CNN –
A cruise ship carrying 206 passengers and crew remains stranded in Greenland after repeated attempts to free it, but spirits on board are said to be high despite a Covid outbreak.
The Ocean Explorer ran aground Monday in Alpefjord, a dramatic and rugged stretch of Greenland’s east coast. A Danish navy ship is en route to help, but officials say bad weather has delayed its expected arrival until late Friday.
Three passengers on board have contracted Covid-19 and have been placed in isolation, travel agency Aurora Expeditions, the ship’s operator, said on Thursday. Everyone else on board is healthy and safe.
“It is important that there is no immediate danger to yourself, the ship or the surrounding area,” Aurora Expeditions said in an earlier statement.
A passenger who goes by only Lis told CNN affiliate Nine News she felt the Covid situation was “contained.” She joked that her biggest fear right now is running out of alcohol.
“That’s the biggest concern I have,” she said.
“I had swimming lessons before I arrived and I am a good swimmer. So watch out: I might swim back to Iceland.”
According to a statement from Denmark’s Joint Arctic Command (JAC), the Ocean Explorer has made several unsuccessful attempts to free itself from tidal currents in recent days.
During Wednesday’s high tide, the Greenland government-owned fisheries research vessel Tarajoq attempted to dislodge the cruise ship but was unsuccessful, the JAC confirmed to CNN on Wednesday.
According to JAC, a larger Danish naval ship, the Knud Rasmussen, was sent to assist but had to travel 1,200 nautical miles (around 2,222 kilometers) to reach the cruise ship.
“As soon as we realized that the Ocean Explorer could not escape under its own power, we sent a ship toward the wreck,” said Arctic Commander Brian Jensen.
“We are actively committed to freeing the MV Ocean Explorer from its grounding. Our primary goal is to ensure the recovery of the vessel without compromising safety,” Aurora Expeditions said.
On Tuesday, Danish military personnel boarded the cruise ship and said all 206 people on board were “doing well,” the Danish armed forces said on Wednesday.
According to Aurora Expeditions’ official website, the ship was “built specifically for expedition travel to the world’s most remote destinations.”
CNN’s Tamara Hardingham-Gill also contributed to this story.