Eighty weary travellers have finally returned to Australian soil after a luxury cruise turned into a multi-day ordeal, stranded off the coast of Papua New Guinea when their vessel ran aground on a reef.
A Voyage Abruptly Ended
The Australian-registered cruise ship Coral Adventurer departed from Cairns on December 18 for what was meant to be a 12-day luxury expedition. The journey unravelled in the early hours of December 27, when the ship struck a reef off the Finschaffen Coast, east of Lae. The incident occurred around 5.25am local time, abruptly ending the voyage.
One passenger described the terrifying moment of impact to 7NEWS. "We had 20 seconds of shaking and it was not nice," they said. "I leapt out of bed to see what ... this is not good, this is not good. I got my clothes on and raced up to the deck."
Days of Fear and Frustration at Sea
In total, 123 people – comprising 80 passengers from Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and Israel, plus 43 crew members – remained stranded at sea for the final four days of the planned journey. While no injuries were reported, the emotional toll was significant.
Passenger Ursula Daus from Berlin, Germany, spoke of the lingering fear. "In danger. And then they said we are safe for another four days. And it was horrible," she recounted.
The frustration was palpable as exhausted passengers finally disembarked a chartered flight at Cairns Airport at 8.15pm on Tuesday. One traveller summarised the sentiment upon arrival: "Disappointed, disillusioned and it’s disgraceful." Another, Ursula Daus, was more definitive: "Never ever again, finished."
Investigation Launched and Troubled History
The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) has detained the Coral Adventurer as it investigates the circumstances of the grounding. The ship's operators, Coral Expeditions, stated that initial inspections by certified divers found no significant damage to the vessel's hull.
In a statement, the company apologised: "Coral Expeditions regrets the grounding of its vessel and apologises to our passengers." The operator has offered affected travellers either a 40 per cent refund or 50 per cent off future bookings.
This incident is the latest in a series of troubles for the Queensland-based vessel. In October, the same ship was involved in an incident where 80-year-old passenger Suzanne Rees was left behind on Lizard Island on the Great Barrier Reef. She was later found dead, prompting a separate investigation.
Despite the backlash and ongoing investigation, some loyal customers expressed continued support for the operator. "We’ve sailed previously with Coral Expeditions and we’ll do so again," one passenger said. Another added, "Surely I would jump on the next trip."
The detained vessel is expected to return to Cairns once clearance is granted by authorities, where the full investigation will continue.
