Cruise Ship Rescued After Getting Stuck in the Ice
Expedition cruises promise adventure and exploration into harder-to-reach destinations. However, one recent voyage found an expedition into the northern Baltic Sea more adventurous than expected.
HANSEATIC Spirit, operated by Hapag-Lloyd Cruises out of Germany, found itself stuck in rapidly forming ice in Bothnian Bay, located between Finland and Sweden.
More than 200 guests and 175 crew members aboard the 15,650-gross-ton vessel had to be rescued by the Finnish icebreaker Kontio on March 30, 2025.
“During the night, our HANSEATIC spirit got stuck – a sudden cold snap had frozen Bothnian Bay, the northernmost part of the Baltic Sea, in solid ice,” said the cruise line.
“Only with the help of Finnish icebreakers, the journey continued. A spectacular maneuver that many guests wouldn’t miss,” it continued. “Now, we’ve reached the Kvarken Archipelago and the wild, romantic Åland Islands.”
Braving the freezing temperatures of 23°F, passengers gathered on the outer decks, captivated by the icebreaker forging a path through the icy barrier.
The guests were enjoying a 15-night expedition that had departed from Hamburg, Germany. They visited Stockholm and Lulea, Sweden, and Kemi, Finland, before finding their ship stuck near its call in Oulu, Finland’s largest northern city.
The rescue by Kontio took place with a crew of 20. Equipped with towing forks and winches to help free ice-trapped vessels, it is one of five ships operated by Finland-based Arctia to break through thick ice when others can’t.
Once rescued from the icebreaker, the HANSEATIC Spirit continued to Rauma, Finland. It will call in Copenhagen, Denmark, before returning to Hamburg on April 5, 2025.
Hapag-Lloyd Cruises, a subsidiary of TUI Cruises and also part of Royal Caribbean Group, confirmed that no passengers or crew were harmed in the incident and that all safety protocols were followed.
In fact, the HANSEATIC spirit is meant to endure icy conditions. However, during the cold front, the ice formed to nearly 10 feet deep, entrapping it until the 7,066-gross-ton Konitio arrived to clear a path.
Exploring Nordic Waters
Expedition cruises, which take passengers on intimate and immersive journeys, are growing in popularity as cruisers look to visit less-traveled destinations, such as Antarctica, which also presents its own navigational challenges.
HANSEATIC Spirit was traveling through the heart of the Nordic region, visiting Sweden’s gateway to the Arctic, Lulea, and Oulu.
The vessel, along with sister ships HANSEATIC nature and HANSEATIC inspiration, has a Polar Class 6 rating (PC6), which means it is meant to navigate the icy waters of the polar regions.
However, its capability of pushing through ice is only meant for ice up to 3 feet thick, which is why the cold front rendered it helpless.
Read Also: What is an Expedition Cruise?
With a maximum of just 230 passengers, the 4-year-old ship constructed at VARD shipyard owned by Fincantieri, offers excursions on Zodiacs so guests can reach even more remote regions.
Its current voyage is taking guests on Nordic hikes, snowshoeing adventures, and sailing in waters filled with icebergs.
The ship, part of the same fleet as the Europa and Europa 2, is filled with a mostly German-speaking crew and cruisers and offers amenities that include three onboard restaurants, a fitness area, and an ocean-view spa.
Her next sailing will be a much warmer adventure. The 17-day one-way voyage will take guests from Hamburg to Funchal, Portugal, on April 5, 2025.
No other cruise ships were stuck in the region during the cold front.