“Expedition cruising has become more popular just as adventure holidays have
taken off,” said a spokesperson for the Passenger Shipping Association, the
organisation that promotes cruises and ferries in the UK.
"These niche cruises holidays are proving particularly popular among Britons.
There has been a substantial growth in numbers of British toruists on Arctic
cruises," added a spokesman for the Norwegian Embassy in London.
The excursions offered on expedition cruises include inflatable boat trips to
see wildlife, kayaking, and guided walks - a world away from the cultural
tours offered on traditional cruises. Consequently these holidays attract
holidaymakers who are younger and more adventurous than those who opt for
larger cruise ships.
One was involved in a collision in August, 2007, when a
glacier collapsed onto the Alexey Maryshev injuring 46 tourists. The
ship is one of 20 expedition vessels operating in the Svalbard area, the
archipelago between Norway and the Arctic. Expedition ships are classified
as those carrying less than 200 passengers, most of which are adapted to
cope with sailing in icy waters. These ships, operated by 12 specialist
cruise companies, bring 8,000 passengers to Svalbard every year.
The appeal of Arctic cruising stems from the encounters with wildlife,
including whales, polar bears and penguins, unique polar scenery and the
holiday away from the crowds, although these attractions come with inherent
dangers.
According to the Association of Arctic Expedition Cruise Operators AECO, the
passengers aboard the Alexey Maryshev were in more danger of being savaged
by polar bears than collision with a disintegrating glacier.
AECO general secretary, Frigg Jorgensen told Times Online that expedition
guides tend to carry rifles to warn off, or in extreme circumstances, kill
polar bears that endanger the lives of cruise passengers. “There is a high
risk of encounter with polar bears,” she said, “when cruises do landings,
they need to be prepared for this,”
Jorgensen added that the last incident of an expedition cruise getting into
difficulty was a decade ago when one grounded in shallow water.
The Alexey Maryshev has been operating in the Svalbard region since 1982 and
this is the first incident of this kind. Further to that, the Norwegian
Embassy in London has confirmed that no such incident, of a tourist vessel
colliding with a glacier, has happened in Svalbard in recent history.
Speculation over whether the likelihood of disintegrating glaciers has been
exacerbated by global warming, has been underplayed by the Norwegian
Embassy. A spokesman said that while no connection could be established
between global warming and today's incident, rising average temperatures in
Svalbard have led to increased rates of glacial melting.
