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salon.com > Travel Feb. 9, 2000
URL: http://www.salon.com/travel/planet/2000/02/09/ice

Titanic II averted

A cruise ship is freed from the Antarctic ice.

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By J.A. Getzlaff

Ever since the soggy film "Titanic" sailed onto the silver screen, cruise ship passengers have reenacted Leonardo DiCaprio's and Kate Winslet's birdlike pose on the bow of ships from Fiji to Cancun.

But nobody was leaning over the bow of the Clipper Adventurer last week when the ship became stuck in icy waters off the coast of Antarctica.

The luxury liner was navigating the waters between Belgrano and Liar islands when a sudden wind change caused giant chunks of ice to pile up around the vessel. According to an Associated Press report, the Clipper's propeller "was surrounded by ice and couldn't be restarted."

The ship's captain alerted Argentine authorities, who immediately sent an ice breaker out from their naval base on the frozen continent. The navy worked through the night to cut through the frozen chunks, and by morning, the Clipper was free and able to sail to open waters to continue its 12-day sightseeing cruise.

Of the 186 passengers and crew members on the ship, Clipper Cruise Line spokeswoman Liz McQuinn told Reuters, "I'm actually assuming that the people on board are looking at this as sort of a great adventure of being in Antarctica ... They'll get to see the icebreaker come, and I don't think anyone will be upset about this."

Uh-huh.
salon.com | Feb. 9, 2000

 

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About the writer
J.A. Getzlaff's Daily Planet appears every weekday. Do you have a tip or tale for J.A.? Send it to DailyPlanet@salon.com.


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