U.S. Coast Guard icebreaker frees luxury cruise ship trapped in Antarctic sea ice

U.S. Coast Guard icebreaker frees luxury cruise ship trapped in Antarctic sea ice

A high-end expedition cruise vessel, the Scenic Eclipse II, received assistance from the heavy icebreaker USCGC Polar Star after becoming beset by dense sea ice in the Ross Sea in mid-January, according to the U.S. Coast Guard.

50 Year Old USCG Polar Star Rescues Cruise Ship Scenic Eclipse II from Pack Ice in Antarctica

Last month, the US Coast Guard Cutter Polar Star (WAGB 10)  began icebreaking operations in the Southern Ocean in support of Operation Deep Freeze 2026. The deployment also marked the cutter’s 50th year of commissioned service. This milestone was further commemorated by the Polar Star rescuing the  Australian-owned cruise ship Scenic Eclipse II, which became trapped in pack ice, eight nautical miles from McMurdo Sound. After receiving a call fro…

US Coast Guard frees cruise ship | The Australian Naval Institute

The U.S. Coast Guard dispatched its most powerful ship and heaviest icebreaker to help set free an Australian-owned cruise ship that was wedged in ice in Antarctica on Jan. 17, the Military Times reports. The Polar Star, which boasts up to 75,000 horsepower, sliced through thick sheets of ice to wrestle free the Scenic Eclipse […]