Cruise West ship hits bottom in Alaska, may be damaged

[mercedes]

The Associated Press reports that Cruise West's Spirit of Alaska hit bottom Wednesday while sailing in one of Alaska's most famous fjords and may be damaged.

The 78-passenger luxury ship, which was traveling in Tracy Arm at the time of the accident, is being towed to nearby Juneau, Alaska, for inspection. The report says the ship, which may have suffered damage to its rudder, is being accompanied by the U.S. Coast Guard cutter Liberty.

A Coast Guard spokesman says the ship did not take on water during the incident and all 41 passengers and 22 crew members on board are reported safe.

No word yet on how extensive the damage is and whether it will affect upcoming sailings of the vessel.

Glacier-filled Tracy Arm is a frequent stop for cruise ships sailing along the Alaskan coast. The Spirit of Alaska, which is known for a shallow draft that lets it get closer to the shoreline than bigger mega-ships, was in the second day of a seven-day cruise when the incident occurred.

The Juneau Empire reports that passengers on the vessel will be transferred today to another Cruise West boat, the Spirit of Endeavor, and resume their tour. The paper says the ship will then proceed to a dry dock in Ketchikan for a more thorough examination.

UPDATE: 1:00 PM EST: A spokesman for Cruise West tells USA TODAY the Spirit of Alaska arrived in Juneau during the night and passengers are being transferred to the line's Spirit of Endeavor. The spokesman says damage to the line is assessing damage to the ship, and there's no word yet on the status of future cruises on the ship.