Coral Adventurer runs aground on reef off Papua New Guinea coast

A luxury expedition vessel has collided with a coral reef off the coast of Papua New Guinea, marking another setback for a cruise operator already facing scrutiny following the recent death of a passenger.

According to news.com.au, the Coral Adventurer ran aground about 30 kilometres from Lae early Saturday morning.

The collision with the reef occurred before dawn, prompting crew members to notify authorities at approximately 6am.

The incident took place during a 12-night voyage that departed Cairns on December 18, with fares starting at $13,280 per person.

The Australian-flagged ship was reportedly undertaking its first voyage since the death of an 80-year-old passenger in October.

As a result of the grounding, all 123 people on board, including 80 passengers and 43 crew members, were left stranded while awaiting high tide to assist refloating efforts, news.com.au reported.

A spokesperson for the operator, Coral Expeditions, told news.com.au, “All passengers and crew are safe.”

“An initial inspection indicates no damage to the vessel,” they said.

“The incident has been reported to authorities and will undergo further official inspections to the hull and marine environment as a standard procedure.”

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) released a statement confirming “there are no injuries among the passengers and crew onboard”.

News.com.au reported that an officer from the PNG Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre had boarded the ship and is providing assistance with the incident,.

The luxury cruiser had reached Papua New Guinea waters on December 20 and was navigating the coastline throughout the week before Saturday’s incident occurred.

Passengers onboard the vessel were scheduled to complete their journey and disembark on December 30.

News.com.au understands there is no damage to the vessel, and inspections and work to refloat the vessel are continuing today.

Crews planned to assess the ship for damage once it was successfully refloated.