passengers and 43 crew members on board, and no injuries have been reported.

Following the failure of self-refloating attempts, a salvage and towage contractor has been appointed to assist with the situation.

Earlier this year, Coral Adventurer was investigated after an 80-year-old woman from New South Wales was accidentally left on a remote island during a separate voyage. The current trip is the ship’s first since that incident.